Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-07
SURGEON AND SAILOR
Presidents Physician Has
Made a Splendid Record.
KNOWS HOW sTo FIGHT
AN EXHIBITION 1oF GOODNESS
AND DARING IN SAMOA
When He Took Command of the Ameri-
can Bluejackets-His Services
in China.

DIR. George A. Lung, the x1TeSlQenI pny-
sician, has a most interesting history out
side of his professional service in the navy.
He is a fighting surgeon, and in the navy is
regarded as one of the finest men in the
service. Over six feet tan, soldier in APP
pearance and spirit, he knows how to fight
as well as attend to the wounded. 1t was
in the ambuscade of British and American
sailors near Apia, Samoa, on April 1, 1899,
that DR.. Lung gave an exhibition of his
GOODNESS and daring as a commander. DR..
Lung accompanied the sixty-odd American
officers and men, who left Apia with de-
tachment of British marines for the pur-
pose of breaking up camp of rebellous
Mataafa natives in the vicinity of Vailele.
This force was commanded by Lieut. F. v.
Landslide, Ensign Monaghan and Lieut..
Perkins, u S. Marine Corps. Dr. Lung
went along with them. Lieut.. Perkins, in
command of the Goth Marines, was not with
the combined British and American officers
and sailors when they were ambushed, and
consequently when Lieut. Landslide and
Ensign Monaghan were killed no officer was
left to command the American force. So
soon as he had completed the work of at
tending to the wounded In the fight DR..
Lung assumed command of the bluejackets
and rallied the command. He also rallied
fifteen or twenty bluejackets and marines.
He conducted this force along, fighting at
every step of the way. to the American con-
sulate and then to the harbor, where the
Philadelphia was boarded. Capt. Edwin
White in reporting upon the case, COM
mended in the strongest terms the work OF
DR.. Lung. Capt. White said: AT times
when the fire from the concealed natives
was thickest and at all times by his ex-
ample, he encouraged the young and mex
perienced men to the proper performance Of
duty. He assumed command Of our blue
jackets and marched them to the United
{,+a ,Iota
ing there at dusk. DR.. Lung was under
fire throughout the several hours in which
the natives were trying to pot the British
and American forces After bringing off
the American force DR.. Lung engaged in
attending to the wounded
DIR. Lung was born December 81 1862 at
Canandaigua, N. Y, which is still his home
He was appointed assistant surgeon in the
navy IN August, 1883, serving on various
vessels and at different navy yards In 1897
he was commissioned past assistant sur
geon, and in June, 1899, was given the rank
Of lieutenant. rs
With the Forces at Pekin.
In May, 1900, DR.. Lung was detailed to
the Asiatic squadron, and when the Ameri-
can forces started for China at the outbreak
of hostilities in that country DIR. Lung was
made brigade surgeon Of the marine con-
tingent and accompanied the expedition.
He proved himself not only an able and
skilled surgeon, but a cool and brave man
under all circumstances. His report of the
services of the marine contingent in China
is full of interesting facts. In commenting
on the different troops at Pekin, DR.. Lung
said ''.''- :
THE most interesting feature Of the ex-
petition was the opportunity furnished to
observe the qualities of the various nations
represented. Here was a military exhibit
ton such as never falls to the lot even Of
special observers to see. 1t was an exhibit
ton not for display, but for the real pur-
pose for which soldiers are trained. There
was no self-consciousness in it. or vanity
but there was the one definite idea in mind
that of getting to Pekin-and every effort
of mind and body was devoted to that one
purpose. For that reason, what one saw
he felt was natural and that each nation
was doing the best it could with the best it
had at hand. The Russians were big,
heavy, phlegmatic men. They were thor
oughly drilled and looked formidable from
their size and always fixed bayonets. They
seemed to take great inspiration from the
singing of hoarse songs while drilling and
at certain times during the march. Their
uniform was a white cap with visor and
wide overlapping top, white blouse, long,
baggy trousers of some dark material,
hlgh-legged boots without heels, and in lieu
of stockings the feet were wrapped in a
piece of cotton cloth. They ordinarily car
ried nothing more than their rifle, cartridge
belt, blanket and canteen. Black bread
formed large part Of their diet. Their
food was cooked in stoves specially de-
signed and mounted on wheels. These
seemed to answer admirably for field serv-
Ice. They were looked on as good soldiers
and Of much physical endurance.
The 'Nippy" Japs.
THE japanese won the admiration Of
everybody. They displayed the greatest
zeal and energy in everything that was
done. Well drilled, tough, strong, intelli-
gent. courageous. they were nearly always
in the van. and among the first in every
important event. They were clad in white,
which made them needlessly conspicuous.
Their rifle was little shorter than those
carried by other nations, and their KNAPP
sacks seemed large in proportion to their
size incidentally 1t may be mentioned that
the japanese soldier is only small in stat
ure, most of them having chests and legs as
big in circumference as people of greater
height. They ate rice as standard diet.
On beginning the march each morning,
every man carried box full Of cooked rice
for his next two or three meals They were
patient, obedient, full Of endurance and
never disorderly.
THE French on the expedition were few
In number and unrepresentative. The same
may be said of the Germans After PelIn
was taken these two nations were represent
ed by larger and better body of men.
The British were represented mostly by
lndlan troops. They were handsome men,
well drilled and set up, and made fine
showing.
The Equal of Any.
''In every point the Americans were the
equal of any. What fhavs written con-
corning the fatigue and disease that pre-
vailed among our men is true in the same
degree of all the other nations represented,
The heat made havoc in all ranks, and
other nations were as susceptible to fevers
and dfarrhoeas as our own. One had but to
make brief look beyond our own men to
see others overcome by fatigue or pros
trated by heat To pass Russian ambu-
lance train was to hear the groans Of sick
men and to see their little two-wheeled
carts filled with the exhausted and sun
stricken. Even the Japs did not escape.
Groups of them overcome by fatigue and
the heat were often passed, and stragglers
were not infrequently seen. In appear
ance, too our men were noticeable. Their
height and stride were in strong contrast
with the smaller Japanese, and when COM
pared with the Russians they seemed to be
much more active and quick.
In the Philippines.
After returning to Manila from China DR..
Lung was associated with the insular board