The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-11-25
CHINESE WAR NOTES.

The ancient Chinese custom of clos
ing the gates of Peking at sundown is
temporarily at least suspended, and
now the wayfarer can come or go at
any hour he pleases provided re can
explain matters to the sentries, writes
the Peking correspondent of the St
Louis GIobe-Democrat. In the olden
days the rule was very rigidly enforced
and was n constant Inconvenience. Per-
sons who drove into the country and
tarried after sunset were locked out
for the night, and the same luck fell to
the traveller who arrived late. The
Chinese had ways of leaving the city
at night, but few Europeans ever tried
or succeeded. There are notable in
stances where the rule was enforced
against ministers and high officials,
and it was a standing injunction to the
newcomer to look out and avoid trou-
BILE. AS 4 matter of fact, few persons
try to pass the gates at night in these
strict times of provost law, but the
way is open If they seek to go.
1t develops. after all. that the Japa-
nese and Americans were responsible
The Japanese were ready and anxious
to move. the British said they lacked
preparation. and the Russians were
indecisive. At the final conference of.
generals in Tien-tsin General Chaffee's
voice carried the day. The generals
were discussing the situation. and
when 1t got to the American he simply
said, "My orders are to go to Peking..
and. by -, I'm goingr' If he had
hesitated, the Japanese would have
been forced to abandon their plan for
an immediate movement
The Mohammedans in the Indian ar
my have found useful and convivial
companions in the Chinese followers of
the prophet. The Chinese Mohamme--
dams in north China seem to have hadf
but little part ia the uprising as far as
general observation shows, and many
of them are in the refugee camps and
coolie corps. They seem to have been
largely engaged in the junk traffic on
the clio and the retail trade of Tien-
tsin and Peking. Students of China
commend them as peace loving and
honest, which is a contradiction of pop
uAdE uOtiOu as " lueIu. uelE MOSQUES
seem undisturbed, and they appear to,
have remained aloof in the recent cri--
sis. Many OF them know the Arabic OF
the Koran and through it have BEEN
able to converse with their brethren in
religion in the Indian army. They are
| Chinese In general appearance and
mode OF living. but they adhere to the
customs Of their creed.
The most oddly gowned fighting men
In China are the French marines and
sailors. They wear blue fatigue UNI
forms made OF kind of duck, and ii is
precisely the same In appearance as the
common Chinese duck. In fact, small
detachments of French have been fired
on as Chinese. They have ark helmets
that were originally white and for
some reason that is not clear cover the
front half of them with blue duck.
Aside from some trouble arising from,
creed and caste, the British commissa-
riat does not have dAlch difficulty feed
Ing the Indian troops. The latter do
not care for more than one big meal q
day and do not eat a very large amount
at that The Europeans and Americans
suffer hardship II they are not given
food three times a day, but the Indians
can keep going where they would bs
faint and fatIgued.