Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-31
MAY GET LINCOLN
CHINA is SAID TO BE TRYING TO
GET IOWA OFFICER FOR
HER ARMY.
+ Lincoln Accepts He Will Create a
Sensation Among Army Circles
Other Iowa Men Experienced in War
fare are Offered Commissions.

Des Moines, May %. - Intimate
friends of General James Rush Lincoln
of Ames, colonel of the Fifty-fifth reg.
iment l. N. G., are authority for the
statement that he has been rendered
a commission in the Chinese army as
/ brigadier general. What is more they
say they believe he is seriously con
| sidering it and surmise that he may
| accept.
This would cause the greatest SEN
sation in the history of the Iowa Ma
. tional guard. General Lincoln COM
manded brigade in the Spanish
American war and is recognized as one
of the best tacticians in the state. He
has been soldier from youth, having
fought for the lost cause in the war of
| the rebellion and having istructed the
college militia for many years. His
| two sons are officers in the regular ar
| my and he could have had commits
| sion had he desired.
Offer FIattering Terms.
1t is a we'll known fact that the
Chinese government which is acting
through Major Howard an English ar
my officer who has been stationed at
Sioux Falls, S. D., for several weeks,
is offering fattering inducements to
the best qualified officers of the Iowa
National guard. The salary of the Of
ficers in the Chinese army Is equal
or superior to that in this country
and the country has money to burn.
Officers in Iowa are offered rank for
rank in the Chinese army for what
they hold in the national guard here.
They are assured that the service will
be desirable; that the Chinese army is
to be Immediately reorganized and
placed upon a modern war basis. 1t
is proposed to officer it with American
and European officers who have had
thorough training. Every company, as
well as every regiment, is to have
white officers and the Chinese, it is
said,will fight to the last ditch if their
officers will stand and face the music.
AS thus reorganized it is believed the
Chinese army will assume formidable
place in the affairs of eastern Asia and
that to be a member of it will mean
something. One thing is certain,
there will be plenty of service, because
China promises to become involved in
the Russo-Japanese war very shortly.
Des Moines Men Are Tempted.
1t is known that several Des Moines
men have been approached with tempt
ing offers to go to China. Among
them, rapport has it that Major Frank
Lyman who recently resigned first
lieutenancy in the signal corps of the
regular army has received excellent
inducements with an offer of a colonel
cy. An effort to confirm this report
failed, as Major Lyman could not be
found.
Others who are known to have been
approached are Colonel Humphrey of
Sioux City and Major Hale of Boone.
The latter is said to be on the point
of accepting a commission.
What Causes Them to Hesitate.
What causes them to hesitate is the
doubt that Major Howard has author
ity from the empress of China. The
fear is expressed that he is employed
by the emperor who is secretly plan
ming to usurp the authority now exer-
cised by the dowager empress and that
it will be rebellion in which they are
expected to fight with the outcome and
the salary very uncertain propositions.
AS soon as the assurances can be re-
ceived that the empress is at the back
of the movement it is understood many
Iowans will accept commissions.
ALIENS SCHEME.