Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-22
A RUSSO-JAPANESE CLUB.
It Was Midway Between the Lines at
 Tie-Ling

It Was Midway Between the Lines at
 Tie-Ling.
 That the Russian and Japanese sol diers in the field do not spend all their time ill trying to send each other to eternity is indicated by an article printed recently in the Russkoje Slovo, in which is described what surely is or rather was-for it no longer ixists- the only Russo-Japanese club ill tlie whole world, It was known as the "Combatants' club,' and was estap- lished midway between the Russiaii and Japanese lines at Tie-Ling.
 Information concerning it was given i'll a letter from q Russian officer at the front. who furnished a graphic de- scription of the life in camp during the two weeks of enforced and implied truce before the great gateway 10 southern Manchuria.
 The foremost lines of the Russian and Japanese trenches at this point were considerably less than mile apart. comfortable distance, consid- | ering the close quarters at which the ! hostile camps have been at the more ! hotly contested points during the yari. ous stages of the campaign. About midway between the camps was lit ] tie Chinese village which the ravages ! of warfare, strangely enough, had left i almost unscathed.
 i One day. soon after the two'detach- ments had gone into camp here, as inc story goes. the Russian soldiers, peep ing cautiously above their breast works. saw a long line of Japanese sol | diers emerge from their trenches and ! fin single file advance on a hut in the center of the village. in line almost i as straight as the bird flies.
 ! Suspecting some novel strategem, couple of Russian sharpshooters raised their rifles and prepared to open Ire. when several Of the Japanese pulled out from their pockets white handker- chiefs. which they began to wigwag above their heads in most eloquent manner. The Russians ceased nrlhg. but kept watching the Japanese out of the corner of their eyes until they saw the entire line disappear within
 the doorway of the little hut.
 They saw them return. too. and dur ing the next day the performance was repeated from the Japanese trenches several times. Finally. some of The
 Russians. watching their opportunity and under cover of night. ventured out
 to investigate. They had their reward the kind that comes in bottles
 From that time on the Chinese dis f ppnser of strong drink was made
 man. His place was advertised fal
 and wide throughout the most ats
 vauced lines on both sides. and sooi
 became A favorite resort where frient and foe met at odd times t0 forge ! their differences over glass 0f Rus sian vodka or Chinese sake.
 The fortunes of war were discussts ! and the destiny of the two nations de
 ..ided in the old familiar way. whil . auiuositfes were entirely forgotten
 The Russians had already learned | admire their antagonists for thei
 fighting qualities They came to ad . usire them more when they saw wha an amount of liquor they could at ! sarh. When the Russian soldiers role . iil happy forgetfulness under the ss i Lies the Japanese soldiers still man ; aged to sit up. take notice and srnii . their fnscrutahIe smiles
 If WIS too good to last One nigh | a non-commsssioned officer from fh . Japanese camp yielded to the sIlbtl , qualities of the Chinanan's hquor- ! Russian soldier as joke. merely ' show the Japanese that he had mad
 a show of himself. took all the none