Evening star., 1937-07-28
TWO DISTRICT MEN
IN PE|P|NG GUARD
Marines Protect Americans
and Embassy During
Fight With Japan.

ping, attempted to promote an agree
ment which would prevent fighting in
the ancient walled capital of the Man.
chus, United States Marine Corps
guard, commanded by a 52-year-old
Marine colonel and including two
Washington officers, manned the walls
OF its compound in the foreign settle
ment.
Secretary Hull. in messages sent to
the Chinese and japanese governments
through Nelson T. johnson, Ambas-
sador TO China. and Joseph Grew,
Ambassador to Japan, expressed the
hope Peiping. with It's large foreign
colony, would be spared.
The Americans IN Peiping include
675 civilians registered at the en-
bassy, the Marine Corps guard, con-
slsting Of % officers and 489 enlisted
men, and nearly 100 wives, children
or other dependents of the enlisted
men OF the guard. A number of the
Americans are doctors and nurses at
tached to the Peiping Union Medical
College and Hospital one of the larg-
est institutions in the Far East.
Col. MarstoE Commands Guard.
The Marine guard in Peiping is
commanded by Col John Marston of
Merton Station, Pa, an officer who
bears little resemblance to the hard
boiled 'leatherneck' of fiction. Quiet
and affable, Col Marston is never
spotted for Devildog when he wears
CIVILIAN clothes, it was recalled by his
friends here in the Navy Department.
He has the reputation, nevertheless,
OF being a strict diSciplinarian and
has had ample experience in the kind
OF work he faces in Peiping.
From 1916 to 1918 he was an in
spector in the Haitian Garde, and
from 1929 to 1881 served in the Mica
raguan Gardia, winning the Mica
raeuan Medal of Merit in 1890. For
two years he was attached to the
American Legation in Nicaragua.
Col. Marston was with the Marines
at the occupation of Vera Cruz in
1914, has pursued bandits in North
ern Haiti and prior to his assignment
to Pelplng served as personnel officer
OF the Marine Corps in Washington
for three years.
The colonel is married and has
three children. His wife and one
daughter, married to Capt. John S.
Letcher member of the Embassy
staff, are with him at Peiping. An
other daughter, wife of Capt. Lamar
Curry, lives at the Marine base at
Quantico, Va, and a son, John, jr,
is at school in this country.
Four Local Men in Guard.
Maj James Lambie Denham a ma
tive Of the District, is one of the two
Washington officers now on duty
with the Embassy Guard-composed
OF % officers and 493 men of the
Marine Corps-at Pieping, center of
the Asiatic war zone Three others
from nearby Virginia and Maryland
are serving with the guard.
Already, officials say, a guard has
mounted the walls of the American
Embassy compound with machine
guns and ammunition The guard
had its origin in 1901 following the
Boxer Rebellion in which residents
of the foreign quarter were fred on
from the Forbidden City.
Maj Dennam, short, stocky, blond
and one-time boxer at Virginia
Military Institute, was described to-
day by friends in the Marine Corps
as cool and level headed and able
TO handle men we'll" The major.
through his jovial nature, has earned
for himself the nickname of Happy
throughout the service.
But when the time comes, sav those
VINO knew him in the st. Michel Of
fenslve when he served with 9Th
Marines, he knows what to do and
when to do it.
Maj Denham was ordered to Peiping
only month ago as paymaster under
Col. Marston, Marine Corps officials
said, however, that in case of an emer-
gency, he would be asked to take ac-
tive duty
The other Washingtonian on duty in
Pelplng, Second Lieut.. Frederick A.
Ramsey, Is the son of Col. Frederick
J. Ramsey, U. S. M. c., retired, who
recently moved to Washington and
has his home at 3642 Jocelyn street.
The 24-year-old lieutenant received
his appointment in 1885 and is on his
first foreign duty. He is in command
OF the mounted detachment of the
guard and it is part Of his duty, Ma
rine Corps officials said to know where
all the Americans in Peiping live and
to aid in their evacuation to the en-
baSsy compound.
Those from nearby Maryland and
Virginia with the guard are-Capt.
Robert B. Luckey of Hyattsville, Md;
Capt. Joseph c. Burger, U. S. NJ. c., of
Cherrydale, Va. and Capt. John F.
Hough, U. S. M. c., Mount Rain
ier, Md.