Peiping, May 24. qu departure of about seventy all ranks of the United States Marines of the Embassy Guard, who were due for seasonal reliefs, although an ordinary annual event, has censed a certain amount of talk this year.
The actual figures have not been released for publication by the Guard authorities, and so the Japanese press has been able to make quite a dramatic story out of this year's transfer.
With much gusto they have been assuring their readers, week after week, that the American Embassy guard was being withdrawn.
This, needless to say, is an exaggeration, though there is a grain of truth in it, in so far as the number of men in replacement, confined to the technical services, is very much smaller than the number. who have left.
The strength of the United States Embassy Guard in recent years has been somewhere round 200, so that the actual reduction in their numbers is quite considerable. One important section of the guard, the Marines' Band is gone for good; it is not being replaced.
The Legation guards. one of the notable features of Peiping after the Boxer days. are certainly disappearing fast. Previous to the last World War there were about eight nations. each of which had its Legation Guard. end the total must have been well over 2,000. The British guard left at the end of last year. Now, all that are left are some 150 U.S. Marines. about 70 Italian Marines. who cannot get back home. and about 80 in the French Guard. I have not in-
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