Arizona republican., 1901-01-07
was to the British a special source O.

was to the British a special source OF
wander. He says:
, ION occasions We felt inclined to take
off our hats to every American soldier
We saw; on other occasions the army
seemed to us TO more than a mob of
Hramps. The Americans, an officer told
me, believe that he fighting unit is the
man, not the section, nor the comIa-
ny, nor the regiment. They, therefore,
! encourage indlvidualism, and encour-
age 1t to what men brought up on E.u-
ropean military traditions must con-
slider an extraordinary and eXtrava-
CANT length. When Uncle Sans force
started fr1m TEN Tsin, every man was
provided with a great coat, blanket,
haversack, canteen water bottle. spare
socks, shirts, boots, etc. When the ar
my reached Pekln half the men car,ird
nothing more than their rifles, amnu-
nh.iol belts and water bottles. They
| had even thrown away their TUNES.
| The rrtreating Chinese army left be-
hind tangible evidences of its flight.
The victorious Americans left behind
similar evidences of their march. The
| road to PcEin is strewn with TUNES,
blankets, raversacks. blankets, marked
with the mystic letters U. s. A. II
there is aristocracy among the Ameri-
| can soldicry it is the arls, ocracy of the
clean. A man who carried razor was
looked upon with reverence.
| 1t was good form to get your hair
| cut occasionally, but there were indi-
viduals-'independe looked
more like wild posts than fighting mrn.
| Their hair hung In long curls on their
| shoulders and straysd into their eyes.
/ thing If there had been no fighting
| all the foreign obsrrvers would have
| gone back to their homes with a. very
| pcor opinion Of the efficiency of the
| American troops. Luckily for Gener-
al Chaffee and his soldiers there was
| fighting. When you see an American
| private advancing under fire there is
| something in the idea that the fight
| ing unit of thn future is the individual.
| He and his companion make for a COM
panions make for a common objective:
| mt like stiff. trained soldiers, but like
panthCrs stalking a prey. Their eyes
| fash, their 1.-THE bodies swing forward
| There is murder and deadly intent ne SIS
| in every movement. When the Arner-
| can soldier lirs down to fire, he does so
| with the intention of killing somebody.
| Most troops fire, not at the enemy. but
| in uhe direction of the enemy. Not SO
| the American.
'The Americans in battle have a
most reckless courage. At times they
expose themselves with a strange con-
| tempt of death. An officer will take
chances no European would care Ito
take. The field battery was generally
found in places where nobody read in
tactics would have dared to put It..
Gen. Chaffee and his staff always rode
where the enemy was most likely TO see
| and shoot at them Young and mex
perienced correspondents were warned
by older hands not to go during an en-
gagement near prominent buildings,
large graves or the American staff.
THE British and Americans were the
very best of friends. In fact, whenever
drinks were handy, which was not Of
ten, there was great talk of tbs An
gbI-SaXon alliance. We were not let
into all the secrets of the war. but
there were probably times when diff
crenccs arose between the various gen.
erals, and on such occasions there is
rrason to believe that the Americans
always supported the British. One who
overheard him told me that once, when
the Americans sent over to General
Gaselcr. making some request, tie lat
ter exclaimed: Certainly, certainly
Nothing we can do Is too good for the
Americans. | cannot tell You how
much We owe to them IN. Y. Sun.