The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-09
FRICTION AMONG ALLIES
BRITISH AND RUSSIANS AT CROSS
PURPOSES BEFORE TIENTsIN.
Differences over the Plan of Attack on the
Cty-Projects not Carried Out-Admirai
seymour's Departure From Camp-Lack
Of Co-operation and OF Proper Scouting.

Prom a stan Correspondent OF THE SUN
TIENrsIN, July l2.-"To-morrow we are to
take the old city, and II will be turned over to
the men to loot" That was the first thing that
was told me when ] got into our headquarters
here about midnight Of the second day after
the Seymour expedition returned from its I'M
! successful attempt TO reach Pekin. Three or
four times since then the same word has gone
around. and to-niRhtit Is accompanied by the
details Of the plan, 60 that 1t seems probable
that at last the attack will be made. But II viii
be a different attack now rom WHAT would
have been II made two weeks or more ago. 1t
Is true We are in better condition TO make II No
regards both men and artillery. but II Is a great
question II tie Chinese have not pronted more
by the delay than the allies. Judging from
what has happened to US in the last few days II
Will be only after a ncht that cannot be mis-
taken for anything else that the allied troops
will get inside the wall OF 1ientsin.
The Chinaman In. the advantage, the great
advantage. from the military point Of view.
First OF all. he il on the defensive. He Is be-
hind a wall impregnable to all but heavy siege
artillery, and that the allies have not. lie has
guns in plenty that are al least AZ large M any
the allies have been able to oppose TO them.
lie has ammunition for these guns OF the latest
make and greatest efficiency. His guns are the
HlOHt UbltTns Ills UTllllfIlHNN II hlh'ii'NNN9
trained men who have made every whit as good
practice az those of the allies. and often better.
lie has swarms of men arme,l with rfles that
outshoot most Of those carried by the allies.
and supplied with limitless quantities OF the
very best smokeless ammunition. But more
than all these advantages he has the great lead
OF being a unit in He Ia not under
the necessity Of harmonizing half a dozen d LITER
eut elements He need waste no time in re
quests He Is obliged to give no thought to
considerations Of politeness.
Much politeness Is a hinderance to good work.
II the work Is TO be done by the cooperation
OF a lot Of Heterogeneous forces. as here. And
yet by means of much roiteness only can
the work be accomplished. We have seen II
well exemplihed several times. On the surface
there have been only smiles and bows and pro-
found salutes. But that sort Of thing Is only
skin deep. What subcutaneous ragings there
have been have been reported sometimes by
members Of the staf only to be as promptly de-
MED by headquarters, and a censorship has
attempted to see that they were not reported
by cable, a censorship with the telegraph two
hundred miles and more away. and in the hands
Of the Chinesel
Tomorrow II Is the attack. Yes. this time
II Is. have my orders. We go out at 3 O'Clock.
Will you Gomez"
PLANS o CARRIED U
Thlslwas the Russian. and it began TO look like
business But l was very tired with much run
ming about. Artillery would begin the attack
or course. Very well. then: | shall start when
the guns wake me up. vice | did start and
both times was fooled. But tomorrow 1t ia the
real thing.
II it is a Britisher who tells you. the cause Of
al the delays has been the willy Russ. The Russ
himself says very little, but II you happen into
his camp along in the afternoon, when he has
had his siesta and IL thinking OF the bottle under
his blanket aud the lump OF ice in the straw box
In the corner Of his tent, he Is quite likely to tell
you that the Americans and the Russians are.
after all. the only real friends and great peoples
on earth; and as for the English and Japanese.
.Pah," with tremendous explosive force.
Al the military men we're agreed a. to the
general plan of attack There should be two
columns, one on the east and the other on the
west side OF the city. Before he went back to
his ship Capt NcCalla expressed the belief that
II two columns marched out IN that way and
vent beyond the city all the Chinese there
would run as soon as they saw they were being
| outfanked. The differences arose about the
execution Of the general plan, The attack.
which WAS not made the day after ! got here.
was planned by the Russian General. Stessel
He was to send his men well upon the east ana
swing across to the west taking what has come
to be called the Pagoda Fort, which has
| been shelling us pretty constantly ever since
IL stands on the river bank Ju-t about
due east Of the northeast corner Of the city
wall. and the Russians would have had to 40
| through several very hot villages to get 10 1t.
| stes,el proposed that while they were doing
this the other allies should make a feint from
the railroad station north. which would hold the
Chinese in check. II appears that for some
reason Admiral Seymour did not approve thi'
plan. IL was reported that he thought the loss
would be out OF proportion to the gain, Any
how. nothing happened. The attack was not
attempted that day.
Two or three days later word went around
again that the attack was certain for the next
day. Again il was a Russian plan. and again
when it did not occur there were reports thai
the British had not been willing to cooperate !
ventured TO make some such remark TO a
British officer and the OF his denun-
citation Of the Russians almost convinced me oil
the truth OF the report.
HOT PIRE FROM CHINESE GUNS.
Meantime the Smelling from the various Chi
nese batteries was growing steadily worse
They were mounting more and more guns anc
their practice, which was always GOOD. was I'M
proving. The Brltl~h seemed 10 " 'e o",
ones who could oppose anything effective Z
the Chinese artillery. They were working ver'
hard getting up guns from their Ship on Taku
First they brought n l2-pounder ana theI
two more from the Terrible. Then came a Io'
OF e-pounders and then some OF the 4-inch gun
that fred lyddite about Ladvsmith. The mount
ing OF the first % thc~' guns wa hailed with 20!
by the settlements, but those OF Us who nap
pened To live in the neighbOrhood OF the batter!
very soon came to a different opinion, for II tool
the Chinese a very short time 10 locate then
and after that whenever one OF them opened
fire the Chinese replied with a vigor that mad
life very uncomfortable hercabouts, 1t wa
Away, tho same thing, first the British gun
would bang away for an hour or so and tn
Chinese would say nothing; then ns soon ms IN
British nre slackened on the Chinese would be
gin. and they would make it so warm tina
usually the British made no effort to reply dur
ing the shellinG. but just sat stlll in their work
and took IL. Men we're killed in the streets orr
their barracks every day. The Centurion mel
were losing three or four daily in barracks.
One day there was a joint reconnaissance !
the course OF which some OF the Russians fire