The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-18

That three well-known officers OF the
Thirteenth regiment are not now in
China, probable sharers of the fate of
other Caucasians Is due to the merest
accident.
In December 1898, while at Augusta,
when it was evident that their long
tour of duty was about to end, a
number of the younger officers of the
Thirteenth and adjoining regiments,
who had come to like military life,
and who realized that there were
small hopes of securing commissions
in the United States service, conceived
the idea of Offering to the Chinese gov
ernment a proposition to form Chi
nese regiment and drill It in Ameri-
can army methods.
Major w. A. Wood, Captain T. A.
Gilman, Captain James Smith, Captain
Harry z. Decker, First Lieutenant
William Freeman, First Lieutenant
John Huff, and Assistant Surgeon
George c. Merrlman were those of the
Thirteenth's officers who were in on
the proposition. The Fifteenth Min
nesota and First Maryland contrib
uted the others.
Major Wood was delegated to look
after the negotiations. He laid the
matter before Minister Wu Ting Fang
in a letter and later IN a personal in
terview at the Chinese legation In
Washington. The result was a letter
from the famous Chinese diplomat ad-
vising Major Wood to place the mat
ter in the hands of Minister Conger
with the request that he take it up
with the Chinese government. Mr.. Wu
gave as an excuse for not wishing
| to handle the matter himself, that he
had no instructions to govern him In
case of this kind, and further that
much red-tape delay would be avoided
| If the matter was looked after by the
American legation at Pekin.
CoNGER APPROVED IDEA.
| Minister Conger was communicated
with but like the Chinese minister he
was at loss how to proceed In the
matter, because of it's never having
been broached before, and he replied
that while he heartily approved OF the
idea, he would suggest that the mat,
| ter be handled through washington
preferably through the Chinese lega'
ton.
Minister wu, it would appear. had
| reconsidered the matter in the interim
for early in January Major Wood re-
ceived an invitation to correspond with
the generalissimo of the Chinese army
at Pekin. He did so, and after various
exchanges definite agreement wal
reached whereby three of the Ameri
can officers, Major Wood, Captain Gil
man and Captain Decker were en-
gagged 10 go to Pekin, form a regi
ment of 1900 picked men, and schoo
them for five years. The Chinese gen
eral insisted that the colonel and ad
jutant of the regiment should b.
Cinnamon. The American officer
could have command of the three bat
talions, one of them to be lieutenan
colonel and the other two majors.
I They would be required to swea
allegiance to China for the five year
they would be in the service, with tn
proviso that they should be release
and granted safe convoy to neutral ter
ritory in case Of a war with the Unite
States. If the Chinese governmen
wished to dispense with their services
it would pay them a bonus of si
months salary in addition to wha
they had earned and stand the ex
| ptilStS VI tllclI JouihCy IL lhS
wished to terminate the contract the
would have to pay their own expense
home. Their salary was to be abou
twice what corresponding positions l
the United States army bring, and he
sides they were to receive a bonus
! they completed the five years teri
of service satisfactorily, and all thei
: pay was to be in gold.
WOULD HAVE CARRIED POINT.
| The idea Of having a Chinaman q
, an immediate senior officer was NJ
, relished by Major Wood, Capital
Decker and Captain Gilman, and whe
, the Chinese generalissimo would M
consent 20 have the first officer of tn
, regiment an American they decided
: terminate the contract then and ther
They have since understood that t.
Chinese legation at Washington wa
instructed TO qualify the agreemer
to meet the ideas of the United State
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