There were evidences that the new nation was not unprepared for an attack from these old enemies. Just above the station was an armoured train carrying a 3.7 in. long range gun and cars equipped for machine-guns, and riflemen. The engine, also armoured like a horse in the Middle ages, was fully coaled and the fires were going under the boiler. On the next trad was a long train, apparently of supplies, on the open cars of which were hundreds of reels of barbed wire.
Just a short while before we left, a troop train from Chita pulled in 47 cars carrying a regiment of about 1,000 men with complete field equipment. There were horses, waggons, carriages, two motor trucks and a passenger automobile. The men were well clothed and well shod though the most striking characteristic of their uniforms was the lack of uniformity. Their personal equipment was better. This was uniform and much of it new. All were fully armed.
The democracy of the troops was apparent. The officers wore no distinguishing marks, though some of the higher commanders had fared better as to clothing than the privates. The soldiers were mostly young men well set up, cheerful and well behaved. A talk with one of them brought out the opinion that some things were pretty hard just now but they all understood how things were and knew that the government was doing the best it could and they were going to stick it out until things were settled and settled right. There was an entire absence of military fuss, few salutes these apparently between officers only, but when one company formed the work was promptly and well done.
The men showed their thorough training and_ the. officers know how to handle them. If the new government has many regiments like this, it is entitled to much credit on this account.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.