Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-05
THE ALLIED ARMY
INTERESTING PEN SKETCH OF
THE VARIOUS TROOPS.
MANY MAGNIFICENT SOLDIERS.
Uniforms Gorgeous and Plain-A Mid
way PAaisance Exhibit Of Fight
ing Material.

SlSIll alum "ifo SNN1S
vice elbow to elbow under actual field
conditions, both Peking and Tien Tsin
at present afford a rich field of compare
tive military observation of which the
officers of the various forces are taking
keen advantage. This especially is no.
ticeable of the continental forces. whose
stats are everywhere taking note of
and methods. They are now
quartered in this big am What are said
to be representative c~ontingents of ev-
cry military power. 1t is a military con-
gress as complete as if devised only for
display the contrast between the
forces is very marked, both in equipment,
method and discipline. yet at the same
time observing officers find little room
for criticism of any particular contingent
of the Chinese evolutionary forces. In
equipment and uniform there is appar-
entity little question that the American
and British troops are superior. The
sober. business-like Khaki is in strong
contrast to the SNOWY French and Ital-
Ian uniforms, while the Germans, other
wise a magnificent and picked body of
men, are handicapped in comparison by
their i'll fitting clothing. The German
uniform is a mustard yellow khaki, APP
parently of very inferior quality. The
blouse is long and loose without pockets,
the trousers loose and no leggings are
worn by the infantry. This is completed
with a wide brimmed straw hat. such as
Is seen in the southern part of the states,
turned up at the sides and fastened with
a corps badge. One almost overlooks
the awkwardness of the uniform. how
ever, in the splendid drill and discipline
of the Kaiser's Chinese army. while
their field equipment, though a bit heavy
is well up to date and compares favor
ably with that of any nation represented.
BY far the most picturesque troops here
are the British native regiments from
India At present Britain has no white
troops here, except a part of the Royal
Welsh Fusileers. known in England as
the Duke of Connaught's Own" and a
battalion of Australian volunteer naval
reserves. The show in Tien Tsin is the
18th Bengal Lancers, the "Gentlemen |
Regiment of india" out on parade. They
are magnificently mounted, are superb
riders and dressed as fine as care can
make them and are a regiment any ma
ton could feel proud of. The Indian
cavalry are probably the heaviest armed
counted troops in the world. Each man
carries the long. heavy knife, revolver,
carbfno and heavy sabre. The uniform Is
khaki, the blouse tight at the belt, loose
cord trousers, russell leather leggines
and the inevitable turban. The Malay
lancers are not inferior and the foot reg
fments which include the Hajputs, the
Pnnjaubs and the Belochistans make a
splendid appearance. the men being tail
and slender and carrying themselves
superbly. -
The Japanese are, however, probably
the most interesting studies of the mill
tary men here. One loses sight Of the
rather syouchy white canvas uniforms
and Frenchy high-crowned caps in the
machine-hke drill and discipline of the
Mikado's men. In discipline they are
easily ahead Of the other forces. The
Japanese is always busy, he does not
drink and he is not given to roaming
the streets. The little whitehead chaps
are always on the move. Wherever one
goes in the surrounding country for
many miles out he finds a Japanese out
post, their field Typographical parties al
ways busy and their commissary and
Quartermaster departments are wonder
fully active and complete. Many off,
GERS have found much to admire in their
transport system. There are no great
bales or boxes in the Japanese supplies,
Everything is put up in compact mat
ting -bound bundles, none too heavy for
one man to handle and the result is ex.
petition. 1t Is the general opinion of OBJ
servers that the japanese soldier Is the
busiest, the quietest, the best disciplined
man I'm ,hte Chinese armies.
The big German camp, which occupies
the grounds and buildings formerly used
by the American troops, lying east of
the foreign concession, is easily the mod
ell of all the camps about Tien Tsin. It
has attracted much attention and moth
ing but favorable m is heard. The
Germans have a scheme for using the
shelter tents which is conceded to be
ideal for warm weather. The pieces of
canvas of an entire company are dashed
u together and erected in the shape of a
shed without partitions. It is practically
a roof and real wall, and Is usually erect
ed in the shape of two sides of a square,
the walls being to the north and west.
The German cooking equipment is COM
plete IN every detail and they have a
wonderful outfit of wagons and trans
port. There are new designs II. field
Ambulances, very narrow and springy
wagonettes for general officers, field
post wagons and nearly every sort of We
hicle an army can need. In variety and
completeness of outfit, the German rep
resentation Is beyond comparison with
any other force here.
The question of transport is natur-
ally the most interesting to military OBJ
servers, and in this connection the Brit
dsh have come in for much praise. AS
organized, the British forces in China
have the most efficient transport for cam
pafgning sudh as they are called upon
to perform. Each company is complete
with it's own pack train, from which it
Is not separated. Stout little Indian
mules, hardly larger tlan donkeys, carry
al supplies. and SO far the British troops
ave not suffered for lack Of supplies in
any of the marches the allies have made.
The same cannot be said Of the other
armies. In common with the Lama mesa