Peking, Feb. 18, Recent press reports that France is planning to send "a veritable Jarmy" of between 700, and 800 men, fineluding 80 technical' experts companied by a "rack pistol corps"
investigate "China's mineral resources are ridiculed by the French legation here, In a statement. to" the press the French Minister, M." Wilden, points out that France' is merely sending private scientific expedition while will be composed of 36 people and will inelade two or three Americans, tone Swede and five or six Chinese scientists.
The main object of the expedition will be scientific, M, Wilden declares and the party does rot contemplate of blaking excavations or investigating. mineral resources, Half of the Tembers will probably be "armed with pistols or rifles "but this because the journey will be hazardous the solentists - will. be. exposed to risks. In any case they: vile' to eke out their food Supplies by shooting games, The expedition to. which Wilden refers is, of course, the one: which, with the backing of Andre Citroen, the French auto: mobile manufacturer, and. the ¢o-Speration' of the National" Goa: graphical Society of America, is to, Start next. month from. Beirut, Syria, for Peking, returning across 000" miles ona more southerly, route," Georges Marie Haardt, Known as the. "motor car Livingstone of France," who undertook a similar expedition some time aga, Africa, is the lender and wilh have with' him as American' repre sentative Mr, Maynard) Owen Williams.
Eight specially built auto-tractors half automobile and -half-tractor will be used to transport the party' fon its 13,000-mile tour through Tittle known parts of Asia, The automobile equipment will be liar to that' used by Haardt in man's first crossing of the Sahara desert by other means than camels. In that expedition the entire length of Afrien was traversed, The cars fre light and supple, capable traversing "mud, sand, snow and: rocks. They can fo 40 miles an hour over good roads, "The, expedition will be inthe
expected, crossing from Syria into Bld fom' 12 £018 months, frag, Persia, Russian Turkestan, Sinkang and China and. turn south' "at Peking for along. tre down to. French Indo-China, Frame Saigon the return trip will be made. through Siam, Burma, India, Balu-= fehistan, Persia and Arabia Two, ears will "be devoted to motion picture" photography, colour and: Bisekcand'white cameras reisteringe the scenic wonders of inner Asin weil"as the customs. and costume
Songs, wil be. preserved. by. scun ite peoples. Native dialects and Fecards. Studies will be made. int inccoology, geography, arehaclory, [Sther® Granehes of. science.
logy, noslogy, palacontolony an
hot" true, however, that" mining engineers' will be. included in the expedition' personnel
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.