The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-10-12
CHINA AND her ARMY.
To BE a Soldier In That Country IL
to Re Regarded with Suspt-
cion-Poor Mnrksmen.

Mai. A. E. J. Cavendish, First Argyll
and Sutherland Highlanders, \. A. A.
g.. Dublin district Gate military at
tache with the Chinese army, writing
in the Journal of the United States
Service Institution Qondon), says that
in many respects the army of China pre-
sents a curious example of the survival
of the unfttest. In the broad outline
its scheme is simple and suited to the
country; nevertheless, with the char
acterstic love of detail, in its minutiae
it is exceedingly complex. Owing to al
equally characteristic want of exacti-
tude, although returns, as rendered by
separate accountants, are often beauh-
fully worked out to the thousandth
part of tael, yet in combination of
these returns nothing balances. For
members OF parliament who cavil at in
tricacies of the British estimates can
imagine no worse punishment in the
future life than to be set by Satan to
unravel the mysteries of the Chinese
military budget. Every province has
it's separate army" for which the vice.
TOY or governor is responsible, and the
IA OF these consist of Tartar and Chi
nese soldiers, in certain fixed proper
tons. Any deficiencies in the military
budgets of the poorer provinces are met
by contributions from the central prov
inces, the ''belly of China" Grouping
all these ''armies" together, the troops
fall into four categories, namely:
First, Tartar soldiers, or bannermen;
second, green regiments or Chinese ter
ritorial force; third, fighting braves;
fourth, disciplined troops.
The writer gives an interesting ac-
count of these forces, and, proceeding
to general remarks, says: Much OF
the utter inetficiency of China's army is
explained by the native saying: DO not
use good steel to make nail, nor take
good man to make soldier which is
most thoroughly acted up to. The ABB
sence of nerves and the animal ferocity
of the Chinaman admirably adapted
him for the deliberate determination
which characterizes the suppression of
revolt, but in real courage, the abne-
cation of self ader danger, he is Woe
fully deficient; he will do much for
pay; he will fight when his rage is
aroused, but his passion, violent as ty-
phoon, ns quickly passes away.*
On almost every occasion in 1S04-95 the
Chinese troops refused to stand up to
the despised japanese. Small wonder!
when of the hundreds of thousands
who since 1862 have been drilled with
foreign weapons not one in 10000 has
been taught their proper use. Musket-
ry and artillery practice is limited gen.
orally to handling the weapon, and in
struction in the use of rifles and field
guns is not thought necessary, nay, it
is opposed. In January, 1895, several
thousands of men had collected at Shan
hai-Kuan, under Gen. Wu-tu-cheng, to
reinforce the army in Manchuria; new
rifles and field guns had been served
out, and the force was to move early in
February; yet on January 20 the men
fired their rifles for the first time, and
barely one per cent. of hits on target
200 yards distant ensued. AS for the
guns, not a soul knew how to load them
or set a fuse, and when at length one
was fred with the aid of the foreigners
present the ammunition was so defect
i've that, although the gun was laid for
300 yards, the shell only Travelled $50
yards. Yet these men were sent north
at Tien-chuang-tai, without further
training, instruction by foreigner hav-
Ing been haughtily refused" st.
Toric r,,11;o