The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-19

japanese. Germans n French have
many more. The total foreign force
in north China is over six thousand.
but a large part Of it is stationed at
Tientsin and elsewhere. The north
China foreign troops are 213 Austri-
ans, 80 Americans, 20 Belgians, and
over 500 British. in addition to 1900
Indian Sikhs. The French have al
most 1900 and the japanese as many.
There are 80 Germans. 220 Italians.
1l3 Russians and 90 Dutch.
Will the Guards Be Removed?
Within the past few months the
Russians have withdrawn some of
their guards from Picking, and the
japanese have decreased their forces
by one-half. Some of the diplomats
think that this is only a play to the
Chinese galleries.. They want to make
the natives believe that they are anx-
ious to remove their guard from Pc
king, a contamination which the
Chinese devoutly wish. The with
draWals mean nothing, however, as
both Russians and Japanese have
large forces in their respective
spheres in Manchuria, and could put
thousands of troops into Picking by
means Of the railroad on a couple of
days notice.
Indeed, the general opinion here is
that the guards will eventually be re-
moved, but that the time is not yet
ripe. Many Of the ministers say they
will send their wives and daughters
away from Picking a. soon as the
guards are ordered to leave. Just now
China is like a mill pond, and the
whole world is applauding the ease
with which the baby emperor was put
on h throne. Nevertheless, the
country was on the edge of a rebel
lion at the time the empress dowager
died, and had a mutiny which then
occurred 9mOnU tho soldiers ON the
langtse not been promptly put down
by a very wise governor, there might
have been q civil war which would
have wiped out all the foreigners in
the interior. At hat time our mis-
sionaries on the Yagtse Kiang called
for ~gunboats, but Uncle Sam had
none in sight, and We had to ask the
British to protect them. Since then
gunboats have been sent to the
Yangtse from the Philippines, and
they will now be kept there. j un-
derstand that our legation at Picking
does not consider the Picking guards
q necessity, but Uncle Sam Will do
wisely to make surety sure by main
tanning our marines in china for
some years to come.
Life in the Barracks.
Before / write of the civil branch
of Uncle Sans Chinese home. I would
like to tell YOU how our soldiers live
in Peking. They have their quarters
in the low, one-story buildings which
form the walls of the western end Of
the legation compound, the officers
being QuarteTed in tWO-Story Struc-
lures in the northeastern corner. The
barracks have seperate buildings for
meSSrOOms, sJorerOOmS, Kitchens, and
a gymnasium. They have reading
rooms, and, N the whole, the boys
have q fairly good time. They have
two drills every day. and two hikes
~ 100 81 "a - rN,-- xr-O0I- 10 l-AnN
them in training. They have daily
parades except Saturdays and Sun
days, ana there is q school for the
non-commissioned officers. The men
take part in the field sports with the
other legation guards, n each May
they have a yearly meet in the Brit
ish legation compound at which the
soldiers Of all the legations AXE part.
II the last event of this kind our men
captured first place and were given
the championship banner, which was
sent to the head of the Marine Corps
at Washington. The sports We're rum
ming, jumping, putting the shot, and
the tug Of war. The troops also play
baseball. and they now and then get
out to Tung Chow to play a native
team, which is considered the best IN
China, having been trained by Amerl-
can school
Some of the men ride horseback,
using Chinese ponies. and Uncle Sam
has an additional compound which is
devoted to stables. 1t was in this
compound that General Lawton's old
lived. He was brought here
from Manila at the time of the se1ge
and was afterwards kept as a pen
siOner. being fed and exercised, but
not allowed to work. The cid horse
went where he pleased, climbing now
and then the wide pathway Which
leads to the wall of the Tartar city,
and feeding on the grass when grows
in the racks at its top. Within the
past few months the old steeds eyes
have been failing, and a few weeks
ago he became blind. h other day
he walked too close to the edge OF the
wall and fell off and was killed.
n.n = Nrot:N, TlUiI.linGS