The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-07-28
CAMPAIGNING IN CHINA.
Returned American Says the
Climate Is Not Severe.
AUGUST IS THE WORST MONTH.

AOQOO4 40 4A0 UOAsSA AANA' -
United States Troops should Not III
Exposed to Much SuTering-Win'
tiers Are Very Drncing-GOOd SkRt
ing md IcebOating on the Rivers
Game In Plenty.
Little danger, so far as climatic con
ditlons are concerned, Is to he feared
for the American troops now ordered
for service In China, says the New
York Post Men who have lived Ions
In China even say that winter IL
Pekng is quite as healthful as win
ter In New York. Broadly speaking
the difference of climate between
northern and southern China is just
as great and may be fairly compared
with that between the northern anC
southern parts of our country. The
summer weather at Shanghai and
Hongkong is supposed to be unhealth
full. but in the latter city most Of the
foreigners live on an elevation called
the peak" and escape the worst eff
fects. 1t is. however, into northern
China that our troops are now being
sent.
According 10 a New Yorker who re
Gently came back from Picking, "thC
climate there is chiefly remarkable fol
the wide difference between the sum
mer and winter temperatures. The
summer Is very hot, and the almost
constant rains make the air lnsuffer
ably humid. 1t Is n healthy enough
climate, in spite of this, If precautions
are taken. Bubonic plague. cholera
and fevers are by no means the ever
present dangers reports would seem TO
indicate. In fact. the foreigners in
general pay little attention to them.
They are confined almost entirely TO
the Chinese. The worst month Of the
year Is August when the rains are
almost constant.
"Winter begins as early as Nov. l,
and there Is no climate on earth finer
than a Chinese winter. a man ex-
hauSted by the summer months is
braced up completely and is very soon
in splendid condition for another year.
1t IS very cold, to be sure. but the dry
ness Of the air-the same dryness Min
neapolls men tell you about-keeps you
from feeling the cold Even for men
fresh from the tropics the only precau-
ton necessary is TO lay In a good sup
ply Of winter clothes. and | see that
our cOmmlssary department expects 10
have these on the ground before Oct. l.
Most Europeans get vaccinated, too,
for there Is smallpox among the ma
tives in winter. Efforts to stamp out
the disease have been fruitless on ac-
count Of the way in which the natives
store their winter clothes. With the
return of warm weather all the furs
and woolens are piled together IN pawn.
shops or public storeroOms, where any
infection there may be Is distributed
in the most effective manner possible.
If our soldiers bring clothing with them
and do not rely on native furs. there Is
no danger.
GAS railway communication Is at an
end, It is likely that our regiments will
be tied up for the winter in or around
Picking or Tien-tsin. 1t all depends on
the natives whether that stay is one
Of the pleasantest experiences Of the
soldiers lives or q veritable nightmare.
The little snow that falls evaporates
quickly without melting and leaves
the ground In fine condition for horse
back riding, and plenty of ponies are
to be had. The river, and often flood
ed land on either side, freezes smooth
ly, leaving a fine surface for skating
One winter we had good relocating as
well.
1.-THE food supply is a problem which
may present some difficulty. In the
past invading armies have always been
able to obtain food somehow, even
when cut off from their bases Of sup
plies. In the TAPPING rebellion and in
the Japan-China war 1t was found re-
peatedly that the hostile troops could
easily buy all the supplies they wanted
from unpatrlOtic and mercenary ma
tives. In one case | remember a Japa-
nese force was hemmed in by Chinese
on every side. With any other enemy,
as people said at the time, they would
have been starved out. AS
q matter Of fact, however, all through
the siege they got supplies regularly
and Jared pretty well. 1t may be safer
to depend entirely on the regular COM
missarlat with a base of supplies at
one Of the open ports.
"Flrst on the list Of native provisions
Is, Of course, rices Dates are also a
staple. Then there are a great many
sorts of dried and preserved foods. In
spite of the cold winter fresh grapes Of
4 small, sweet variety can be obtained
all the year round. They are picked !
In the fall and buried In a peculiar |
kind Of sand, from which they can be
dug six months later with the bloom
still on. In summer there are many
other fruits, among them the finest |
pears you ever tasted. OF vegetable |
food, In short, there is a great plenty.
"There is a great deal Of game about |
Picking and Tien-tsin-wild geese,
ducks, teal and snlpe. 1t has been
not joklngly either, that one
Of the deep seated grievances Of the
northern Chinese is due to the great |
number Of accidents which have hap