San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-01-11
The CHINESE APMY.
Theoretically 1t Is Million Men-HistSry
and ORGANIZATION,


civil administration, and that the emperor
controls forces of nearly 600, coo armed men
only to large degree the arms are out of
date and the men unframed. Although events
! have compelled the authorities TO show greater
| activity and TO increase the number of troops
! by the formation of fresh corps, such as Lii
| Hung Changes trained regiments and the gar
risen in Manchuria and Central Asia, the di-
vision. of the army remains unchanged, and
goes back to the date of the Manchu conquest,
| when il became necessary to organize the
permanent forces of the empire. They were
| then divided into three separate bodies, com
posed of the races to which they belonged
Manchu, Mongol and Chinese. The Manchus
number 61S companies of 100 men each, or
nearly 10000 fighting men. The Mongols
furnish about $4,000 men; and the two COM
bined give what has been generally called the
Tartar army. The Chinese or Green Flag
army numbers between 100000 and 700, 600
men, but no attempt has yet been made to
organize this force for modern war. China
is strong III numbers, even with respect to
her army, which has always been delegated
to an inferior position in her community,
prding itself on the pre-eminence of the edu-
Gated civilian, but she is lamentably deficient
in organization.
OF late years strenuous efforts have been
made to render efficient those portions of the
Chinese army which are intrusted with
duties that are considered of exceptional i'm
portance. The army of Ii Hung Chang, gar
risoning the metropolitan province of Pc
chihli, has for twenty years been subjected to
a stricter discipline than the rest, caused as
much by Lis experience of war, gained
in,
with Gen Gordon, as by the desire to save
the capital. This force, known as the model
corps, or Black Flag army, numbers about
$4,000 men, and is intrusted with the special
duty of garrisoning Port Arthur, the forts at
Taku ard on the Peiho and Tientsin. If
China possesses such a thing as an efficient
corps d'armee, it is to be found in this force,
which is mainly recruited from the Chinese
population. The men are well armed and
there are many foreign instructors, among
whom Germans are the most numerous The
late Cen PrievalSky was very skeptical of
the military vaIue of even this force, but |
other and equally competent critics entertain |
no doubt that it is fairly efficient body of |
troops, and that the work to be done-name- |
ly, the defense of florists peculiarly suited |
to them.
exclusively of the Tartar or Banner army
The Picking field force is always commanded
by Manchu of high rank, and latterly was
under the personal orders of Prince Chun
himself. The organization of this force is
backward, and only feeble attempts have
been made to bring up its armament to the
eXigenCes of modern war. On the other
hand, the raw material is the best in China
l. Of ~ Of |
Mongol Banners, men of fine physique. who,
unlike the Chinese, believe that the sword is
better than the pen, and that courage is su
perior to chicane. If their training were
taken seriously in hand China would possess
in her northern province an army which
could safeguard Picking against any con
ceivable invasion. Greater progress has been
made with regard TO the Tartar army gar.
risoning the all-important province Of Man,
churia. Twenty years ago the garrison Of |
that part of the empire consisted of the tribal
levies, armed with bows and arrows and
spears. A fintlock appeared an engine of
destruction. Today there are nearly 100000
Bannermen on the rolls in Maachuria alone,
and of these it is stated that one-thlrd are
armed with Winchester and other rifles, and
are performing garrison duties at Moukden,
Kirin and on the UsSuri. 1t Is not cOntended
that these troops are yet as carefully trained
as the model corps of Ii, but they probably
possess superior fighting qualities
Leaving a wide margin for eXaggcration.
there is the important fact that China now
has one strong army to defend her capital
against attack from the sea- and another to
oppose any assault by land from the Amour
and Russian Mamchuria. This really means
a complete revolution in the military position
of China.
Prince Wang considers that the system Of
military competitive examinations should be
wholly altered. The present dynasty owes
its existence to the practice of archery. but
the conditions of warfare have greatly alter
ed, and in place of tue bow and arrow we
have the iron sword and the terrible cannon
so that reliance can no longer be placed upon
weapons. In western countries,
says Wang, every man from the prince down
to the humblest person learns the art of using
firearms; and even foreigners in China prac.
tee rife shooting periodically. In this man
ner they become skilled marksmen and for
mdable soldiers He recommends. therefore.
that in the military examinations, in add
ton to the practice with the bow and arrow,
lifting stones and other heavy weights, the
be required to shoot at a target
with a rife, and that great honor be bestow-
ed upon the best marksman. The successful
should then be appointed to teach
rifle shooting to townspeople and others in
the neghbOrhOOd of his home so that all the
people may eventually understand the ac-
curate use of firearms and he proposes that a
decree should be issued that promotion in the
army should i'll future depend on the skilled
use Of tirearms.-London Times
They Triad on tho nnu