Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-21
BLAME AND PRAISE EQUAL
CONDUCT AMP DISCIPLINE Oh
AMERICAN TROOPS.
Discussion of Operations in China
Views of an English
Critic.

An English military critic. in a recent Lot
ter to the Overland Times of India In re-
gard TO the military operations IN China.
deNotes special chapter to the conduct
and discipline OF. the American troops. i'm
which disparagement and praise about
equally commngled The article. which
throws many interesting sidelights ON the
eventfui campaign in China. is in part. as
follows:
In its more limited sense an aspect of
discipline prevailed in all the camps.
though. if the truth must be said il was
least visible amongst the Americans. II
Gen Chaffee's soldiers puzzled us. their
brothers, one wonders what the Muscovites
and others thought of them. The English
journalists used to speak of them with
amaZement, admiration and disapproval at
the same time. on occasions We felt in
clined TO take our hats off to every Ameri-
can soldier we saw; on other occasions the
army seemed To US no more than mob of
trampS. The Americans. an officer told me-
believe that the fighting unit is the man,
not the section, nor the company. nor the
regiment. They, therefore. encourage in
diNiduaiism and encourage ii to what men
brought up on European military traditions
must consider an extraordinary and eX-
travagant length. The American soldier
considers himself quite as knowing and ca
pablc as his officers, and what is surprising
is that the latter take no trouble To make
him wiser. Those who are respectful in
their dcmeanOr are .reCkoned polite men,
put the American army does not consider
poilteness' as essential to discipline
Abandoned All but Arms
When Uncle Sans force started from
Tien Tsin every man was provided with a
great coat, blanket, haversack canteen.
water bottle. spare socks shirts. and so
forth. When the army reached Pckin half
the men carried nothing more than their
rifles. ammunition belts and water-bottles
They had even thrown away their tunics
The retreating Chinese army left behind
tangible evidence of its flight. The VIC
ferrous Americans left behind similar cvi-
dences Of their march. The road to Pckn
is strewn with blankets tunics, haversuCks
marked with the mystic letters L. s A.
asked an officer whether the men would not
get into trouble for throwing away their
kit. What. | reckon''-the American OIL
Ger stu speaks American in spite of rumor
to the contrary-''those who cast off their
blankets won't get another.
on the march it appeared to M the
American soldier pleased himself as To
whether he would hike as they called it,
with his company by himself There
We're always American soldiers wandering
up and down the line. They We're friendly
with the British marines and sailors. and
TOUR or five individuals We're always to be
found attached to our naval brigade They
would march and eat and sleep with us
as II no such thing an American army
tAlSleu IL small parties OF the infantry
lost their way or could not find their camp
they We're in no wise put out. They would
blHouac for the night next the nearest
troops and move on with them in the morn
ing.
Eccentricities Noted.
Some of the Americans made a point of
washing whenever they could. Others never
washed at all. Some carried tooth brushes
stuck in the ribbon of their SLOUGH hats
others mad dirty pipes stuck in the same
conspicuous place. If there is an arstoc-
facy among the American soldiers it is the
ari7toeracy of the clean. \ man who car
ried a razor was looked up to with rever-
ehce. 1t was good to get your hair cut
occasionally, but there were individuals.
independents'-wh Who looked more like wild
poets than lighting men Their hair hung
III lohs cGrlS on their shoulders and strayed
into their eyes.
camp in front OF the beat of an American
sentry. He watched my preparations for
making tea with great Interest and when
an Was ready, calmly left his post and.
self to cup.
Then he fingered for about half an hour
to discuss American politics. He was
BrSanlte and bored me. to death
think if there had been no fighting all
the 'ofelgn observers would have gone back
TO their homes with very poor opinion of
the elhciency of the American troops. Luck
ny for General Chaffee ana his soldiers
there was lighting. When YOU see an Amer
lean private advancing under fire Won hapin
10 think there Is something IN the idea that
the hghtIng unit of the future is the indi-
Vidual. Private Sas Z. Holt acts by him
self. for himself. He and his companions
make for common objective not like stun
trained soldiers, but like panthels stalking
a prey. Their eyes flash; their 1.-THE bodies
swing forward. There is murder and dead
~ intention in every movement.
Means to Kill.
When the American soldier lies down to
fire he does with the intention of killing
somebody. Most troops fire not at the enc
my. but in the direction of the enemy Not
SO the American.
Each man drew his watchful breath slow taken
Trigger and eye and a-coek. knit brow aud hard
drawn lips.
That is a picture of the American soldier
firing ON his foe. But allied to their feline
Stealthiness the Americans in battle have
a most reckless courage. An officer Will
take chances no European would care to
take. The field battery was generally to lie
found in places where nobody, read in tao
tics, would have dared to put it. General
Chaffee and his staff always rode where
the enemy was more likely to see and shoot
at them. Young and inexperienced cor
respondents were warned by older hands
not to go during an action near prominent
buildings, large graves or the American
staff.
The British and Americans were the very
best of friends. In fact, whenever drinks
We're handy. which was not often. there
was great talk of the Anglo-SaXon alliance.
We were not let into all the secrets of the
war, but there were probably times when
differences arose between the various gem
erals and on such occasions there Is rea-
son to believe the American generally sup
ported the British. One who overheard him
told me that once when the Americans sent
over to General Gaselee making some re-
quest. the latter exclaimed: Certainly.
Nothing we can do is too good for the
Americans. [ cannot tell you how much
We owe TO them.