Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-11-14
TROOPS N CHINA.
Americans Compare favorably With those
OF ANY Power.

Americans Compare favorably With those
Of An, Power.
Tientsin, Oct. LII Hung Chang,
IL Is stated, has sent edicts to all
parts OF Chilli province ordering the
people to offer no resistance To the
allies.
That Lis instructions have had
some effect, recent events are evil
dence. The Tilui expedition was alb
solutely unopposed, although the
town IL positively known to be q
Boxer hot-bed. A recent cavalry
reconnaissance beyond Tilui toward
Fengshang had a similar result.
Lieut.. Jansen, with a detachment
of the Sixteenth Bengal Lancers was
sent out to feel the region and report
as to the strength Of the town To be
attacked. He approached the bridge
with a couple Of men, leaving the
main forces concealed in n millet field.
He was received by the head men
with the assurance that they were
not enemies Of the foreigners. AS
proof Of this assertion they pointed
to a CHASTITY row Of forty human
heads impale1 over the gate. These,
they said, were the heads Of Boxers
who had been executed.
With troops oi eight nations and
every branch Of service elbow to ell
bow under actual field conditions,
both Pekin and Tientsin at present
afford a rich field Of comparative
military observation, OF which the
officers of the various forces are TAX
ing keen advantage.
In equipment and uniform, there is
apparently little question that the
American and British troops are su-
perior. The sober, business-like
khaki Is in strong contrast TO the
snowy French and Italian uniforms,
while the Germans, otherwise n mag
nificent and picked body Of men, are
handicapped in comparison by their
ill-ftting clothes.
The German uniform is n mustard
yellow khaki, apparently OF very In
ferior quality; the trousers loose and
no legginys are worn by the infantry.
This Is completed by n wide-brimmed
straw hat, such as is seen In the
southern part OF the states, turned
up at the side and fastened with a
corps badge. One almost overlooks
the awkwardness of the uniforms,
however, in the splendid drill and
discipline OF the kaiser's Chinese
army, while their field equipment,
though IA bit heavy, il well up date
and compares f~avorably to that OF
any other force.
BY far the most picturesque troops
here are the British native regiments
from India. The show OF Tientsin IL
the Sixteenth Bengal Lanccrs, the
"Gentleman regiment OF India" out
on parade. The Indian cavalry are
probably the heaviest armed mount
ed troops in the world. Each man
carries the long, heavy lance, revolt
yer, carbine and heavy sabre. The
uniform is khaki. the blouse tight at
the belt, loose cord trousers, russell
leather legglngs and the inevitable
turban.
1.-THE japanese are, however, prob.
ably the most interesting studies for
the military men here. One loses
sight OF the rather slouchy white
canvas uniforms and Frenchy high
crowned caps in the machine like
drill and discipline OF the Mikado's
men. In discipline they are easily
ahead Of practically all the other
forces. The Japanese soldier works
as none other does. He Is always
busy, he does not drink and he i not
in evidence on the streets. Their
field Typographical parties are al.
ways busy, and their commissary
and quartermaster's departments
are wonderfully active and complete
Everything is put up In compact
mating bound bundles. none toe
heavy for N man to handle, and the
result Is expedition.
The big German camp, which &c.
cupies the grounds and buildings
formerly used by the American troops
lying east Of the foreign concession
is easily the model of all the camps
about Tientsin. The Germans have
a scheme for the use OF the shelter
tent, which is considered to be idea
for ri weather. The pieces o
canvas Of an entire company ar,
dashed together and erected in til,
shape OF a shed without partitions
1t is practically a roof and rear wall
and is usually erected in the shape o
} two sides OF a square, the walls being
to the north and west.
The question Of transport is nat
nrally the most interesting to mill
tary observers and In hisconlectioI
the British have come in for mucl
praise. Each company is complet,
with its own pack train, from which