November 13, 1904
News from the front line is that morale is high
and victory is certain. Today the massive Japanese armada destroyed
the Russian's Baltic fleet that came all the way from the Baltic
Sea. After fighting for many months, our victories at the "Battle
of the Yellow Sea" and "Battle
of the Tsushima Straits" ensure that victory is over
the horizon.
All this fighting has caused deaths of our fellow Japanese people.
The Russians are losing 5 men for every one of ours. One reporter
told us about the great destruction of lives after the battle
on Metre hill 203 " Here the corpses do not so much appear
to be escaping from the ground as to be the ground escaping itself.
Everywhere there are bodies, or portions of bodies, flattened
out and stamped into the surface of the earth as if they formed
a part of it, and several times in ascent I was on the point of
putting my foot on what seemed to be dust when I recognized by
the indistinct outline that it was human form stretched and twisted
and rent to gigantic size by the force of some frightful explosion"(1).
At home the Japanese Public has the flags and the lanterns of
victory ready and waiting. Port Arthur at night is a death trap
for any Russian troops because of their worst enemy, the spotlight.
Ashmead Bartlett told us " the searchlight blots out everything
in front, causing the men to wander aimlessly about seeking shelter
from this terrible enemy. The rays follow their every movement,
and the machine gun follows the rays"(2).
ON THIS ONE BATTLE
RESTS THE FATE OF OUR NATION. LET EVERY MAN DO HIS UTMOST. Togo,
the commander of the fleet said this before our brave Soldiers
engaged in the "
Battle of Tsushima Straits." Every battle rests on the
survival of our proud and glorious Nation, we will strive. The
westerners have called us weaklings and beat upon our allies.
What will they be saying now after we have one this war? This
victory will not just be for Japan but for all the Asian Countries
that have been exposed to the westerners harsh treatment. We will
show those white devils. At home the Japanese Public has the flags
and the lanterns of victory ready and waiting. Every Citizen of
the Empire of Japan sits home desperately waiting day by day hoping
for the arrival of our victorious troops. We will strive forward
and we will win. Winning this war will mean everything to us.
We get a new colony and we finally get respect of the other countries.
All the Meiji
Restoration was not just for nothing. Our sacrifices have
brought us here and without them we would have lost this war.
Japanese citizens morale is at an all time
high and hoping they may come home before winter. I think we will
win this war because of our countries pride and patriotism.This
is our time that Japan stands up to the westerners and becomes
strong. We are making very good progress in the war and are winning
every battle we engage in. We have not lost any ships and barely
man soldiers. We are striving towards victory day after day, week
after week.
Sources:
(1) Meirion and Susie Harries, Soldiers Of The Sun(New York:Heinemann, 1991), 88-89
(2)Meirion and Susie Harries, Soldiers Of The Sun(New York:Heinemann, 1991), 86
Picture Sources:
Russo-Japanese War Research Society "Russia Against Japan 1904-1905" [http://www.russojapan.com/gallery3.html]
Russo-Japanese War Research Society "Russia Against Japan 1904-1905" [http://www.russojapan.com/gallery1.html]
Russo-Japanese War Research Society "Russia Against Japan 1904-1905" [http://www.russojapan.com/gallery3.html]