Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-10-16
The Chinese Army.


The Chinese army, which looks suf.
ficiently formidable on paper. is divid,
ed into three classes, namely: ~ the
Bannermen, (2) the troops of the Green
Standard, (3) the olunteers, or
.Braves." The Bannermen are the
descendants of the Mantchoo Tartars
who conquered the country in the sew
teenth century. and number about
100000 ..But they do not form one
effective army corps; they are only a
class of men who will draw profit from
the conquest of China achieved by their
ancestors. Indeed, in order that GER
tain privileges which they enjoy may al
WAYS remain in the hands of the origin
al grantees, they are not allowed to
marry Chinese women unless there be a
deficiency of girls belonging to the reg
ular banner families. Such case, it
may be added, is of extremely rare oc-
curence. During the period immetli-
ately following their settlement on Chi
nese soil it was positive necessity for
the Tartars to keep themselves consti-
tuted as an armed force if they wished
to maintain their ascendencv; 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 receiving between a
pound and ten shillings month, with
q ration of rice. Some officers are APP
pointed tor life, others hold a heredi-
tary rank.
The troops of the Green Standard are
said to number CSC, 900 men. Wretch
eily paid. these soldiers have nearly
all of them other callings besides the
military one, and they are careful to
wear their uniforms as seldom as pos
sible. Sometimes they act as police
men. and they are :he only postmen IN
the Empire. In China the State does
not under take to forward the CORE
spondenee of private persons; but the
dispatches of mandarins to the Central
Government, etc., travel (if urgently at
the rate of $50 miles in twenty-four
hours. In emergencies, however. it is
neither on the Bannerman nor on the
postal police that the authorities at Pc
kin rely, but on s'Braves" or Volun-
teers enlisted for the occasion.
The surest way to obtain military
promotion Is to know the standard mil
itary authors by heart. The latest in
date would appear to be a treatise. of
the wear 1928. It is divided into ten
chapters. or gs.precepts," and contains
the whole duty of a private. Firstly,
the said private should love and
respect his parents; secondly, he
should honor and respect his
elders thirdly, he should be on
GOOD terms with everybody; fourthly.
he should instruct his children and
his i. younger brothers; filthy, he
should diligently till the earth; sixth
", he should perfect himself in arch
erv. on horseback as well as on foot;
.seyenthly, he must be economical;
eiohthly, abstain from wine and in
itoyicating drinks: ninthly, avoid gam
ine: teathly, keep out of quarrels.
- Officers must know their Sun-tse. an
extraordinary writer on tactics, who was
probably contemporary with the author
.of the Iliad. Sun-tse understood war
as did Philip of Macedon, who boosted
that he had taken more towns by gold
than by steel. With him the essence
of the military art is corruption and in
trioue. Labor increasingly ne saws,
..to embarrass your enemy. You can
do so in many ways. but here Is the
best. Neglect no opportunity of de-
launching the best men on his side; omit
nothinoeneither offers, nor gifts, nor
sr-,resses. Deceive. if you can: entangle
the most honorable of his followers in
disoraceful affairs......an then be
careful and show them up. Be in con-
tinual correspondence with any vicious
man in the enemy's camp, and hiring
him into communication with otner
siciousfmen; sow d,scord among their