Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-07

nese that wasn't quite right the inter-
prefer would say something else. What.
ever he said always was proper. If they
said something he thought we wouldn't
like, the interpreter, In translating
would turn 1t into a joke.
When the Winter of 1927 approached
We began to look around for perma-
nent quarters and selected the old bar
racks In the abandoned Germsn con-
cession as the ideal place. since the
! Germans gave up their concession the
land has been controlled by the Chi
nese.
We called on the minister of foreign
affairs of the Central government. in
Peiping. Fred Mayer, then in tempo
rary charge of our legation, accompa-
MED me, as did my interpreter. The
| minister and Mayer conferred for some
time through an interpreter. as the
minister was not known to speak Eng
lish and Mayer did not speak Chinese
uselessly formal and pointless converse
ton, which was not getting us any
where. Finally, unable to restrain my
self, I pointed my finger at the minis
ter's face and, speaking In English, said
You talk like an American Senator
trying to avoid giving q direct answer
on the question of prohibition to a
group composed equally of vets and
drys just before election"
The minister's face broke into smile
OF UNDERSTANDING; Then, in perfect
II, the Chinese minister of foreign af-
fairs, cannot consistently protest your
presence in China, as have been doing,
and then present to you q Chinese bar
racks In which to live. However, con-
fldentially, We are very DESTROYS of havp
ing you remain in China, and I will
quietly order my subordinate In Tien-
tSin to give the barracks to you: ] will
then punish him by removing him from
ONCE, but later viii give him better
ONCE in Peiping."
get the barracks, as all the officials
were afraid that when the Southerners
got to Tientsin they would chop of the
blocks of the officials who gave the Ma
rineS a Chinese barracks. They need
not have feared, however, for the
SouthernerS later lent us q plot of
1000 acres and built a rifle range, so
the Marines could keep up their marks
manship.
From time to time Chinese oficials
would protest against our presence on
letters. T4ey also objeeted i1 at nTse. to
our atrplanes. although we had treaty
right to ny along the line Of the rail-
road from TientSin to Peiping.
The Chinese officer who brought
about these protests was a nice little
chap and wore a most gorgeous hat,
probably designed by a French milliner.
Whenever he came we had the band
play the Chinese national air and our
ofiicial photographers would take sew
eral snaps Of him. Then we would
tell him how friendly we were with his
government, and add:
Look here, these Southern fellows
are coming up looking for. you North
ernerS and what are you going to do?
They are going to cut of your heads
Our presence may save you"
And always he would reply:
You just tear up this protest. Never
mind even reading 1t. It doesn't mean
anything. We are only doing this to
save our faces with our own people and
to tell the Southerners when they come
that We tried to get you out"
And he would leave, to return within
3 few weeks with another similar pro-
test.
Next and last installment-A Chi
nese General at $425. 900 q Year,