The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-08-19

ISI ll9I1 three years ago, when the
Boxer outbreak occurred,
is now in New York on his way home
for visit after several years of alb
sence. He was in Tientsin during all
the fighting around the city before the
relief column started for Pekin, and
he accompanied that column, staying
in the Chinese capital for the greater
part of the winter that followed the
upheaval.
With two or three friends who had
been with him during that exciting
summer the engineer. was discuss
ing, the other evening. the possibility
of war between Japan and Russia and
its probable outcome. All agreed that
such q conflict is we'll nigh unavoid-
able, but there was sharp difference of
opinion as to the result. There was no
division in the admiration for the
Japanese. The only doubt as to their
success sprung from consideration of
the bulk Of their antagonist.
Nor was there any radical difference
In the estimate of the Russians. Most
of the factors in the problem are we'll
enough known to render them practi-
cally fixed quantities.
The unknown factor is one that only
the actual test can ascertain with any
thing like exactness. Roughly it may
be called the momentum Of the two
forces. Japanese and Russian. The
momentum of the Russians will be
very largely that of weight and bulk
moving slowly; that Of the japanese
will be of lighter weight and smaller
bulk. but moving at much higher
speed. Which will overcome?
"They used to say" said the mining
engineer, "that it was when Greek met
Greek that the real tug of war came.
Afer what I saw with the allies in
China + came to the conclusion that
there will be some pretty tall tugging
when the Russians meet the Japs that
will be worth going long way to see.
It will come nearer to being an exhibit
ton of what happens when the irresist-
ible force meets the immovable object
than anything I have heard about
"The Russian soldiers are big and
strong, and can certainly endure to the
finish. and from what saw of them
they are quite willing to stand what
ever comes along in the days work.
T used to watch them slouching
through the streets at Tientsin. before
the situation actually became critical,
and wonder what they would do in
fight, but I saw enough Of them later
to have all wonder on that score salts
fed.
"They showed me plenty Of grit and
fight in the way they held the old rail-
road station before the rest of the
allies got up their troops from Tang
ku, and I don't know What kind Of
fighting could be more severe than
that. 1t was a constant strain, with
attacks Of the most desperate charac-
ter coming at uneven and unexpected
intervals, attacks that came right up
to the line.
''The Russian soldier is a fatallst,
just as the Jap is, but in a different
way, as an Irishman would say; per-
haps it would be better to say from
different motives. I don't think a Rus
sian cares a hang whether he goes
into battle or not, and If he goes in
he doesn't care q hang whether he
comes out or not. But it Is a personal
Indifference only with him. He has no
real interest in life, and, judging from
what 1 could and did see Of him there,
he has no interest of any sort in his
Government or its success. He Is
what he is, and he accepts the situa-
ton without question.
"It Is bothersome serving In the
army. but he-I mean the soldier, not
the higher officer-goes along the line
of least resistance and takes what he
gets with q grin. Patriotism as we
understand it and feel it has no place
in bis sentiments. The Russian soldier
fights we'll because he fighting beast.
It is in the blood.
"I had a personal experience with
them one day before We got to Tien-
tsin that was q good indication, 1t
struck me, of the real character Of the
Russkie. 1t was one morning when
they were going out after that tree
battery, as we used to call 1.-THE one
with the seven Krupp guns. which was
posted off to the east Of the railroad
track.
THAT battery had given the settle
ments all sorts of merry times. 1t
used to go after US anywhere from
midnight to midnight, shoot up the
whole place and then lie of for
another snooze. Well, the Russians
concluded they needed it in their busi-
ness, and started out to get it with
two battalions of infantry and couple
Of squadrons Of Cossacks. They went
up along the railroad track to the mud
wall and then climbed that. Invent
out to see the fun.
81 rode over to the railroad embank-
ment and got under cover Of that to so
up to the Russian line. I was jogging
along at good smart trot when all Of
sudden bullets began to come my
way. There were a-plenty Of them for
me, and they were coming just as if
they meant business.
"Good men are getting scarce in my
family and I got off the horse. There
wasn't any unnecessary delay about
dsmounting, either. In about the
smallest possible fraction Of time l
was hugging the embankment On the