Evening star., 1901-05-13

march to Pekin unless an ice deposit was
found by their troops in some OF the towns
through which they passed; no one heard
of such a thing until informed OF IL by Mr:
Millard Yesterday Major Ives, the CHIEF
surgeon of the American forces, was sent
to the Japanese headquarters 70 make IN
curry and to ascertain exactly their ar
rangementS: how much ice was pfoNlueu
for the march &c. The chief surgeon OF
the Japanese army has no knowledge that
any ice was found and says his hospitals
had none.
The Impcdfmenta
"Sonoe Knowledge Of the impedimenta
NAV be obtained by comparison OF the
weight Of supplies excluding ammunition
furnished daily to each soldier Of the two
armies: Japanese. four ounces rice, four
ounces dried fish or meat per day. total
of apbt ounces American. sixteen ounces
bread twelve ounces meat, II ounces
beans, "a ounces sugar, 10 ounces conee'
EQUALS 34.4 ounces net For Fahspoi@la I'd
tion of this vehicles of equal capacity are
reouired in the ratio of one Japanese 10
four American. Double the Weisnt Oh lle
Jananese ration and fair idea is han OF
the impedimenta food supply9 o, otTht Th,
armies composing the relief column me
Japanese soldiers carried on the march an
oyercoat, which they used for covering az
night If so required Our troops had no
oyercoat, but carried a blanket anu d p"See
of shelter tent in addition
Our wagon and pack transportation was
as efficient as any with the coi,ihil On. !.
the roads were nowhere unsuitaple TOT l!s
movament Its adequacy did not retarn III
80 manner our own troops, nor those OF
any other nation on the way Five nun
dred mounds will sink Japanese cart deep
ar into the n nd than 1900 pounds VIII SINK
ona Of our wagons Our transportation was
more mobile than that OF any o1her coH-
tingent, and on that account the quarlet
master, to avoid frequent haits whhs on
the march, usually delayed his start from
camp until several miles had been covered
by the trains which preceded him HIS ar
rival at camp was never later than forced
unon him by the movement of other trains.
In one instance however. he took the
wrong road by following the train winch
preceded him am passed the camp some
two miles. and that night did not camp
with the troops.
Water supply.
Regarding the supply OF water. Mr.. Mil
lard says:
Japanese stand for efficiency. the Ameri-
cans for deficiency with the other nations
stragling along somewhere behind"
This is very unjust. The fact is the
Japanese, British Russians and Americans
all obtained water from wells found on the
way of which there were several in every
village The British packed some water
by means of "bhistis'' on mules. No other
force carried water except In canteens or
water bottles. The Japanese did not en-
plOy filters To supply lIoopS Win "diei-
The well water was unobtainable to the
eve, hence was freely drunk py all soldiers.
Coolies used the Pei-ho water. soldiers very
seldom No one believed that in a section
of country where perhaps million people
lived at8t6 soldiers could not obtain water
that would not kill sight, nor did any
one expect or fear the Chinese would poison
their wells. Mr.. Millard also says:
THE Japanese drank only areated water
prepared regularly by the field filters
water carts moving with the column to per-
NIT replenishing the canteens at any time
without hindering the march or scattering
the troops.
Not a scintiIIa Of truth is contained in
this last quotation from Mr.. MilIard's ar
the great heat. II our soldiers had not
been sparing of the water in canteens.
I'm the event they could have obtained fresh
water freely, would have lost probably
a hundred men In addition to the two and
our sick report would have reached the
figure alleged. On some occasions it is best
to be extremely temperate in the use of wa
ter. Exertion under stress OF great heat is
one. "Champ the bit-pebble In the mouth
but go seldom to the canteen," has been
the advice given to me by men who have
had great experience.
American Rations.
He says, too, that officers Of other ma
tions are amazed at the quantity, quality
and variety Of the United States ration"
They have also remarked:
"That while In barracks near the COM
missary base our privates enjoyed COM
parative luxury, on the march they rarely
had more than bacon and hardtack Once
It began to move our commissariat broke
down to the level Of the poorest of the
poor. Lack cf adequate transport was the