Keiichi ITO was in the central China during the war (as a lance corporal of the Army) and when he became a novelist of military history later, he compared Senjinkun military code with the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors and said, '"the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors," that was issued in 1882, has a literary style with more solemn rhythm than "Senjinkun military code," pure national consciousness is seen through it, and it gives impression of a kind of epic literature instead of the military.
戦争中，中支の戦場にいた，のちの戦記作家の伊藤桂一(当時・陸軍上等兵)は，戦陣訓と軍人勅諭を比較して「「戦陣訓」にくらべると，明治十五年発布の「軍人勅諭」は荘重なリズムをもつ文体で，内部に純粋な国家意識が流れているし，軍隊を離れて，一種の叙事詩的な文学性をさえ感じるのである。