PRECIS 
AND 
TRAHSLATIOET' 
REVUE D’ ARTILLERIE. 
THE ORIGINS OF THE JAPANESE ARMY. 
(Lecture given by Colonel Lebon, Commanding the 1st Regiment of Artillery , to 
the Officers of Bourges garrison.) 
BY 
F . E . B . L . 
It is an interesting subject to investigate by wliat chain of circumstances feudal 
troops, obeying princes often enemies one of the other, still armed only 25 years 
ago for the most part with swords, bows and lances—how such troops have been 
transformed into a homogeneous highly disciplined army with a European organi¬ 
zation, and animated by a military spirit of the loftiest nature. 
As was seen in the war with China this army has given proof of great method 
in the preparation of its plans and of extraordinary energy in their execution ; 
that too amid the difficulties inherent to operations conducted simultaneously on 
land and sea, in regions like Corea and Manchuria where roads can hardly be said 
to exist, in a severe climate where the Centigrade thermometer sometimes fell to 
40° below zero 1 . 
The composition of the Japanese Army when war broke out was :— 
7 Infantry divisions (1 guard, 6 line), 
7 Eegiments of Held artillery (40 batteries) (1 guard, 6 line). 
7 Cavalry groups (21 squadrons) (l guard, 6 line). 
7 Engineer battalions (20 companies). 
7 Train battalions (14 companies). 
4 Eegiments Fortress Artillery (48 batteries). 
Total effective- about 120,000 men. 
This is the active army, completely constructed and organized. It does not 
include the reserves and the territorial army which are still incomplete in their 
organization. According to recent information the Japanese government have 
decided to devote to the increase of their land and sea forces no less than 40 
millions sterling derived from the indemnity to be paid by China. This sum will 
be spread over a period of 20 years and will be in addition to the ordinary budget. 
More than half of it will go to the navy ; and the number of army divisions has 
already been raised from 7 to 12. 
But numbers by themselves are of no great importance when Asiatics are in 
question. What we specially want to know is the spirit which animates the 
1 When an army corps had to operate in Manchuria in the depth of winter, Marshal Yamagata 
engaged coolies to carry fur cloaks for his men, which they found on arrival at their bivouac. 
5, VOL. xxv. 
