Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-04-05
cHlNRs COAST DEFENcEs.
A Scheme to Place Them Under the Customs
Department Black Flags.

100000
of the men who have attempted to put
efficiency into the Chinese army is to
place the coast defence under control CT
the customs department and to make sir
Robert Hart responsible for it. This Is
probably device of Mr.. Detring. who for
years served in the customs department at
Tien Tsin. but who last year was made
foreign adviser to the viceroy of Pechili,
and who recently returned from Japan,
where he had gone as peace envoy from
Viceroy Lii.
Mr.. Detring for years had almost daily
proof of the wonderful workings of the
imperial Chinese customs service 1t is
the only department of the public servio
in China which is not honeycombed with
fraud, and the only one which is carried
on on strictly business principles. Doubt
less he has conceived the idea that if the
coast defence, which is now nominally in
charge of Gen. Won Hannneken, were
placed under Sir Roberts control, the
world would see in few weeks the same
honesty and efficiency in this department
as in the customs.
Mr.. Detring is civilian, and despite
his knowledge of Chinese character and
methods, ho has gone wholly astray in
this scheme. He has ignored the fact that
the head of the customs department has
never had any military training, and
that therefore it would be impossible for
him to enforce discipline and to exact SER
vice. He knows every branch of the Gus
toms down to the minutest detail and the
Chinese government for over 40 years has
given him free hand.
The fact that he has had entire charge
of this department explains its efficiency.
No medding or corrupt mandarin has
been able to interfere. Hart is man of
great executive force and the customs
service has been his pride. He is rigidly
honest and he has promptly thrown out
any subordinatcs who tried to introduce
Chinese methods
With the single exception of Chinese
Gordon he is the only foreigner who has
been trusted implicitly by the Pekin au-
thorities. Gordon would not accept
office under the government until he was
assured of absolute authority, and his
success was due to this freedom from in
trigue and corruption. The moment
Gordon found that Lii Hung Chang had
violated his own promises given to the
TAPPING leaders who surrendered he re-
signed. Hart has never had his authority
questioned in any way, but ii he accepts
this new responsibility he will be sure to
come to grief.
What amazes anyone who watches the
methods of the Chinese government is
that the viceroy and others should not see
the necessity of placing the army in COM
mand of foreigner, and of encouraging
European adventures to take service I'M
der the dragon flag. The better class of
Chinese who form the rank and file of
Niceroy Lis army make good soldiers,
and equally efficient men could be en-
listed in other provinces.
Gordon's experience shows how the
Chinese private soldier will fight when he
has confidence in his commander There
are scores of men of first class ability in
England and on the Continent who would
accept positions in the Chinese army if
liberal pay and ample authority were
given them. What such men did in the
RussoTurkish war is shown by the work
of William V. Herbert, 1.-THE Defence of
Plevna 1877; written by one who took
part in it. "
The old anti-foreign sentiment prevented
China from recognizing her army in this
way, but the crushing losses she has sus-
tanned at the hands of the japanese and
her great humiliation will no doubt lead
to a change of method. If she ever does
consent to learn European methods of
warfare from skilful army officers, she
will become one Of the formidable powers
of the world. Then will be seen that
awakening which the Marquis Tacng pre-
dicted would shake the world.
Meanwhile the Pekip authorities are
not idle, for it is just announced hore
that a prominent Pekin official, by com
maud Of the Emperor, has sent dispatch
to Liu Ming Chuen, the old Black Flag
leader ordering him to go to the capital
as soon as possible. This is the imperial
response to the petition which Liu re-
Gently sent to the Tsung Ii Yamon, urg-
ing that he be allowed to rc-enlist regi-
ments of his old veterans, now in Tonkin
an Kwang tung for the defence of For
mosa and for the protection of Pekin.
There is no question of the executive force
of the Black Flag leader, but the time
has gone by for the recognizing Of the
Chinese army. Liu has been in Formosa
ever since the outbreak OF the war, and he
has sent memorial after memorial to the
throne, but in every case except the last
his appeals have been pigeon holed by
mandarins and governors. What Liu
could have done last fall was to organize
several companies Of these veterans of the
Franco Chinese war, who would have
given the Japs all the fight they wanted.
Now he could not possibly get a force to-
gether in less than two months With
any energy Marshal Oyawa should be in
possession of Pekin by the first of May, if