Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-09
THE CHINESE ARMY.
The Army Motley Aggregation OF
Thieves and Beggars, Ununiformed and
Poorly Armed.

1 he army Motley Aggregation or
Thieves and Beggars, Ununiformed and
Poorly Armed.
Cor. AUge cine letting.
The Chinese army is divided into four
categOries-the landers or Putny. the in
fantry or YaUg-tZian-DQj, the cavalry or
Mma-DQj the artillery or San-DOj. The
Tsientsing is battalion Of 600 men-in-
Observation-Disclosures into twenty cOmpa-
mics Of fifty men each. The smallest frac-
tiOn is called schanquan, and consists of
. ten men. under the command of an infe-
riOr officer, who receives as pay 6 shil-
lings and 3 pence a month. the command
er receiving G22 los. A brigade consists
Of from five to ten of such battaliOns, and
the commander is paid G3l IS Cd. a
month. In order to exist with such a
nominal salary, both lower and higher
class officers are obliged to have recourse
to eXactiOns, and frequently to theft and
violence. The Chinese soldier is there
fore scOurge to his country, and is gen
orally avoided. When the troops march
or have to be quartered, the people look
upon 1t as a calamity: towns and fields
are indiscrlminately plundered, and the
approach of the army is sufficient to put
the inhabitants Of a town to flight, who
carry with them all their portable prop
erty.
Men who belong to the caste of the
diers Their maintenance is provided for
by the Emperor. Other castles can only
enter the army through influential recon-
mendatiOn. The physical condition of the
ManIshu soldiers is not much taken into
account, so that there is an important
average OF the crippled and manned in the
army. Great numbers are absent on ar
bitraTy leave, and thereby the effective
strength IS much reduced. Soldiers COM
pletely unfit for service often receive an
imperial permission to BEG. The Chinese
soldier is not bound to his nag nor by anv
oath Of fidelity; in time of peace he is at
liberty to return home.
a regulation uniform scarcely exists.
The military outfit principally consists of
sky-blue wooden blouse trimmed with
fur; on the chest and back of this gar
ment are sewed two white disks, on which
are written the words soldier or s'artil-
lery.' The rest of the costume consists
Of white pantalOOns, very wide and tied
around the calf of the leg silk shoes with
thick cardboard sOles, and in summer
Predetermined straw hat, in winter
klndot turban. In this dress the Chinese
soldier can scarcely be DISTINGUISHED from
q civilian. The arms are in a worse state.
China having lately been flooded with
guns Of all kinds, and there prevails a
most cOmical confusion with regard to
calIber and ammunition. Col. kreitner.
an Austrian well known by his travels in
China. says that half the Chinese army is
armed with the old fre-lock gun. three
tourtns of the other half with old percus-
ion guns Of German, English, American
ana French manufacture, and Il 2 remain
lng fourth with modern breech-loaders.
lhe auxiliary troops are still armed
with lanceS. bows and arrows. and clubs.
For a short period the infantry were fur
mSled with DayOnets, but as many acci-
"a fGs. l.
Woundlng each other in the legs while
practicing, the dangerous weapon is now
left safely at home The artillery is no
better provided; the old unrified cannon
are IN tO,erable condition. requiring but
little care, but the Armstrong and Krupp
guns are I'D deplOrable state. The COM
m1uder looks upon them as show pieces,
and only on great occasions is a shot fired
against target, the soldiers kissing and
ho0iing whenever miss occurs. The
men who serve the guns are iIl-taught and
too numerous. -Four clean the piece, SIX
carry ammunition, two point the gun ac-
c0rding to the directions from an officer.
and commands are issued in English,
Uerman or French, according to the ma
ton0iity of the instructor.
Inc barracks are shapeless buildings,
those IN the towns bearing the inscription,
Beware. Keep off! Here live soldiers"
There are no proper regulations. gun
Is fred in the morning, but the Chinese
soldier generally refuses to be disturbed,
ana only begins drill in the afternoon.
patches of ten or fifteen men mess to-
gether at the hours most convenient to
them. Officers who do not belong to the
Mandshu caste are ranked below the civil
servants, having to pass an examination,
winch IS not required of the others.
lhe superior officers have a bad name.
tAeF impose ransom and encourage plum
der, often appear at parade in a tipsy
state, and, If in want, sometimes sell the
arms Of whole company, which has then
to 20 through the exercise using bamboo
sticks. The officers 90 unarmed in time
of peace. Discipline and order are almost
unknown. While marching the soldiers
choose what road suits them best, and it
Is seldom that fifty men remain together.
The arsenal near Shanghai is directed by
German soldier named Brettschneider,
and produces about ten Remington rifles
% day.