Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-13

riots the American consulate and Ameri-
can interests generally compelled to
rely upon the protection afforded by the
LIS. V. c." which, up to that time was
| composed very largely of British subjects
DR.. Ransom, who graduated from George
| town University in the class of '93, has
been connected with the public health and
marine hospital service since the Spanish
| American war, and for four and onc-half
| years he has been stationed at Shanghai
| as quarantine officer The present leave
| of absence of a month is his first vacation
| in that time. and he is guest for that
brief period of his brother-in-law and sis
| ter, Mr.. and Mrs M. l.. Bundy, 221 Seaton
| place northeast DR.. Ransom will leave
| the return journey to China.
Duties in Quarantine Office.
! AS American quarantine officer of the
| port of Shanghai it is DR.. Ransom's duty
| to examine into the state of health of every
| person about to set sail for the United
| States, no matter what the nationality and
| to disinfect every article of merchandise
| which, in his opinion. might carry disease
| germs into the ship and thence into this
| country. All hours of the day and many
| times until late at night the quarantine of
| ficer must work, because the sailing of
| vessels depends upon the state of the tide
and no ship may depart without a clean
bill of health.
DR.. Ransom describes life in Shanghai
| as very much in the nature of residing
above mine which is likely to explode at
| any moment, and in explanation of this
| condition he cited the riots of last De-
| cember instance.
The morning when trouble started" he
| said, Il left home at o'clock to go
| into the city on business, and the streets
| were as quiet as the thorOughfares in any
| city at that hour in the day; but when
| returned at o'clock l found myself in
| the midst of a mob which was chasing
| foreign devils in every direction, inflict-
| ing upon many of them terrible beatings.
| There were three uprisings in as many
| widely separated sections, each starting
precisely at o'clock, so it was evident that
| the whole thing had been planned long in
advance"
| Quiet and order were restored, DR.. Ran
som said, largely through the excellent
| service Of the IS. V. c." and the efficient
| Sikh police. but the lessons roughly taught
| by this emergency emphasized the neces-
| sity of the United States citizens in Shang-
| hal organizing for mutual protection, and
| the American company attached to the
| Shanghai Volunteer Corps" resulted. To-
| ward its organization Consul General ]. L.
| Rodgers gave his cordial support, and DR..
| Ransom as the originator of the move
ment. was elected captain. Regular meet
! ing and drill nights have been observed,
| and the company, like the companies
| formed by all other nationalities in Shang-
| hal as auxiliary to the S. v. c., has been
uniformed and armed by the British sec
| ton, which predominates by a large ma
jority in the membership of the corps It
| is to secure the modern Krag rifles in use
| in the regular army of the United States
| that DR.. Ransoms efforts are now directed
and he hopes to be successful before the
expiration of his vacation.
Increasing Company's Efficiency.
With Krag rifles, he says, the efficiency
| OF his company would be greatly increased.
| The company ranks one of the pest
| drilled in the Shanghai Volunteer Corps.
| and the men have been able to outshoot
| those If rival in, III
ly matches on the ranges, despite the fact
| that most of their rifles are those that
have been exchanged by the British COM
panies for newer weapons.
I'VE had a match with detachment
| from one of Uncle Sans warships,' said
| DR.. Ransom. land the sailor boys shot
men discarded their British Lee-Medford
rifles and used the new Krag's belonging
| to the sailor men, they made even better
scores than did the latter
Concerning the relations of the young
Americans who have become members of
the military company. DR.. Ransom said the
service seems to have had very benef-
cent effect in drawing all members of the
American colony in Shanghai much closer
together. The company quarters, he says
have become largely social resort for
the whole colony, and young men have
| thus become acquainted with substantial
business men of their own nationality i'm
the municipality, and not few have thus
opened the way toward securing congenisd
bers of the community have been formed
| into what is known as the reserve" so
| that they. too can be ready to bear arms
| In any extraordinary emergency.
In showing the need for the organiza-
| ton of foreigners in Shanghai for mutual
protection, DR.. Ransom explained that
China has practically made concession of
| a territory twelve miles long and as many
broad over which she claims no govern
/ mental power. and correspondingly dis
claims responsibility for occurrences within
l the borders.
| Scheme Of Government.