Evening star., 1937-09-12
Marines Share Oriental Duties With Strong Forces
of Navy and Army, While Admiral Yarnell Is
Diplomat Fig hter for This Country.

it was known in earlier days. On
September IL, 1905. the United States
Marines took over the guarding of
the American Legation there. In re-
cent years the legation has been
raised to the status of an embassy.
with the coming OF Chinese AM
bassador 10 Washington and the send
ing of an American Ambassador to
China.
At first the Marines legation Guard
was but 125 men. But 1t has since
been increased number of times,
until today there are some 500 there.
Now, Peiping pronounced Bay
ping'-is an important focal point in
the new war, for it is the Northern
front, as soldiers of Nippon drive
north through Nankow and southwark
from Peiping and Tientsin. And the
United States Marines there are on the
qui vive, vigilant for the next move in
the swirling crisis. Maj. Gen. Thomas
Holcomb, now commandant of the
Marine Corps, served as lieutenant
at Peiping in his early days, under
the then Capt. Harry Lee--who became
major general and commanded the
Marine Barracks at Quantico, Va, and
died recently.
CHINA and parts of India are said
to be the most tnickly populated
places on the globe. Since the revo-
luton that toppled the veteran Man
ocf n,1 nCt txoV
China has been split by varied military
interests, with communism, with BAN
ditry. Gen. Chang Kai-shek is at
tempting to create unified China.
Qualified observers believe that ia
pans real reason for her present mill
tary adventure into China is to insure
that if anybody is going to industrial
ize China it must be Japan. The
Toxic government, they say. has no
intention of permitting Chinas vast
labor market to become a dangerous
competitor In fact, if the Chinese
were taught to demand improved work
ing conditions, Japan's own masses
might cause trouble for the Emperor,
say those who are in 3 position to
know
Japan wants huge slices of China
if not all of it-for strategic reasons
for the military-to protect Manchu-
kuo from a thrust by Soviet Russia.
Japan's great desire to get a foot
hold on the Asiatic mainiand-the
larger the better.
In the realization of that dream,
Ni,,,No,o hoe Tho No,stl1o,-y, frr,,t OF
Peiping-the Central fronS at Shang-
hal, and the Southern front, now
merely threatened blockade in the
vicinity of Great Britain's naval base.
Hong Kong. For the nonce, as far as
the United States is concerned, the
salient points are Peiping. Tientsin
and-most important of all-Shanghai.
For that reason, Marines of the 4th
Regiment stand with bayonets drawn,
ready for the assault. The guns of the
cruiser Augusta, out in the harbor,
and the warships of Uncle Sam that
are attending the flagship, are stand
ing by, awaiting orders from Wash
ington for the next move. And-should
there not be time for considered action
from this National Capital, Admiral
Yarnell is ION his own" if sudden
emergency should arise that required
fast thinking-and fast moving.
THE 4th Regiment. U. S. Marines.
has glamourous history. 1t
was organized. by direction of the
Secretary of the Navy, on April 16,
1914, at Puget Sound, Wash. Com
manding the outfit was Col. Joseph
H. Pendleton. since retired as a major
general, and residing in Coronado,
Calf.
Several shore stations and warships
contributed to the personnel of the
Fighting Fourth" The first outfit
was organized as two 3-inch landing
gun batteries and two battalions of
three companies apiece. Those were
the days when trouble was brewing
in agitated Mexico.
Then the Marine Corps newest
baby sailed out into history-on the
u. S. S. South Dakota. The u. S. S.
West Virginia and the u. s. S. Jupiter
| Joined her and the three vessels made
their way to Mexico with the Marines
on temporary tropical expeditionary
field service" But the trouble was
confined mainly to the east coast of
Mexico and as the west coast proved
to be quiet, under the vigilant eyes of
the 4th Regiment. the outfit, in July,
returned to San Diego Calf.
More pleasant duty came then to
the members of the command. when
some of the units went to the Marine
Barracks, exposition grounds at San
Francisco, from February to Novem-
ber, 1915, for the Panama-Pacific In
ternational Exposition. Maj. John T.
Myers, now retired as major gem
eral, after serving in the National