High amongst the all round efficient units of the S.V.C. stands the Company of the Mikado's subjects. It may, perhaps, never have achieved outstanding feats of marksmanship like the Americans; it may not march with the pace and endurance of the Scottish; it may lack the compelling force which goes with a well handled Field Artillery Battery; and it may be short of the pomp and ubiquitous fighting abilities of the Light Horse. Yet, in the way of the ever ready infantryman, combined with the intentness of the Japanese to Jearn anything at which the'}foreigner excels, it is a highly valuable unit well above the average in training and very seldom at the bottom of the competition lists, even if it is not its fortune to figure often at the top.
There docs not seem to have been any enthusiasm for Volunteering amongst the Japanese in Shanghai prior to 1900, but in that troublous year the sons of Nippon were as quick to recognize their duty as were the people of any other race. All nations in the Settlement then were calling for Voluntcers—and getting them—and the Japan. ese followed the lead of the Customs by adding another Company to the S.V.C. They were then not anything like so strong numerically in the Settlement as they are to-day, but the call was responded to with enthusiasm and the new unit was able to parade 70 strong.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.