Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-28
THE MARCH TO PEKIN
Task of Relief Was Much Easier
Than Was Expected.
JAPANESE WON GLORY At PEITSANG
Progress Through the Region of
Mud Huts.
BELIEF OF TIL E n Att ES
b ELIEF OF TIL E N ATIV ES
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.


tough as we had expecter, either. The lega-
lions are safe at last, and l fancy the civ
ilized world is breathing freely again.
There may be some stiff fighting ahead of
us if we are to pursue and capture the
dowager empress. But at present, unless it
be the international commanders, no one
is giving thought to more fighting.
When we left Tien Tsn it was surely
under international control. The American
flag was flying over the southern gate, the
Japanese over the east gate, the French
ever the west and the British over the
north. The advance of the allies started
from that once troublesome old mud fort
north of the Tien Tsin railway station.
Under the protection of the walls of the
city we crossed the Grand canal, marching
over a pontoon bridge made of planks laid
across Chinese fat-bottomed boats. We
expected fight here, but didn't get it.
The route of the army lay past the wreck
of the great arsenal that was captured and
destroyed by Admiral Seymour. Up in
this section got under scat
tering, sniping fire from small parties
of Chinese. They were trying to get away
with much loot they could before the
allies came. We arrived too soon to suit
them and so they fired upon us, but they
did no harm nor did they hinder the ad-
vance in the least.
The PeitsanS Fight.
1t began to look like peaceful days
march Where was the fight that the Chi
nese were going to provide US with? The
answer was waiting for US at Peitsang,
seven miles north of Tien Tsin, on the east
side of the river. General Ma of the Chi
nese imperial army was there with a strong
force of his yellow braves. The Chinese
have one great fault In fightng-they begin
~ l,,s1
enemy within deadly range. They did 1t
here. Shells went screaming harmlessly
about. Earth flew up in little jets where
short-aimed bullets peppered the soil In
a few minutes more we We're in the zone of
fire. suffering ourselves and firing like mad
As usual the little japanese got into the
thick OF it and suffered the most 1t really
looks if these gritty little brown officers
were under orders to go in and get all the
glory. They do ii in everything from a
puny scouting raid to great battle. The
Japanese had the most men here, SO doubt
less they could stand the most loss On the
second day there was six hours brisk fight
ing The Japanese sailed in, got the glory
and put General Ma 5 army on the run.
rest and then ten miles were covered
bringing the troops to Iang-tsun. There is
a railroad bridge here crossing the river 1t
IS a magnificent structure OF iron. Had it
been down the enemy could have peppered
us at their pleasure as we crossed. But the
bridge wasn't down. Realizing how valua-
BILE IL would be to US. the yellow men had
tried to destroy IT, They might have cut
the girders with cold chisels. for the labor
Is cheap here. or they might have blown up
the structure Instead they tried to burn it!
The iron not proving highly combustble
nor the massive stone piers any more So
we marched over IL easily as we would
have done with the Brooklyn bridge
Hosi-Wu was next on our way. 1t is a
picturesque walled city. said To be we'll
nigh as old as China itself and is still a
n Ia If mn INN A .
the way that followed was along a dyke
built To keep the Pei-ho from OVERLOOKING
As a curious sample of Chinese methods
It may be mentioned that the dyke does
not follow the river closely, but keeps to
lines OF its own.
Region of Mud Huts
And now we came into the region of mud
and corn-stalk houses These were pite-
Gus signs Of the poverty of the people.
Here. where winter is severe, the poor peo-
pie build their habitatons with a frame
work Of corn stalks. Perhaps II would be
more accurate to call them millet-stalks
The Chinese name for the corn or millet
Is kiu-ling. over the frame work walls
OF mud are pIastered. The interiors OF
these huts are foul beyond description
As the troops went by the people poured
out Of these houses. They were delighted
to see US, for, they said, they had been
robbed and some of their number killed nv
time | was spending part of each day with
the magnificent little Japanese soldiers
There was one little lieutenant among
them who spoke Chinese and English
Though | tried several times to ACQUIRE the
pronunciation OF his name the nearest /
could get to 1t was Saka. So | called him
Saka San.
AS We halted in a little mud village lust
above Hosi-wu / noticed the inhabitants
regarding us with mixed curiosity and awe
There was much excited jabbering among
them. Lieutenant Saka listened and
smiled.
What are they talking about, Saka
SAM" | asked.
1T IS very curious" replied the little
lieutenant. They have been told by the
retreating imperial troops that the for
eisners are great devils; that It was i'm
possible for the Chinese to kill all the for
eigners because the foreigners, when they
found themselves on the point of being
discovered. changed themselves into foxes
So disguised, they ran close to the Chi
nese soldiers, changed themselves back into
men and began to fire with great rapidity
That is why we whipped the Chinese"
And these people?'
oh they are waiting"
what for?'
They are very fond of watching jugglers
and wizards.
and
They are waiting" said Saka. ito see US
shrink into foxskins and run about on all
fours"
cried.
"Oh. yes" replied saka San, with a
shrug
How foolish they are. then"
.'Oh, don't know" said the Jap, simply.
Perhaps my father would have believed
it"
This seemed to recall to me how recent a
gift western civilization had been to the
Japanese. 1t Is wonderful how these bright
Intelligent little people have progressed in
generation or so. i have heard 1t said
patronizingly at home that the Japanese
are our equals In many things they are
our superiors. / have spent portions OF
several days with them. They are de-
lightful In everything except their propen-
sity 10 mix ii up" with the enemy at
arms length on every occasion. Two or
three times on the way to Pekin l have
unexpectedly got in al close quarters with
the Chinese through being with the Japan
csc.
The "fox-man" legend is not the only
weird story that is told about the super
Natural powers of the foreign devil The
wonder is that, IL they believe half of these
tales, the yellow rascais are not altogether
afraid 10 fight us. The fox yarn did not
wholly credit until a copy OF a Chinese
print purporting to show that very trans
formation fell into my hands THE allies
way Saka interpreted the Chinese accusa-
tons 10 me- Then the troops OF Ma and
his colleagues must consider themselves
very brave TO fire upon at all.
Fighting Was Tame