The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1903-09-30

engineering anu MiuihS
IO Company in North China
Illgll ll9lI three years ago, when the
Boxer outbreak occurred,
is now in New York on his way home
for a 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 a conflict Is well-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 well
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 1t may
! be called the momentum of the two
forces, Japanese and Russian. The
| - 1,A Nx,tvl 1,n
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 1t was when Greek met
Greek that the real tug of war came.
China l came to the conclusion that
there will be some pretty tall Juggling
| when the Russians meet the Japs that
will be worth going long way to see.
1t will come nearer to being an exhibit
ton of what happens when the irresist-
ible force meets the immovahle object
than anything 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
I used to watch them slouchine
through the streets at Tientsin, before
the situation actually became critical
and wonder what they would do In q
fight, but l 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 l don't know what kind OF
fighting could be more severe thar
that. 1t was a constant strain, witt
attacks of the most desperate charac
ter coming at uneven and unexpected
intervals, attacks that came right VI
to the line.
"The Russian soldier is a fatalist
just as the Jap is, but In different
way, as an Irlshman would say; per
haps it would be better to say from
| ulIcItut ulOllNts. tOl iHlllh nus
sian cares hang whether he goes
into battle or not, and If he goes IL
he doesn't care a hang whether III
comes out or not. But 1t is a persona
Indifference only with him. He has NJ
real interest in life, and, judging from
what l could and did see of him there
he has no interest of any sort In hi
| mo nj 20 Ha ,
what he is, and he accepts the situa
ton without question.
ut is bothersome serving in thu
army, but he-I mean the soldier, no
the higher Ofiicer-goes along the lin,
of least resistance and takes what h,
gets with a grin. Patriotism as W,
understand 1t and feel it has no plac,
in his sentiments. The Russian soldie
fights well because he fighting beast
1t is in the blood.
Il had a personal experience witt
them one day before we got to Tien
tsin that was good indication,
struck me, of the real character of TIL
Russkie. 1t was one morning whel
they were going out after that ire
1
with the seven Krupp guns, which wa
posted off to the east Of the railroa,
track.
THAT battery had given the settle
ments all sorts of merry times.
used to go after us anywhere from
midnight to midnight, shoot up tn
whole place and then lie off TO
another snooze. Well, the Russian
concluded they needed it in their busi
ness. and started out to get 1t witt
! two battalions Of infantry and coupl
of squadrons of Cossacks. They wen
, up along the railroad track to the mu,
wall and then climbed that. wen
out to see the fun.
: IL rode over to the railroad embark
ment and got under cover Of that to e
| up to the Russian line. I was joggin
1 along at good smart trOt when all O