The German officers were very smart in their bearing and dress. Their khaki uniforms were similar to ours, the coats well made; but the clumsy cut of their riding breeches offends the fastidious eyes of the horsey Britisher, who is generally more particular about the fit of this garment than any other in his wardrobe. The product of despotic militarism in a land where the army is supreme and the civilian is despised, the German officers are full of the pride of caste. In China they were scarcely inclined to regard those of the other allied troops as equals. The iron discipline of their army does not encourage intercourse between the various ranks. The friendly association of English officers with their men in sports is inexplicable to them; and that a private should excel his superior in any pastime is equivalent, in their opinion, to the latter at once forfeiting the respect of his subordinate. When a team of British officers in Tientsin were training for a tug‐of‐war against those of the Pekin garrison in the assault‐at‐arms at the Temple of Heaven, they used to practise with a team of heavy non‐commissioned officers. A German captain said to a British subaltern who was taking part: “Is it possible that you allow your soldiers to compete against officers even in practice?” “Certainly,” replied the Englishman. “But of course you always beat them?” “Not at all,” was the answer. “On the contrary, they generally beat us.” “But surely that is a mistake,” said the scandalised Prussian. “They must in that case inevitably lose all respect for you.” And nothing could convince him that it was not so. As the German military officer does not as a rule travel much abroad, the realisation of England’s predominance beyond the seas seemed to come on those in China almost as a surprise. One remarked to a member of the staff of our Fourth Brigade: “Our voyage out here has brought home to most of us for the first time how you English have laid your hands on all parts of the earth worth having. In every port we touched at since we left Germany, everywhere we coaled, we found your flag flying. Gibraltar, Malta, Aden, Colombo, Singapore, Hong Kong—all British.” [Illustration: FRENCH COLONIAL INFANTRY MARCHING THROUGH THE FRENCH CONCESSION, TIENTSIN] “Yes,” added another, “we have naturally been accustomed to regard our own country as the greatest in the world. But outside it we found our language useless. Yours is universal. I had said to myself that Port Said, at least, is not British; but there, too, your tongue is the chief medium of intercourse. Here in China, even the coolies speak English, or what they intend to be English.” [Illustration: GERMAN OFFICERS WELCOMING FIELD‐MARSHAL COUNT VON WALDERSEE AT THE RAILWAY STATION, TIENTSIN [_page_ 38]