The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-18
ARMY RECRUITS COMING IN.
NO LACK Of VOLUNTEERS TO FIGHT
IN CHINA OR ANYWHERE.

| Forty-two Men Enlisted in Savannah
Last Month and the Recruiting
once Likely to BE Kept Busy
From Now on-Congrcssman Lester
Does Not Think There Will he a
Special Session of COngress-Talk
of the Chinese situation.
The war spirit is again in evidence. In
ouiries reach the Morning News office
from surrounding town and villages, ask
ing information as to recruiting in the
army There is no doubt that the indig-
nation Of the people here, in common
with those all over the country
has reached high pitch and that Savan-
nah's full quota of troops, to avenge the
outrages that have been committed in
China could be secured by a simple de-
claration cf the purpose for which troops
were needed.
Congressman Lester, in reply 10 ques-
ton. said that he did not think it likely
that the President would call a special
session of Congress for the Nurpose of OBJ
tanning authority to issue a call for troops
for service in China. The government
will strain every nerve to get sufficient
available troops for this service from
those not absolutely needed elsewhere be
fore taking such a step as that mention
ed, Col. Lester thinks.
There seem to be plenty of Georgians
who are willing to fight their countrys
battles in China and elsewhere Forty
two recruits were enlisted here last month,
some going to Cuba, some 10 the Pniip-
nd oil 10
ratio is being kept up and some of those
enlisting now express a desire to go 10
China. They may have their desires
gratttied before they are much older.
The recruiting station in Savannah is
in charge of Capt. Frank B. Jones' of
the Twenty-second Infantry, though Capt
Jones spends most of his time in Macon
where second recruiting office is located
The enhstments continue with an en-
couraging steadiness. The number for
this month will probably be greater, as
the opportunity TO see active service is
better than ii has been for some time
Additional troops will, In all likelihood,
be sent to the Philippines, while the Chi
nese embrogiio will divest the home gar
risons of every available regiment, bat
talon and company
There is a general inclination TO throw
the blame for the Chinese trouble on the
missionaries 1t is the common remark
almost wherever and whenever the Cinese
imbroglio is mentioned. The missionaries
have friends and defenders, though
Morning News reporter met in succession
yesterday railroad man, a business man,
school teacher, a doctor and lawyer,
and each one, without the subject having
been previously suggested or any inquiry
having been made, brought up the Chi
nese question and charged the trouble up
on the missionaries. 1t may be that the
pople who lay the burden of this trouble
upon their shoulders are not quite so well
acquainted with the missionaries and their
work as they might be and that they have
| not impoverished themselves in giving up
their dollars to help spread the gospel Of
peace.
Il don't see what right we have to send
men and women over to a country which
has a civilization of It's own some thous-
| ands OF years older than ours and a relg-
| ION. or two or three perhaps, which are en-
| tirely satisfactory to them, to teach them
that their religion is all wrong and that
| they are all living in darkness and ig-
norance, and that the sooner they get on
90 our ways the better. We wouldn't
stand for anything of the kind and the
| Chinese wouldn't have stood for it as long
| as they have except that they found out
| that the missionaries were backed up
| with guns and warships and that every
| missionary killed meant a concession or a
big indemnify"
This was the business man, but his
| ideas were practically the same as those
| OF others who brought up the subject
| Some few advanced the idea that it was
| western civilization to which the Chinese
| objected as much as to western religion
| and il was pointed out that exploitation
| of gTaveyards for railway rights of way
| would not be tolerated even in this
| country.
Another feature of the situation which
| is frequently discussed is the manner in
| which many believe the Western nations
| have Numbered in waking sleeping
| giant THE civilized nations" remarked
| one Savannahian, evidently took China
| for a corpse that could be walked on at
| pleasure. They merely stepped on the
toes of this old corpse by bomharding a
| few forts at one of the many Chinese
seaports, and the corpse was galvanized
| into life. 1t has become an exceedingly
| lively corpse, and one that it will be very
| hard to put to sleep again, and now the
| nations are all aghast a the job they
| have unwittingly taken on their hands"
| While everybody does not hook at ii in
| this way, very general surprise is ex-
pressed at the fighting spirit manifested by
| the Chinese, and still more so at the fact
that they evidently have a large army
well trained and well equipped with Eu-
ropeen guns and ammunition. The Chi
nese appear TO nave discovered that tom
toms and stinkpots were no longer up
to-date fighting material shortly after
| their affair with the japanese. and to
have taken measures accordingly