Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-10-10
CHINESE WINTER.
Nations Rushing In nSuppIies For
the Allied Forces.
CIock-Work Movements Of Japanese
Army Of Occupation.
Russians Outnumber All Allied Forces in
Cavalry Strength.


improvised and fiimsy wharves which
line the Pei-Ho river at this point, lie
dozens Of curious little steamers and
junks discharging every variety of sup
plies. Anchored out-stream in the
swift and tortuous channel are dozens
more waiting wharf room to discharge
cargo. The winding little stream is
alive with craft from here to Tien Tsin
and from there up to Pekfn, for the
nations Of the world are rushing in
supplies to feed the armies before the
frigid North China winter seals the
harbor and stream. From junks, sam
pans. lighters and tugs fly the flags of
many lands, and side by side on the
decks toll blue shirted Americans
white uniformed Russians, sturdy
Germans, Industrious, interchangeable
japanese. busy as ants and saying no
word to anyone. French, English,
Sikhs, Goorkas, of all branches of ser
vice. 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 wharves. seem to be dimin-
ished. Busy little cargo boats ply out
to the anchorage II miles seaward
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 Tongku. Cum
bersome junks with huge. square sails
Of mating creep behind them in end
less procession. for anything that will
float Is pressed into service for the
transhipment Of Cargoes. Only vessels
Of the lightest craft 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 II feet
OF water over it. Only at one tide in
the "A 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 Ton
gku is hardly a good rifle shot as the
crow flies. yet by the river il is a good
four miles or more. and the tide runs
like a mill race. a narrow and serpen-
tine channel a swift current. lack of
wharf room. scarcity of vessels and a
reeking climate are some Of the diff
culties which the powers have com
batted and are daily surmounting; in
the landing Of supplies. but all Of them
have succeeded. and there has been re
markably little friction. One thing
alone is plentiful. 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 possible for transportation,
but little less than troops and immedi-
ate supplies are hauled over it. One
trarck. hastily reconstructed, small
cars and light engines, and under Rus
sian control, it is not used for general
transportation purposes. 1t is manned
by Russian soldiers from the Trans
Siberian Railway. and all things CON
sidered. is conducted in very credit
able manner. At each bridge and cul-
vert is Russian outpost and the
whole line is patrolled.
At Tongku the Americans have Sc
cured about the best wharfage. The
wharf extends well outstream and is
accessible a low tide. while there is
plenty of room for discharged cargoes.
Major Hugh Gallagher. the commits
sary officer in charge. has divided his
force between here and Tien Tsin, and
supplies are being handled very ex-
peditiously. The whole of the Yellow
vessels suitable for the work. and the
United States authorities have not
come out behind in the scramble The
liberal wages paid coolies and native
boatmen have given US a great advan-
tage both here and in Tien Tsin. At
the same time, our treatment of the
natives has been mild and humane. the
soldiers in charge of the gangs appar-
a,1t t1,yr 1.-Two Hal Isr,9
fun. The Russians are most severe in
handling native labor, and the sword
belt or bayonet scabbard is the usua
form Of persuasion. 1t has been
wonderful race of the supply depart
ments of the armies of the world and
the United States has shown up splen-
didly. Things are conducted with
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 accumu-
lating upriver and in the storehouses
here
From all comparisons. however. the
Japanese must be excluded. In all de-
partments the japanese army Of occu-
patton works like clock-work. To the
observer no hitch is visible. Their
commisary is meagre in variety. but
vast in quantity; and almost every
other river craft flies the white flag
with the red target of the Mikado.
Here it floats from dozen of craft. on
many wharves and in Tien Tsin it is
everywhere to be seen. Coolies by the
thousand labors unGer it. and long lines
of them, with cars, barrows ana act
ing as bearers. trot in continuous
streams transporting the inevitable
mating covered bales. No one knows
what the mating conceals, but what
ever il may be there are thousands 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 its parts in
order Day after day. the white coat
ed little soldiers swing by in squads,
companies and regiments and disap-
pear up country. Their discipline is
strict they are well clothed and cared
for. and the other nations watch them
curiously. and then turn to view the
(rnpttpr1aJ ~, poro