Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-01
VARIOUS TROOPS IN CHINA.
Captain Fraukiiu's Interesting Kcpor
Compliments our Men.

Captain Franklin's Interesting Report
Compliments our Men.
The report Or Captain Thomas Frank
lin az our uunmlSkary corps, gives very
interesting account ~ thr way the warn
Ing the campaign ~ tue allies 80 China.
Tho Japanese has rice, bread dried istt
and tea. which they supplemented ~ the
use ~ the sheep and cattle thr country
produced They also hld American
canned meats. Tut these were not used
freely. and seemed ~ be more IN The
nature q q special or emergency AT
tfclc OF their diet. The British white
troops had "a ration similar 10 ours IN
quality and quantity. but not 80 varied or
flexible. They used tea Instead Of coffee.
The British Indian troops had about three
quarters OF a pound q Hour. about one
pound 81 rice. one gill % vegetable OH.
salt. and once week pound ~ fresh
meat. bone and all The Sikhs ate only
mutton or goat. but the MOhsmmcdans
ate ever thing except pork. The EuH-
SLAMS had attic besides black bread and
soup They were given guaTtc!pound cans
of some sort 81 inca: preparation 1T IN
tcrNais much In tie same way as tne
japanese used American meats Tlcy
had tn" finest cooking arrangement.
though. OF any. on = Springless wagon
was mounted an iron furnace Under a
=, mi sqA,riCal boiler. r-1ackeJed. The
boiler Was ul;ed win a tight cover ana
the whole WIS very strongly ana com
pactly built. Into this they put all the
materials for soup or stew ,i4a. they
posSes.-.d-aud nothing came AinitS-
screwed down the cover, lighted the NF'
ana away went ,Er pcrambuAt.HS soup
tur.pu with IT'S company. " hen they
made camp al they had To % was <"
stack arms. ana then march past the
soup machine. the cook opening faucet
ana each man receiving his ration Of
hot. w.ii-cnok,d thick SOUP. tn, assis-
iant cook To the meantime was cncppng
~ a loaf or black bread with an AZ, anu
each man got a liberal chunk
The camp arrangements oI the different
nations varied a. much as their rations-
The Americans appear 20 have kent iht
clcancs; and best policed camps. All gar
bagc wls promptly removed and buried ~
pits aJ q distance. and other offal lined
ar covered with dry earth daily. Tho
British Kept fairly clean camps. but In
spasmndic way. They would let them
get dirty and then turn a thousand Coo
lies loose and 10 a weeks clearing IN two
hours. The japanese kept Their il1'nedt-
ate quarters clean. hut were not at all
particular concerning their surroundings.
The Russians and French paid little at
tention % camp sanitation, and Int for
the cool weather in september would
probably have had hIru time. ON the
other hand. the Germans kept their
CAMPS YER clean and guarded the health
Of their men ny the most stringent rules.
but withal had the biggest sick report OF
any.
Tho American transportation arrange
meut seems to have surprised the foreign
ers. We used light wagons. loaded with
from ;.sg to ie,N rounds 50 as 20 dC:y the
muddy roads one man cared 10y four
mules. and each mule hauled from 30 to
1893 pounds OF stores. The other armies
depended on carts. which carried loads OF
only JN pounds ~or ANIMAL and each an
imal required one man to care for it The
way our mules followed the bell-mare OK
cited renerll interest, herd OF fifty
mules would Ice t@rnod loose and keat UNI
when in harness th>r Couid pc driven
wi,nout any change OF speed over
crowded road or through the labyrinthin
streets OF Chinese cities.
The Japanese had many fierce little
stations with ShaCEr names and huEing
eyes, serving as pack horses with pan
i..eis. cach l.a ~ a soiuier. Besides
these they had multitude Of small one
horse carts consisting Of light platform
with neither sides or ends mounted on
two small wheels. The Russians had
carts also, larger than the Japanese, with
narinE sides ana ends and drawn by Man
,'---~'N~ ~o"ieS NJ GREAT STRENGTH The
British had number of active. vicious
little pack mules. leo tandem, lnroe III !.
bunch. a coolie lea-.ng the head mule.
The burdens were held in place ny an in
renCuS apparatus with doops and hooks.
but the load did not stay on If the mule
iru,tt,4 or jctcu iooiisn. the same amy
MA WI $50 IN nrSt Nr--bcT NJ cart w'--
wooden aXlcs and solid wooden wheels
Which vowed too CumbrouS ana were cas-,
aside all along the road. Afterward some
N,rH soou ca. IS. steel oUilt. arrived from
India and proved serViceablc The French
Italians and Austrians had no transporta-
ton except what they picked up in the
country. The Germans were similarly
lacking until late III the season. when
large number d military baggage wagons
reached them. But these wagons were
not nearly the equal OF oars in shape. ca
pacitr or strength and required two
tcumS.ers to our one.
All the foreigners appear to have paid
more attention TO the appearance of their
uniforms tnan our troops I'D, bus to have
been less sensihly dressed. In hats and
shoes our mon were better Of than any.
and THEN blue flannel shirts were greatly
admired The .iarancSC marched In
very light equipment, bu; seemed to have
all they wanted. The tSritish uocps werc
also lightly loaded. But DO. these ma
tons took along a small army of c, olics
to attend upon their mea. The Russians
carried little. Their rough blankets were
rolled, and the ends tied together and
stuck into their soup cans and wooden
water bottle and q canvas haVcrsack
,onplet,d their outfit. The French and
Italians carried very heavy packs. The
Germans We're heavily laden and seemed
TO have Il belt and a pouch fer everything
from pair of boots to meerschaum
pipe. All the armies except the American
revealed in color and gold lace in their
winter uniforms. and had to spend much
labor in keeping themselves prcsentablc.