Wichita eagle., 1888-08-17
THE CHINESE ARMY.
ITS ORGANIZATION, EQUIPMENT AND
GENERAL CONDITION.

ITO On6%9Nt&St tONy EG0tf"-fN' S>aN)
GENERAL CONDITION.
Frontier-Ofdcers and Privatcs Of the
Celestial Army-Arrns. Eations and Pay.
Promotion
Those who believe that in the not re-
mote future the Chinese empire viii
| prove thorn IL the side Of Russia. viii
| ind their views coTrobo-ated by an article
IN the current number OF The information.
ale Revue uoer die Gessmmlen Arr,ecu
un6 Ftotten. which treats of TIE latest
reforms introduced into the Chinese army.
Apart from tia Chinese aud Manchu
.Ililt.as, each province now possesses =
regular army of enlisted troops under tho
immediate command Of iss vicerov. %
these the best organized is the army Of
/ Pe-chi-i, which Instructed by Eu-onea,
officers, also well armed srd clothed In
uniform, serves its model for the others.
What. however. concerns us most in this
country is the Reorganization OF the arrny
OF Manchuria, which has recently been
undert sken-paTtiy because China wishes
20 colonize that region as q balwark
against Russia, ana partly because she
fears that power rs a dangerous rival ~
the Core:A This reorganization WAS began
two years ago. ManchGris being DIVIDED
into three districts, the united military
strength of which * said 70 amount to
from go, 600 TO 3CU coo men. OF these,
+ We are tod, oDe-third are armed with
bTesch leaders, the remainder with old
fashioned firearms. bows, arrows and
| lances. Thirty thousand are constantly
under arms. tie nucleus being composed
OF $4,000 troops from the Pechi Il army.
who have been disciplined after the Euro
peS1 model
WATCHING THE FRONTIER
kirin, the military center Of Nancharia.
possesses an arsenal. ana watches tho
Russian frontier with attachments. which
scour the country continually 10 clear it
of banditti and keep the roads open for
postal communication The cavalry.
formed into squaGroGs of 250 mon, are
armed with Winchester magazine rifles or
Remington repeatcrs; and their horses.
though small are active and serviceable
They are described ss bold riders. with
the usual ugly AsiStic seat. and. strange
10 say, they make DC use Of steel weapons
in Some cases ar3 not even provided
with them. Their formation is in single
rank; their pace the walk or gallop. the
trot being unknown. They attack in n
swarm after FIRE. and To the SOUND Of
trumpets. the officers being ia ro-r Of
their men.
Target practice takes place in Jaiy and
August. when 100 cartridges are expc. aed
by each man. Bad shots are punished.
and at the autumnSl inspection Of ,ha
general commanding the best marssrlen
.sYf iel v-i4b crt,or.., cffxc~ ,nadaFs-
bu.. as he generals dog is permitted ca
wear ne same adornment the distinction
is not 0yertlattering. The soldiers ara
well paid Every cavalry soldier gets the
equivalent of twenty one roublcs per
month and his clothing; fifteen of these
roubles so to pay for the keep Of himself
and horse six remaining for shoe leather.
washing ana Undertaking. As food, he
receives rice, nillet and tea; four times q
week neat and small quantity Of spirits.
while hay, straw and crushed beans are
served out to his steed. There Is regi
mental fund for providing rcmOunts, but
the soldiers do not willingly borrow from
it because the bamboo is too frequently
employed to accelerate repayment.
Near the Russia Ussuri frontier arr
stationed eight battaIioas of Chinese in
fantry, each 800 strong. which are chiefly
employed in the construction Of fortilca.
tions. These are rapidly pringing up ali
over Manchuria, two of its towns. hirin
and Ningati, being defended by girdls
Of detached forts. which are built on tho
European pattern, and in part provided
with steel plates. The infantry receive.
twelve roubics q month. with clothing,
and are armed with the Remington re-
peating rife which carries a b2yonet like
that OF the French chassep0t.
OFFICERS AND rHIvATEs.
New drill regulations. similar 20 tho
French. are being introduced On pa
rade the officers look on. merely inter
vening when the application u the stick
seems necessary. The battalion is d.
vided into four companies. whose chiefs
hold the rank of usjor, sertheless. a
major general is not unfrequostiy con
tent to assume command Of one q them.
The officers make good tho deficiency OF
their pay by defrauding their men Tho
soldier II often forced TO TIL h,s own land
rs laborer for the profit Of his officer.
The officers ars represented Us wholly
uneducated. and dependent for Promotion
on tho caprice Of soEae Ela, ,aat,s. for whom
they are ready TO perform the most reniaI
Offices. They undergo an examination
prior 10 appointment. which. however.
chiefly consists in feI.c.ng with one sword
Or two). wrestling. etc. They spend their
leisure On the diynn. diciDg. clzttering or
playing tho guitar. Nost II then are al
dicted To smoking opium. although tho
practice Is forbidden Drunkenness -
also Common The uon-cornIaisslonedo Of
fcers are trained IN q school at Kirin. brt
they are not better paid than the priva.es.
their sole privilege being u ad0rn their
hats with tfaes button; bat the ent.re
pack Of r,cDtais belonging 70 generals
establishment assume the distinction IS a
matter Of course, wherefore IL cannot %
held in high estimation Tho ammunition
consumed By the troops IL As1churia is
brought By sea from Ten tsin. but Il Il
proposed TO erect powder nils IA tito
province itself at Klrin AID Tsitsihar.
Articles IN The Chinese press which sp-
pear froEl tine TO time sii0.l ample proof
that the dangers Of Russian Aggression
are beginning to be appreciated TIN
Chinese have augmented thssr ironcIah
fcetS, are setting t5eir military inssitu-
ttrns on an seieien. footing Rnd. What Is
quite as significant. have connected pekin
with Aiguu on TIC river Amor ~ . Ina
u teiegrApb.-S:. James GAz@tts.
Hunan Labor for Oth~rx-
Mai Powell. the aoie kntrrupolog.Ft,