Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-10
Ais Quiet in Manchuria.

Richard Harding Davis, writing in
Golfers for October >, writes OF con-
ditions that pleasantly diversity the
smoke and powder accounts sent back
by most OF the war correspondents IN
the East. Mr.. Davis says:
For the last twelve days we have
been riding through Manchuria in pur-
salt of an army. Last week the army
halted to dislodge a force of Russians
and so gave Us time to catch up with
it. Today, with the foreign attaches,
we are again temporarily bottled up
This time inside the mud walls of an
ancient Chinese city, while outside two
great armies are maneuVering for
position. When they meet. it is eXpec-
tea that the battle to follow WILL in the
numbers of men engaged and in Its
consequences, be tn. greatest in i'm
portance since Sedan. During the fou"
wasted months we were in Jail in Toxic
they assured us. dS a reward for our
patience. that we should see the fall Of
Port Arthur. But when the transport
landed US and our horses so near Port
Arthur that in a few hours we could
nave reached it on foot, we We're told
we We're not to enter that promised
land, but to start instantly on ten
days ride to the north. There was no
explanation. no expression or>>segret.
And to make it harder. as WEI Node
away into the peaceful cornfiela of
Manchuria. for two whole days We
heard behind us. as they hammered
Port Arthur. the hooking laughter of
the japanese guns. 1t was the cum-
nation of four months of constant dis
appointments, and perhaps. the most
difficult.
The extent Of our marches W;,s de-
termined for us by the army. and each
day we We're instructed to ride as
previously arranged from one fixed
point to anothe.. But even the fore
sight and the capacity for arranging
details of the Japanese officer coule
not bring eighteen men. ignorant of
the languages of both Japan and
China. and riding eighteen different
kinds of horses. ponies. and mules. to
gwen point at a given time
Especially when each town has a
Chinese name. a Japanese name. and
an English name: each bearing
to the other as slight family
resemblance as does the family of
Smith to Jones. and Jones to Robin
son. In consequence. our capacity for
getting lost made us Il care to our
selves and a cause of unceasng aston
iShment to the officials. 1t really
seemed as though in the skull of each
Of us the bump of locality was a de-
preston. Even veterans of twenty
campaigns took the wrong turning
with confidence that caused the
novices TO follow in their wake. and
which. when night fell made it neces-
sary for all of them to seek shelter in
cOrnfield. We developed roads and
short cuts that even no Russian or
Japanese intelligence officer had ever
trOd. and we stumbled upon Chinese
villaGes-especially at night after the
gates We're locked and only the mon
grel dogs awake--the existence OF
which. until we discovered them. had
not even been suspected. Except for
the transport trains which never left
us. and the newly made trenches and
more newly made graves at Nanshan
and Te-lis-Zu. we saw little of the war.
Manchuria. rich, bountiful. and smil-
ing with sunshine was apparently only
occupied in preparing for the har-
vest