The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-04-14
ACROSS THE HUN

slams. Today they are in the hands
of the japanese. The Russians were
driven out. but not without cost as is
shown by the scores of little graves,
each with two or three Russian
shrapnei cases filled with willow
branches on which the first buds ars
beginning to swell.
The Russians retired hurriedly, but
not hurriedly enough, as one realizes
when he notices that the square posts
which mark the japanese graves here
and there alternate with the graves
over which rude crosses have been
erected. Whenever the Japanese bury
q comrade they erect at the head Of
the grave a square post on which the
name of the dead man Is written in
Japanese ideographs, with the name
and number of his command. When
a Russian is buried, his name, If 1t
can be found, Is written on a rude
cross. Thousands of these crosses
scattered over the fields of Manchuria
bear witness that dead foe is treat
ed with as much respect as a dead
cOmrade.
We passed out of the village and
across the plain over which the Jap
anese attacked a few days ago. Here
one of the things that has been wor-
rying us for months was explained.
We could not see how the Japanese
would be able to advance until the
frost was out of the ground because
of the impossibility of throwing up
shelters along the way. Under mod
ern conditions a long advance can not
be made without shelter of some sort.
The ground is frozen so solid that it
would take a man half an hour with
pick and shovel to throw up shelter
enough to cover himself.
Japs' Clever Shelter Device.
The Japanese got over this diff
Guilty in clever manner They used
various devices for covering the men
in their advance. Some of the sol
diers were furnished with small steel
shields IA to Is inches square. These
the men carried with them and when
they dropped after the rush. set up
the shields by means of two attached
props so as to shelter their heads.
A lying man needs little more shelter
than will cover his head. In these
shields were two small holes through
which the soldier could see what was
going on ahead. Others carried bags
partly filled with sand which they
dropped and got behind. scooping up
more of the thawed surface OF the
field in case they needed more cover
than they could comfortably carry.
Still others had an even cleverer
scheme. They used bricks from the
destroyed Chinese houses in the viii
lagos, tying half a dozen of them
together with rope. Military experts
assure me that these brick shelters
were an excellent idea and that they
would without doubt stop bullets
At noon we stopped at what had
which plainly showed the marks OF
Russian occupation. and of Russian
retreat. Fully half or the village
was in ruins, many of the buildings
still burning, for the Russians had
set fire to the houses before. There
were a few Cinnamon about and they
told us that the Russians had set
fire to the houses before the left.
We fo1nd an unburned house In
which to eat our lunch. II was the
finest Chinese house I have seen in
Manchuria, but 1t had been most thor
oughly looted by the retiring Rus
SLAMS. Even the family shrine had
been destroyed and the sacred pic
lures and notices added to the litter.
In corner OF one OF the rooms was
a great heap OF champagne and vodka
bottles. The Russians had had a
good time. evidently. but II was
rather rough on the Chinese.
We rode across the field towards
Ta-wan- kam-put. where the night be-
fore the Japanese had captured large
quantities of stores and supplies. and
then on toward the Hun.
Left Their Boots Behind.
Ihs RuSaiap- GstIs2t from Ia.Man-