Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-10-02


The Chinese army, which looks sufR
GENTLY formidable Oh paper, is divided
into three classes. nssneiy, % the Ban
nermen. CD the troops OF the Green
Standard, CD the Volunteers. or Braves. =
The Bannermen are the descendants OF
the Mantchoo Tartafs who conquered the
country in the seventeenth century, and
number about 500, 600. But they do
not form one effective army corps: they
gre only class of men who still draw
profit from the conquest Of China achiev-
ed by their ancestors. Indeed, in order
that certain privileges which they enjoy
may always remain ia the hands of the
original grantees, they are not allowed to
marry Chinese women unless there be
deficiency Of girls beiongingt to the reon-
lar Banner families. Such case. It may
be added, is Of extremely rare occur
renee. During tie period Immediately
following their sattlement on Chinese
soil it was positive necessity for the
Tartars TO keep themselves constituted as
an armed force if they wished to main
tain their ascendcncy; but, nowadays,
when that ascendency is less and less
disputed, the 'Banners' preserve little
more than the outward show of military
organization. Only a small part of this
remarkable force Is paid, privates receiv-
ing between pound and ten shillings a
month, with a ration Of rice. Some Off !.
GERS are appointed for life, others hold
hereditary rank.
The troops of the Green Standard are
said to number $4,000 men. Wretch
edly paid, these soiaiers have nearly all
Of them other callin&s beside the military
one, and they are careful to wear their
uniforms as seldomsis possible. Some
times they act as policemen, and they are
the only postmen in the empire In Chi
ma the state does not undertake to for
ward the correspondence of private per-
sons; but the dispatches Of mandarins to
the central government, ETC., travel Gf
urgent) at the rate oil $50 miles In TWEEN
ty-four hours In emergencies. however.
it is neither on the Bannermen nor on
the postal police that the authorities at
Pekin rely, but on Braves or voluD.
teers enlisted Tor the occasion.
The surest way 10 obtain military pro-
motion is TO know the standard military
author by heart. The latest in date
would appear to be d treatise of the year
1928. 1t is divided into ten chapters. OF
''preceprs," and contains the whole duty
of private. Firstly, the said private
should love and respect his parents Sec
ondly, he should honor and respect his
elders; thirdly, he should be OH good
terms with everybody; fourthly, he
should instruct his children and his
younger brothers; sifthIy, he should dill
ligently till the earth; sixthly, he should
perfect himself in archery, on horseback
as we'll rs on foot; seventhly, he must be
economical; eighrhly, abstain from wine
and Intoxicating drinks; ninthly. avoid
gaming; tenthly, keep out of Quarrels.
Officers must know their Sun-tse an
extraordinary writer on tactics, who was
probably contemporary with the author
Of the Had. Sun-tse understood war as
did Philip of Maaedon, VINO boosted
that he had taken more towns by gold
than by steel With him tlte essence
of the military art is corruption and in
trigue. Labor increasingly, he says,
to embarrass your enemy. You can do
so in many ways, but here is the best.
Neglect no opportunity of debauching
the best men on his side; omit nothing
neither offers, nor gifts, nor caresses.
Deceive, if you CAM entangle the most
honorable of his followers in disgraceful
affairs, and then be careful to show them
up. Be in continual correspondence with
any vicious man in the enemy's camp,
and bring him into communication with
other vicious men; SOW discord among
their chiefs; set subalierns against their
superiors." It is a curious farrago of
nonsense and shTewd remarks, some
rnaxims being especially good in respect
to the conduct of civil war. Meanwhile,
it Is perfectly clear that the first and last
lesson inculcated On Chinese general Is
to lie. If he can cheat hostile general
in negotiation, he viii win almost as
much credit with the Pekin government
as if he defeated him in the field.