Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-10-12
AS SEEN AT 1AKU.
North Dakota Boy at Taku, Writes
His Impressions of the Far Eastern
Question.
Agricultural College Student on the
Transport Grant Writes to Presi.
dent Worst.
Types Of the Soldiery of Various
Nations as Now Seen in
China,

eyFSS S"S OAAASA VI IL kOu0
Nations as Now Seen in
China.
M. c. Henry, a former agricultural
college student, is now in the army
service, and is on the transport Grant
at Taku, from which place he writes
President Worst:
I am interested in the eastern ques-
ton. and this gives me an opportunity
to study the conditions at close range.
l also have the privilege of staying at
this end of the route in case l see an
opportunity to better myself. My
earnings at present in this service are
$50 per month, with board and room
free, and as we n at sea most of the
gives a chance to save some money
time, our expenses are small and that
for the future s . l have good off,
GERS over me, am on a good ship, live
we'll and my work is not overland, so
why shouldn't I be contented?
This also gives me the privilege If
seeing parts Of the world that I other
wise would new have seen. For in
stance, this trip to China is worth a
great deal to me and is a rare OPP
p~ortundty to get an insight into the
ways Of the different nations, which
are at present laying siege to the cap
ital of Chdna-Pekin.
When the Philippine question was
first laid before the public, now over
two years ago, l remember of reading
a short article written on this subject
by a soldier then serving in Manila.
In this article he urged that the re-
'tention of the islands was the only
thing to do, because in the first place
they were a valuable possession to the
United States, and for the second he
added: 1T will only be a matter Of
a short time till the Chinese empire
will share the fate of Rome Of old, and
the Philippines will make a good base
for the United States when it comes to
divide China, in which latter process
the United States certainly ought to
come in for a share" At the time Of
writing that article, 1 don't suppose
the writer knew how soon his words
would come true; but, if he was here
at Taku, China, today. he would have
good cause to shake hands with him
self and exclaim with pride: Didn't
l tell you long ago that the days Of
the Chinese empire were numbered"
"The first thing that impresses the
visitor to Taku is the large force on
water displayed here. Every nation
in Europe which has any fleet at all is
represented by from one to fifteen
warships, and all told there are fifty
four warships in Taku harbor, repre-
senting eight different nations. Be-
sides these warships each nation has
a number of transports and supply
ships. England alone has today 81
transports in this bay and all told
there must be over 200 vessels COL
lected here Within a radius of ten
miles. This bay of Taku is really the
mouth Of the Peiho river. On the
south bank is located the town of Taku
and q miles up is Tien Tsin, and
about 80 miles from there is Pekin,
the capital of China. The fighting at
the present time is between Tien Tsin
and Pekin, and as the object in view
is to get ito Pekin, the seat of govern
ment, it is very natural that the Chin
ese should contest the ground stub
bornly, which they must be doing
judging from the number of dead and
wounded brought in every day. This
ground that the allied forces are fight
ing on now is the same territory
over which the Chinese and Japanese
war was fought only a few years ago
1.-THE present trouble in China arose
as I understand it, from the Chinese
6OSoA AAISANG - 41ldU1l1Iy ~ plOCSCI .L11S
different foreign Legations against the
so-called Boxers" and it was the Oh.
ject of the powers to step in and fur
nish protection until the country couil
be under control Of its proper govern.
ment. Now, it appears that the al
lieu forces are fighting not oni,
Boxers" but also the imperial troops
and in my mind there is no question
but that this is a deep laid plot K
overthrow the Chinese government
and then make a big land grab out o
it.
These combined forces are suppose,
to act in unison and as far as advanc
ing toward Pekin they certainly &C
together, but from different motives
II you could see the hatred and i'll will
the different nations show each othe.
openly, mind you, you would not TO
once doubt they were. fighting eac1
other Hnafood nf a io3r& omo~u nh,