Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-01
CHINESE TROOPS
UNIFORM j. 8.
UNDERWEAR
Albanian, Just Returned From
the Orient, Tells interesting
Story of New Republic.

Two regiments of Chinese soldiers,
CARRIED in uniforms composed entirely of
American made suits of underwear, were
among the strange sights seen recently
by D. H. Kirkland, of the J. X Orr Shoe
Company, who has returned to Atlanta
from a visit to the Orient The soldiers
were patroning the streets of old Canton
to preserve order. and while their uni
form may have been humorous to Ameri-
can eyes there wasn't anything funny
about the methods of the soldiery.
Mr.. Kirkland, the first Albanian to re-
turn from China since the fall of the
/ Manchu dynasty and the establishment
of the republic, tells an interesting story
of affairs there.
When we arrived at Hong Kong" said
Mr.. Kirkland, I'VE were advised by both
the American and British consuls there
not to attempt to go into the interior Of
China, or even to Canton, which is about
! so miles up the Pearl river from that
port. and a nights ride by boat We
were assured. however by the friendly
attitude of the Chinese and made the trip
Much to our surprise everywhere We
were treated with the greatest considera-
ton, and even the provisional governor
of Canton dined with us and afterward
made a talk of welcome paying a fine
l
termed 'China's friend
Wild With Enthusiasm.
There was plenty of evidence OF war,
and the governor gave us a detachment Of
soldiers to show us about the city. The
city was wild with enthusiasm for the
new republic, Canton having been one OF
the first cities to surrender to the reyo-
lutionaries The real fighting while we
were there was in the north. where the
soldiers were pushing their way toward
Picking.
There were two regiments of Chinese
at Canton, dressed exclusively in Ameri-
can suits Of underwear The climate.
however, is warm, and they don't suf-
fer. These regiments are bomb regiments,
using only explosive bombs in their fight
| ing They were armed with sticks in pa
trolling the city to keep order.
There were no queues in evidence for
all had been shorn by the natives as an
evidence of their loyalty to the revolution;
| in fact, the appearance of a Chinamau
with a queue was sufficient invitation for
his murder without scruple
1--WE also were advised before leaving
| Hong Kong that pirates nfest the river,
and that execution OF pirates is almost
| a daily occurrence. In fact, it was limited
that by judicious seeing of certain Of
| ficials, an execution of one of the poor
wretches awaiting death in jail, might be
| arranged for the pleasure of our party
| 1t so happened, however, that there were
no pirates in Jail when we arrived due. no
doubt, to the war troubles of the country
China Friendly to U. S.
| China is a great nation, and with her
friendly feeling for this country, should
eventually prove a magnificent market for
our merchandise
You don't need to worry about Japan
going to war with us. The country is
miserably poor, because of the burden of
| taxation The income tax over there
ranges from 1870 on $50 to 25as on $4,000
| and upward on incomes. 1t is true that
| the Japs, who get very low wages in their
| native country look with envious eyes
upon the wages of 81 to $3.50 a day for
common labor on the Pacific coast, and
! they are anxious to come over here and
earn some of it. This of course, makes a
lot of bad feeling against us for our ex-
clusion laws, but it is not going to run
into a war
while in Yokohama | met M. w Nc
Ivor, who was the Chinese protectorate
during the Chino-Japanese war.
He has very prosperous law practice
| there and is also engaged in other lines of
business. He says that Japan offers big
opportunities for American trade"
Mr. Kirkland ate his Thanksgiving din
ner on a steamer on the Ganges river in
India, where he visited the holy city of
Benares. saw the Tai Mahal at Agra,
India, and attended the Durbar at Delhi,
India.
Durbar Wonderful Spectacle.
1t was in early December Mr.. kirkland
reached India, of which he says
Il visited Delhi, which was then the
coronation Durbar camp, with it's beauti-
full boulevaTds and it's architectural won
ders. Only a few months previous this
ephemeral town, then occupied by the
camps, was cultivated agricultural land.
converted into miles and miles of well
bordered roads with picturesque groups of
pavilions and tents, neatly laid out parks,
magnificent triumphal arches and carved
gateways. Nothing like it ever could have
existed anywhere in the world The Cur
ION Durbar, | have been told, was merely
a sort of dress rehearsal for it. The in
ternal organization governing the life of
the community inhabitng that wonderful
city of few weeks was perfect so adj
mirably designed and carried out. The
postal service was as complete and rapid
as one could wish in any modern, civil
lied city. There were postoffices, tele-
graph offices and telephones in every
| quarter. Each camp had its own inquiry
office and bureau of information and rail-
ways. The guests in the official camps
were all provided with motor ars.
ION the way through the bava seas a
Mrs. Hall, of Grand Rapids, Fitch, pas
senger on my steamer comflitted suicide
by leapng overheard. A young man. Mar
Gus Jordan, of Washington, D. c., leaped
overheard after her but the worsdn
| 1rouynol che
passengers presented Jordan with a gold
watch for his herOism."