Evening star., 1928-05-26
WALLS Of PEK|NC
IMPRESSIVE SIGHTS
u. S. Takes Every Precaution
to Protect Legation Quar-
ter in Event of Attack.
RN WILLIAM RUFUS SCOTT.

There are few sights more impress
Feking. particularly the Tartar wall,
or the massive masonry that surrounds
the section of PeElng set aside oy the
Tartsrs. OF the Manchurians, for their
own residential and business area. As
the race which conquered PekinS IN
tS43 and remained in control unth the
overthrow Of the empire in 1912. the
Manchurians looked down upon the
Chinese and emphasized the distinction
by having the largest of all the walls,
The railroad from TientSin runs
along the Tartar wall, having come INTO
the Chinese city through a breach III
iis walls The passenger station Is near
that part Of the Legation Quarter occu-
pied by the Minister OF the Unlteo
States In the event Of trouble within
reking between the Southern National
lists and the defending Northern troops.
under Marshal Chang Tso-lin. the
American Marines. numbering about
500. and the other foreign Marines ano
troops. will hold the legation quarter
until peace is restored or help comes
from TientSin. about so miles away
toward the sea.
In the Boxer rebellion Of 1900 the
legation Quarter was attacked hV the
Chinese ard the foreigners trapped
there nearly starved to death before the
relief expedition arrived from T1entSin.
There were no airplanes in those days
nor radio or wireless The Legation
Quarter was kept under bon1bardment
frtern1ittentlv curing the siege. On
the wall around the British legation
one nav Stin see bullet marks ami the
v-0rrSs Srrawle6 Il est we forget
Butler There Again.
IT is an interesting coincidence that
Brig. Gen. Smedley =. Butler, III COM
naud of the American Marines in
China. was a part Of the relief eXpe-
oition sent by the foreign powers TO
Peking i'm the Boxer rebellion OF 1900.
Today. IS years later, he is at Tien-
fsin with 1000 Marines and with l,l00
more at Shanghai. ready TO execute
snv orders washington may approve
for safeguarding American lives in
China. but now he has the rank OF
general. He was under 81 years OF age !
in the Boxer trouble.
American. British. japanese. French. .
italian and other marines or soldiers !
patrol The walls around the legation |
quarter night and day. In the grounds |
Of the American legation is a powerful |
wireless station. The defense forces are |
equipped with machine guns and field |
Guns and the japanese are reported as |
preparing an airplane landing field Just |
outside the legation quarter near the |
section they will guard
: Last year. when the Southern Nation
alist advance seemed TO threaten Pc |
king there was grave concern in the |
leration quarter over the Ieril believed |
- fn9
pstilv for the Southerners. II was |
coinged out that If an insurrection Of 1
Communists, or any other hostile ele-
roents. should menace the legation |
quarter. the Russians were in a position |
10 admit their Chinese associates |
rhTough the Russian embassy grounds.
Take Over Patrol Duty.
BIT in April. 1927. Marshal Chang |
Tso-iin conducted raid on the Rus |
sian embassy grounds and Russia there |
upon withdrew all but two minor at !
farI7ex The American and other for
eien marines promptly took over the task
81 patrolling the wall Of the RuSsi a
embassy and thereby assured themselves
And other foreigners that the legation
quarter vas completely guarded. Rus
siz is the only nation with an embassy, |
China that rank in diplomatic repre- |
xenistion.
While no attack on the legation quar- |
teF is anticipated this time. it is known !
tnat food has been stored there and /
adequate preparations made for any /
eventuality Today relief expedition |
could arrived from Tientsin with much |
greater rapidity than in 1900. Rear Ad- |
n1iral Marx L. Bristol. who has just |
gone 70 Peking. is in supreme command !
of American naval and Marine forces /
in China. and also of about 900 regu- |
lar soldiers IN Tienisin. who are a per-
nnsnens garrison under the Boxer re-
beilion settlement terms. The United I!
States has used most OF the Boxer in |
aeTnnity exacted Of China 10 educate |
young Chinese In this country
II is to the credit of Marshal Chang
Teo-lin whose hold on Peking Is un-
certain. that he has given foreign lives
and property complete protection IN the
period of nearly two years that he has
held the city However. If he Is forced |
out the danger 10 foreigners comes
from disorganized military units under |
subordinate officers. who cannot always |
control the Chinese troops: hence the |
precautionary measures of the foreign |
powers.
Royal Family Residence.
The Forbidden City Wss the regiden-
f8zi area of the royal family For 2s9
years. or until 1912 Manchu Emperor
Of Empress sat on the throne at Peging
Zone but the highest rank Chinese were
allowed in the Forbidden City, but since
foe republic WAS proclaimed the palace
and grounds have been opened 10 the
public on payment of a small entrance
fee. Much fine old Chinese art Is on
display IN the palaces or the museum
created there after the overthrow Of
the monarchy
The walls o. Peking no longer are the
protection they we're before the days Of
z3rpisneg and artillery, but still are use
Fl. in some places the inner city walls
zge being torn down for building mate
rsl II IS estimated that there are
30 miles Of the walls and the Tartar
e8ty wsll Is 40 feet high and as broad
as a street in many places. Al each
corner Of the Tartar city are great
~atcn towers. They look down upon
steam engines nov. but camel caravans
continue 10 arrive from the marts of
Mongolia. Tibet, India and points west
THE population of Peking II 200 600.
u0Whp0 FANS 1 YNHH