The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-10-10
Day and Night the Work
Goes On.
Japanese Outsirip Other Nations
in the Race.
Correspondents Of The Associated Press

Tongku, China, September Along
the improvised and dimsy Wharves which
line the Pel-ho river at this point lie
dozens Of curious little steamers and
junks discharging every conceivable
variety Of supplies. Anchored out-stream
IN the swift and tortuous channel are
dozens mora waiting wharf room to dis
charge cargo. The winding little stream
is alive with craft from here to Tientsin
and from there up to Peking, for the
nations OF the world are rushing in sup
plies to feed the armies before the rigid
North China winter seals the harbor and
stream. From steamships and junks,
sampans, lighters and tugs fly the flags
Of many lands, and side By side on the
decks toll bIue-shirted Americans, white
uniformed Russians. sturdy Germans,
industrious, indefatigable japanese, busy
as ants and saying no word to anyone,
French, English, Sikhs, Goorkas, Of all
branches Of service. Day and night the
toll goes on. with thousands of coolies
laboring in behalf of the conquerors, and
the great piles Of bales and boxes, house
high on the WharYes seem not to be di-
minished. Busy little cargo boats ply
out to the anchorage, twelve miles sea-
ward from Taku. and laden deep with
the cargoes and troops discharged from
the big transports, labor back over the
treacherous bar and feel their way up the
winding Pei-ho to Tcngku, cumbersome
junks with huge square sails of mating
creep behind them in endless procession,
for anything that will float is pressed
into service for the trans-shipment Of
cargoes, Only vessels Of the lightest
draft can pass the bar at Taku. At low
water a steam launch will go aground,
and at dead high tide there is at best
only scant eleven feet of water over it..
Only at one tide in the tWenty-four hours
can vessels pass, for the night trip is
dangerous to even the most skilled OF
Taku pilots. From the forts at the mouth
Of the river to Tongku is hardly gOo1
rifle shot as the crow files, yet by the
river it is a good four miles or more, and
the tide runs like a mill race. A narrow
and serpentine channel, a swift current.
lack Of wharf room, scarcity of vessels
and reeking climate are some of the
difficulties which the powers have COM
batted and are daily surrounding, in the
landing Of supplies, but all Of them have
succeeded, and there has been remarka-
bly, little friction. One thing alone is
pIe ntiful, and that is labor. Coolies
without number are to be had, and they
are the saving features of the situation.
The railway Is utilized as much as posi-
BILE for transportation, but little except
troops and immediate supplies is hauled
over it. One track, hastily reconstructed,
small cars and light engines, and under
Russian control, 1t is not used for gen.
eral transportation purposes. 1t Is
Trans-Slberian Railway, and ell things
considered, is conducted in a very credit
able manner. at each bridge and Gull
vert is a Russian outpost, and the whole
line IS patrOlled.
At Tongku the Americans have secured
about the best wharfage. The wharf
extends well out stream and is accessible
at low ii de, while there is plenty of room
for discharged cargOes. Major Hugh
Gallagher, the Commissary officer IN
charge has divided his force between
here and Tien-Isin, and supplies are
being handled very expeditiOusly. The
whole OF the Yellow and China seas has
been secured for vessels suitable for the
work, and the United States authoritie
have not coma out behind in the Iscram-
BILE. The liberal wages paid coolies and
native bOatmen have given US q great ad-
vantage, both here and in Tien-Isin,
At the same time, our treatment OF the
natives has been mild and humane, the
soldiers in charge OF the gangs apparent
" regarding the Cinnamon as great
D bo ro II,
handling native labor, and the sword
belt or bayonet scsbbard is the usual
form of persuasion. 1t has been won
derful race OF the supply departments OF
the armies Of the world, and the United
States has shown up splendidly. Things
are conducted with a vim and rapidity
In strong contrast to the slipshOd methods
of most Of the nations, and the result is
shown in the quantity Of supplies now
accommodating up-river and in the store
houses here,
From all comparisons, however, the
japanese must be excluded. In all de.
partments the japanese army Of Occupa.
tiOn works Ike clock-wOrk. TO the OBJ
server no hitch is visible. Their COM
missary is meagrs in variety, butsvast In
quantity; and almost every other river
craft flies the white flag with the red
target of the MikadO Here It floats
from dozens Of craft, on many WhaFYes,
and IN Tien-Tsin 1t is everywhere to be
seen. Coolies by the thousand labor
under it, and long lines Of them, with
carts, barroWs and acting as bearers, trOt
IN continuous streams transporting the
inevitable matting-co bales. Nc
one knows what the mating conceals,
but whatever it may be, there are thous-
ands Of tons of It. The Japanese army
works, In all the term implies 1t works
by night and by day, silently, swiftly,
like a huge machine with all It's parts
in order. Day after day, the white-coat-
ed little soldiers swing by, in squads,
companies and regiments, and disappear
up country. Their discipline is st lot,
they are well clothed and cared for, and
the other nations watch them curiOusly,
and then turn to view the Russians. And
the soldiers of the Car apparently are
! man to man with than IN numbers
now. But TOngku and Tien-Tsin and
Peking are but one squsre in the Chinese
CHECKER board. From the far north
come vague reports OF Thousands Of Rus
slams massing in Manehuria, and on the
same wings fly Fumors Of thousands OF
japanese landing st remote points IN
China ana Korea. But these are rumoTs