The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-26
THE ARMY OF CHINA.
s.rsugest Military 0rganiza-
ton in the World.
sorTEN FROM SKIN TO CORE.
~ Empire Governed as Tammany
raiss New Tork-The Great Chang
Chitang. Liza Rival.
sryrlsA.sd. 1874. b. Frank G. csrpeassr.)

| ..exs.ary. throw something ike 81. 60
/ .-.saef soldiers into the field. Their army
| /. shoroughgy organized and it has been
| = "a after the best methods OF Europe.
| wa.u / visited Japan six years ago I
4 ..nsd German officers in charge of all its
s,ssehes aud my interview wlth the mln-
x..r of var was carried on IN the German
s.araags He was q japanese wno had
A&>n educated in Germany, and who could
| - sneak English. The japanese are
.sssea Of fighters. They have all the
| xe.ekness ard bravery Of the French,
earned By years Of training TO the dlscip-
sae Of the Germans. / have seen their
tsvslry and infantry In review again and
sxssn during the present summer. Their
essgps are sElendidly equipped and they
Asse arsenals aud navy yards Of the most
moasrn methods. about which sili write
| ID the future.
Today I want to tell you something
.bcat the army Of China. 1t il almost inn
psssbls for one who has not been on the
resnd to appreciate It's condition. 1t Is
| smixtare Of the old and new. of the weak
saa the strong. have made some study
4 il In half dozen different states. and
have some inside information which
L a
moss wonderful military tumble on the
sses Of the globe, and yoa have 10 know
sSmsshing of the Chinese government to
ssdsrsland It and the present situation.
xoTTEy From sKIs TO CORE.
The Chinese government Is rotten from
ssIn 10 core. The people OF China are one
| Il the strongest in the world. They can
aoanyihing. and / believe in the future
thsy will reyolutionixe the world. They
rs bound down today with as bad a gov
samsnl IS ever pretended to rule. The
. shoers OF China are almost universally
| esfrupt, and stealing 10 considered part
| 1t their legitimate pay. This Is true Of the
/ pzAeeFs Of the army as well rs of those Of
faEsl rank. Tney systematically cheat the
| sesdlers under them and present false &C
1 eaunts 90 the emperor and ministers of
| sr At Shanghai / saw a barracks
| which vas supposed to contain 900 troops.
| The officer In charge OF Ii drew rations
| aad pay for this number, but there were
really only 400 soldiers in the garrison and
as vas pocketing the balance. His salary
| ass something like 81, 600 or 81 500 q
rear. but he spent so. Coo. and 1 was told
nat seventy of his understrappers and re-
aners sat down every day a. his table.
| He received 81 per month for ths pay Of
4
| month for the hundred men who had no
uisssnce. but were represented by fic-
Tssons names on his pay rolls. As TO the
~ soldiers remaining | was told that he
aasd them only 81 per month each,
ad In this way he made 500 per
nenth more. In addition 10 this he
| Egeezed on their rations. lie blinded
he eyes OF the government by
anbing the censors who are sent out a. I'M
Fectors, or he could hire an extra hundred
nsn 10 All up his quota at the time that
l he inspectors arrive. This man squeezes
| il under officers, but they protect him be-
asse be allows them 10 take a percentage
4 the pay of the men below them. and
de result is that the prlvAtes get little
nore than will keep them alive. Instead
4 having $50 wsii-satisfied and. for China,
sssl-pAid men, he has 400 who are dtscon-
| satrd and half starved. This sort of
sAlng IL going on all over China. and one
q The greatest dangers TO the country
eanes Of the discomfort OF the soldiers.
$4,000 ToR An oFFIcK
The government itself expects the off,
esEs TO squeeze aud extort. Ii pays low
slaries and the officers are expected TO
| sagsrtain like princes. Take the tautoi of
| sAanghaL His salary Is not more than
iAat of one of our government clerks. but
b paid 1850. 900 this summer TO one of the
chef sunnchs of the palace for his iniiu-
saee with the empress dowager In get
Ang bin position. with the understand
| ~ that be should have Ii for three years,
| At east There IN no doubt in my mind
bat that the old dowager herself got q slice
81 she money. This Office 10 worth about
| tzA0o year in squcefes aud steailngs.
aaa as the taatoi will receive something
ne $4,000 during his term he can afford
A. a4N sssN a. q A 4. -
| ZEE eanach who got the money was III Use
sAa Ii. lie combs the empress dowa-
| 81 hair and is her confidential servant
| NO adviser. Al the kiagnan arsenal |
earned something Of how orders for guns
aad SHIPS are made aud how these Chinese
ezeials are making money cut OF the
| present. VI ar. They order the ships through
Afeign agents at Shanghai and insist that
Ter shagl have from 5 TO t0 per cent. of
ae amount Of each order. Many OF these
| sfasrs run into the millions and you viii
| We Vat their PROFITS are large. They are
| 'ssy particular as 90 the foreigners making
~ money Gus of the business and inssst
saas their profit shall not be more than 5
| u cent on the list price OF the articles.
~ ihis basis the foreigner would not make
aafshlng for bis work. as he has TO pay at
.sAat per eeaL 60 the official who gives
~ Inc order. There is usually coglu-
zee between the foreigner and the manu-
ssssaFeF by which the foreigner gets big
| sEeentage aud the Chinaman pays an ex-
- price for the article.
SQUEEZING KyKRTwnxsK.
4as squeezing goes on everywhere. both
Iasaa aad Korea. The officers Of the
sa'nsss navy expect To make money cut
sAsir sdilors. The Off eiRls in charge Of
@s saAFosds squeeze the men under them
~ sFeFy Chinese servant squeeEss his
@Assh one Of the greatest OF the official
'iseeFes Is in salt Thi. is a government
@eheRoly. and its sale is fsrmed cut 20
- Highest bidders The safe Of the salt
- district is worth hundreds 81 thou
@@aA 81 dollars, and foreigners arc net
sesmisis9 "a handle t. There are salt asa-
es Al which sur plies are stored and
| = aAilye c8stoms officers gst their per
Use on tie sat as IL passes from one
| s.fAet - the other. In the collection OF
/ sFa Tor Use government the officers faAe
4 - see2ethlug from every collection tor
| -sasesves, and il Gilman has large
] e@at 81 money. blsekmaa Is sure 10 be
4 49, epon AgD ia some Nay or other ~
| Shesais. St3A. China, wlth al this,
=. - aeeoi TIE lowest taxes in the world.
/ - : Il op4y because the taxes are loM
| aae S0vernment can retain ia hosd
1 - Toe People. II they should n@
s.sa.y Increased by this war reeeilens
/ - sfFlns 81 IN many Of tie states. and
| - - Naahese emperor -. - FACT. ia mere
| ssg from tie pvopse within TIE ena-
~ NAN tfom the japanese outside 81 u.
NAsNEsE vtgxSoxs ANB TmxgR ASaTxs
N-sha Is strange combination q aes-
sess monarchy and government Of she
e II : IS much . confederation OF
s-Asss - il Is a nagion. and tie esghteea
4 sssaaees snto which .t 10 divided each has
: ss'sFaoF, Sao - appointed by he s'al.