The Japanese Chargé to
Acting Secretary of State Adee.
Legation of Japan,
Washington, July 29,
1905.
No. 42.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform you, under
instructions, that during the battle of Mukden our First Army seized in
the battlefield a copy of Order No. 3, issued at Shui-lo-tai village on
February 9, 1905 (February 22), by Colonel Muller, in charge of the
First Brigade of the Thirty-first Infantry Division of the Russian army,
of which copies of the original Russian text and an English translation
are herein inclosed. The attention of the Imperial Government have been
especially attracted to the passage of the above order that “the
noncommissioned officers and men shall beforehand be instructed to the
effect that in advancing if they find en route any Japanese soldiers
lying flat, especially those lying on the back, they shall not fail to
kill them,” because they consider that such a measure is not only not
warranted by the necessities of war, but is in direct contravention of
the spirit of article 6 of the Geneva convention and article 23 of the
“regulations respecting the laws and customs of war on land,” annexed to
the Hague convention of 1899, which have been adopted by all the nations
of the civilized world, with the object of mitigating the unnecessary
horrors of war. Even admitting, as is stated in the order, that the
Japanese are wont to assume the appearance of wounded and to fire on the
Russian skirmishers after allowing them to pass by, there is no ground
whatever for justifying the said order, for, without resorting to such
drastic and comprehensive measures, there are ways, authorized by the
international usage of civilized warfare, of dealing with the alleged
cases.
[Page 620]
The Imperial Government, therefore, feel constrained again to ask the
good offices of the United States in instructing their ambassador at St.
Petersburg to call serious attention of the Imperial Russian Government
to the grave infraction of the international conventions by the
commander of their troops in Manchuria.
Accept, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
Order No. 3 of the First Brigade of the
Thirty-first Infantry Division of the Russian army. (Issued at Shui-lo-pa-tai village, February 9,
1905.)
In order to set up marks indicating the road leading from the first
line of positions to the dressing station each régiment shall
prepare small white flags with the greatest expedition, their poles
to be of such height as not to stand higher than one and one-half
arshine above the ground. The One hundred and twenty-second and One
hundred and twenty-first Régiments shall erect these flag poles at
various points between Huang-ti village and Erh-tai-tzu village, and
between the latter place and Tien-shui-pao village,
respectively.
Against the 11th instant ordinary rations shall be provided besides
the midday meal and a pound of beef for each man. In the case of
forward movement noncommissioned officers and privates shall each
carry their knapsacks, a bag of hard biscuits, tea, sugar, a small
pan, and a pair of warm boots. All other articles shall be left in
the lodgings.
Each company shall carry at least four ladders not more than three
arshines in length.
Each battalion in the reserve corps shall carry empty bags for making
earthbags, which will be necessary when a village shall have been
occupied. These empty bags may also serve the purpose of deceiving
the enemy by putting them on our winter caps.
The noncommissioned officers and men shall beforehand be instructed
to the effect that in advancing, if they find en route any Japanese
soldiers lying flat, especially those lying on the back, they shall
not fail to kill them, for the Japanese are wont to assume the
appearance of wounded and to fire on our skirmishers after allowing
them to pass by. Warning shall also be given in the sense that no
faith is to be put in such voices as “Come on,” “Hitherto”,
“Friend,” etc. (especially on a dark night), for Japanese soldiers
are so crafty as not only to make these utterances but also
sometimes to announce even the numbers of our companies. In order to
distinguish friends from foes watchwords shall be used. Such
watchwords shall contain one or two “l’s,” for example, “lyulka,”
for this soft sound being absent in the Japanese language, the enemy
is unable to pronounce it.
The régiments shall each offer prayers to-morrow.
(Signed)
Colonel
Muller,
In charge of the First
Brigade of the Thirty-first Division of
Infantry.
Inspected by:
Lieutenant—— ——,
Acting
Adjutant of the One Hundred and Twenty-second Régiment of
Infantry.
