File:A staff officer's scrap!book during the Russo-Japanese war (1906) (14594700448).jpg

Identifier: staffofficersscr02hami (find matches)
Title: A staff officer's scrap!book during the Russo-Japanese war
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Hamilton, Ian, Sir, 1853-1947
Subjects: Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905
Publisher: London : Edward Arnold
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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icer. Every one knows the qualifica-tions of the Staff officer: energy, tact, accuracy,erudition, industry, health and horsemanship; withoutwhich last two all the others may be lost just whenthey are most wanted. But it is not every one whoknows how little, and yet how very much, theJapanese require of their commanders. They seemto insist on one quality only, a quality which bulksin their eyes so largely that items such as reputation,judgment, character and even innate love of fightingfall into quite a secondary position. Du calme; il adu calme, say the French-speaking Japanese whenpraising a commander. Er ist kalthliitig, say thespeakers of German. Some three weeks ago, discussing with me theaction of the Twelfth Division at Chaotao on the 19thof July, a distinguished young Staff officer said: Before the attack I was very nervous; terriblynervous. I could not sleep at night, and all the Staffwere restless and disturbed. But Kuroki was nottroubled. Oh no; he was quite tranquil ! I did
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A Good Comrade CAPTAIN SHOJIRO TANAKA OF THE HEADQUARTERS STAFF Eeflegtions by the Way 13 not take this too literally, as I know the Staff in theirunwavering loyalty to Kuroki are capable of makingan imputation against themselves, provided at thesame time they are able to do honour to their chief.Still, the remark throws a light on the Japanesestandard for a generals qualifications. I have put itto Japanese officers that there is no more difficultquality to recognise than that of true imperturbability.They assent readily, and admit that until a man hasbeen tried by fire it is not possible to say whether hewill be prepared to stake 10,000 human lives with astout heart. It seems then that the supreme qualification for aJapanese General, as understood by his fellowcountrymen, is a philosophy which enables him to becalm under any circumstances and a record whichguarantees that he possesses this attribute actually,and not only in seeming. Mere knowledge of regula-tions, languages, military

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