The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-09-03
THE PECULIAR
CHINESE ARMY,

@eS~, a. H. -. saftuuitn. late uiil~
tary attache with the Chinese atmy.
says that In many respects the Celestial
army presents curious exampls OF the
unnttest. In it's broad outlines t.c
scheme is simple and suited 10 the eonn-
try, but with the characteristic love ~
detail OF the Mongol I'm it's minut o it 10.
exceedingly complex. Every province
has its separate army"
The writer gives an interesting ac-
count OF these forces. and proceeding
to general remarks. says:
Much OF the utter inefficiency OF Chi
mas army Is explained by the native
saying, DO not use good steel to MAKE
nail nor take a good man TO make
soldier" which is most thoroughly act
ed up 10.
On almost every occasion in 1885
the Chinese troops refused to stand up
TO the despised Japanese Small won
DER when OF the hundreds OF thousands
who since 1852 have been drilled" with
foreign weapons not one in $4,000 has
been taught their proper use Musketry
and artillery practice is limited general
iy TO handling the weapons. and in
struction In the use of rifles and field
guns Is not thought necessary. Nay. 1t
is opposed.
In January. 1895. several thousand
men had been collected at Shanhai-
kuan, under General Wu-ta-cheng. to
re-enforce the army in Manchuria. New
rifles and field guns had been served
out, and the force was to move early in
February, yet on Jan. 20 the men fired
their rifles for the first time, and barely
per cent OF hits on a target 200 yards
distant ensued. AS for the guns. not .
soul knew how TO load them or set q
fuse. and when at length one was fired
with the aid of the foreigners present
the ammunition was so defective that.
although the gun was laid for 5000
yards, the shell only travelled $50. Yet
these men were sent north to fight at
Tien-chuang-tia without further traia-
ing, instruction by a foreigner having
been haughtily refused.
To be a soldier Is to lose caste in Chi
ma; to imbibe foreign notions Is worse
still and incurs the hatred and suspi-
cion OF the civilians. who In reality Cow
ern the army and navy, so much so that
to be graduate Of the foreign schools
is an almost certain bar to promotion.
In the military and other schools es-
tablished by Sir Robert Hart and the
viceroys at Peking and elsewhere the
students have to be bribed to attend.
so as to compensate them for the social
OF foreign. education. If
We add to this the natural contempt
for foreigners ingrained In the Chinese
nature, we have potent causes for the
willful laziness AMI ignorance OF ofY7-
GERS which are truly appalling. Alas.
that they should add cowardice as well!
A general near there. being ordered
to keep sharp lookout for the Japa.
nese. whose landing was hourly expect
ed. did so by asking the railway station
master to send two coolies to the coast
to look for the enemyi His was the plan
of arming his men with bags Of pepper
to be thrown in the faces of the Japa-
nese. who. while engaged in sneexir1g.
would all be slain by the Chinese spear
men!
1t seems libel on the human race to
say that out OF q manhood OF 300. 0.000.O00
OF Chinese body Of good soldiers cam
not be made, and, with the example of
the army which has been evolved from
the Egyptian feilaheen, 1t may ce pre-.
mature to call 1t impossible. Put China
herself cannot do 1t. The very best hu-
man material and the most elaborate
instruction would be wasted under the
existing native official. who steadily re-
sists all reform in his maladministra- 3
ton. Nevertheless the docile soldiers
Ind sailors of China have never yet had
4 chance of showing under proper man-
agement what are their real capabili-
lies. Should they under European tp-
telage ever prove themselves in any
to be Of real military value the
yellow terror" may not be a mere fig-
nent OF the superheated brain.