Evening star., 1937-07-30
ROOSEVELT SCANS
FAR EAST REPORTS
Tells Press Conference Sit.
uatjon in China Is Very
Disturbing.
By the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt said today that
the Far Eastern situation was very
disturbing and that he would keep
IN close touch with developments over
the week end.
The President made this brief OBJ
servation on the Far Eastern situation
at his regular Friday press conference.
Just across the street at the State
Department, coded wireless messages
flying halfway around the world
brought latest reports on the safety
Of Americans in China.
Basing his attitude on these mes
sages, Secretary Hull said late yester-
day the situation nevertheless still
appeared serious.
He added, however, he saw no occa-
sion yet for any action by this Gov
ernment.
The messages came through a "a
hour Government communications
system, centering in a battery of tele-
graph wires and teletype machines
atop the State Department Building.
There, across the street from the
White House, sits gray-haired David
Salmon, chief of the Division Of Com
munications and records
At the Navy Department, a short
distance away, is bluff Rear Admiral
Charles E. Courtney director OF COM
munlcations, in direct contact by radio
with the United States Marine sta
ton at Peiping.
Just Another Job.
To Salmon it is just another lob.
He has been at the State Department
since 1905 and has been through this
sort Of thing many times.
With Admiral Courtney it's differ
ent. He has been director of naval
communications only about a year.
1t Is the admirals Office that is
actually keeping Washington officials
Informed of what is going on in
China. From the radio station with
IN the Marine compound of the en-
bassy 60 messages to Shanghai.
There they are relayed to Cavite
on the coast, thence to the Asiatic
Fleet and to Honolulu and San Fran
NAN'' AiiC SloCS AS PAL llIleIlt mas
direct wire to the Naval Division OF
communications.
Served in Rebellion,
Courtney is one of the few officers
still in active service who took part
in the 1900 relief expedition of the
Boxer rebellion. His ship, the
Newark, was the first arrival in the
international armada sent to rescue
foreigners beleaguered in the Peiping
international settlement
The dry atmosphere and sun
there is hard on a fighting man.
he said Our faces and lips cracked
open until they were like beef
steak"
One Of the difficulties OF fighting
force In that dry country is getting
safe drinking water, he said.
We got water from the river and
were instructed to boil it, but some
OF the men didn't and became ILL.,"
The Chinese, he said, threw the
bodies Of their dead into the rive,
after engagements with the interna.
tional troops
Courtney was 23-year-old nava
cadet at the time. Ore Of his friends
Of the campaign was young Marine
named smedley D. Butler. A youth
full British officer who took part was
John r. Jellicoe, later commander oil
the British Grand Fleet in the battle
OF Jutland
One message Of encouragement on
the welfare Of Americans in China
came from Joseph A. McAndrew, CON-
mander of the 18th United States In
fantry at Tientsin, a scene Of fighting
McAndreW advised the War Depart
ment that he had no report of any
danger to American citizens in that
city.
He said there had been no mob
violence In the Tientsin area and that
all fighting had been between or
ganized units Of Chinese and japanese.
He reported quiet at the time his mes
sage was sent at las am.