The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-19
CHINA'S FIGHTING MEN,.
Tho Uniform OF Kang-Hi's Soldiers
Is q Cross Between Chinese
and European.
The Black Flag Army Looked to to
Defend Pekin in Times
Of Danger.
The Emperor Has Three Hundred Theus-
and Soldiers and the Force Could
he Increased to = Million.

he Increased to = Million.
If the great Emperor Kang-hi could com
back from his sleep of a century and q hal
in the marble tomb Of his imperial father
he would find startling changes in the arm
of his country. When, in lilo, Kang-hi
undertook the reorganization Of the crud
militia Of that day, he little imagined thai
his successors would command srmie
trained in barbarian tactics, by BARBARA,
officers and armed with the latest styles Q
desth-dealing weapons made by barbarian
for the benevolent purpose Of preserving
peace by making war unpleasant for thos
who Engage in it, and expensive for thos
who contribute to the pension fund.
The Chinese army to-day presents a Draw
appearance says the New York Recorder
Tho uniform, recently bought by the Chin
csc government, ia \ compromiss between
the Monaghan and the European form o
dress. The blouse and the wooden solet
shoes, the saucepan hats and the flowing
skirts, which flap against the trousers OF
the officers, are distinotively Chinese, SC
ara the ragged jib-shaped flags. The zouave
trousers, leggins, and belted jackets. how
over, arc European. The new costume has
its advantages whatever may have been the
prejudice on the part of the warriors at tho
time Of its adoption. A soldier can run
away in IL much more easier than he could
in the tapping loose costume that was
formerly worn.
The Tapping rebellion in 1866 was the di-
rect cause of the great improvements which
have been made in Chinese military affairs,
The great army of Gen. CHINESE Gordon
was disbanded in June of that year when
war made way for peace. Lii Hung Chang,
vicsroy Of the Two Kiana, recruited many
of these veterans in his own army. This
formed the nucleus for the present armed
be. In 1870 the viceroy was promoted to
the metropolitan district OF Petchill, where
he succeeded the famous Tseng Kwofan.
Since then he has devoted most of his time
and talents to the Advancement of military
science among the native soldiery. The
provincial garrison OF the former gen era
ton has been converted into an efficient
army, equipped and ofioered in accordance
with modern requirements.
The central army il intrusted with the
defense Of the principal approaches to the
CITY of Pekin, and upon its efficiency the
fate Of the empire may depend. II is
called the Black Flag army of Ii Hung
Chang. II would be Interesting to note the
trial of this force in actual warfare. 1t
has up to the present time been engaged
only in drills and skirmishes, garrison and
road duty. That it should be able to fight
and fight we'll, too-is u%ndisputed. 1t is
admirably drilled n e1cellently uni
ever, how bravely and wisely these gifts
would be used ON the battlefield.
A British military writer who has had ex-
ceptional advantages for observation says
that the Black Flag is q regular army of the
same class az that possessed by any of the
great powers.
Another section of the new army is the
hfanchuria garrison. It has two divisions,
one OF which has its headquarters in Monk
den and tho other in Tsitshar. Both
branches are under the direct command of
the newly formed viceroy of Nanchuria.
guards the Russian and Corean frontiers.
But the safety of China from Russian in
vasion or Corean insurrection does mot de-
pend entirely Upon this M~anchurian corps.
The Mongol tribes and Manchu Banner
men would be conscripted and the army
would be largely increased, as also would
its fighting ability.
The fourth and last division Of the army
is the New Dominion corps. This body
looks after the Central Asia possessions.
AND contains about 10000 mon and
officers. The total number of men con-
stantly under arms is a little over 200, 600.
This can be increased to nearly a million in
case of a foreign invasion. In spite of this
vast army, and in spite of the new equip
nents and the modern instruction, the Chi
nese army would mako = sorry show CON-
pared with one of the great armies of one
of the great powers. Col. Poutiatx, who is
the Russian military attache in Pskin, says
Ak>k <1@ - h. - -. - |
efficient as the foreign public had been led
to believe that it was. The foreign instruc-
tion within the past two or three years has
been dispensed with, the modern guns have
been neglected and allowed to fall into bad
condition, and, worse than all, the great
Krupp gums have become almost wholly
useless. The garrison of Manohoria could
not successfully oppose the onslaueht of the
army of a great power.
This is what an English writer of rspute.
and a Russian military observer, says about
the present. condition of the Chinese army.
During the progress Of the late war between
China and France a German officer of high
rank, who, by permission Of the kaiser, took
service with the celestial emperor for the
purpose of instructlng the officers of the
Grmy in their duties, make q different esti-
mate, which may be nearer this truth than
that OF Col. Poutiata. The German officer
saw with his own eyes what the secretiye ad-
VI oAC pAVnOAb GAHULOE kQHlUb |
with jealous care from the eyes Of the bar
barian world.
He places the entire number of soldisry,
exclusive OF the reserves, at 300, 900 men,
and ut the time that he made his obserya-
lions the tendency was toward greater eff
cieEcy both in instruction, enlistment, drill
and equipment.
There are good reasons why China's army
10 not az good as it should be.
Ihs emperor of China has no personal
relationship with his army. He regards il
as an inferior branch of his service, which
goes to show how little his Celestial high
rniRhtiness really knows about the king
business as carried on by the advanced ma
tions of the barbarian west.
At the time of the Tapping rebellion the
soldier was a military and OWL Poo Bah.
He lived In a section of the garrison town
where he WAS stationed with his wife and
family. A house was assigned to him by
the government which he served for less
than two cents a day. Here he had q
and by industriously tilling the soil
he managed to live. Some times he in
his profession of arms az other and
more fortunate men come into wealth. His
wooden shoes and baggy blouse, |
his fintlock mugket, his sword or spear, as
tho ego might have bean, descended to him
with the house, the garden patch
and his place on the army payroll. He