The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-29
CHlNA'S INEFFECTIVE ARMY
MONGOLS, CHINESE AND MIN
CHUS.
One Million Men when ON War
Footing, But Poorly Equipped and
Organized.

Footing, But Poorly Equipped and
OrGnnized.
The war news from China has created
much interest in the Chinese army, and
the reports to the effect that the boxer
rnobs cannot be suppressed have caused
many readers to wonder how and of
what material the Chinese regular army
is composed In this as in many other
things the Chinese have not kept up
with other nations, and their deficiency
was clearly demonstrated during the
Chino-Japanese war. But the warning
was not sufficiently needed, and the i'm
prov ements which have been made IN
the army since then were not sufficient
to bring the military up to the point
where it should be for the protection of
the country. Although there are two
armies. neither of these is known as the
imperial army. There is an army for
each province. This body, known as the
army of eight banners, contains nomi-
nally about three hundred thousand
men, who are descendants of the Man
chu conquerors and their allies. Of
these about eighty thousand are main
tanned on war footing, and are divided
into three groups, Mongols, Chinese and
Manchus, and form an hereditary pro-
fession within which intermarriage is
compulsory. OF these hereditary SOL
diers about four thousand are usually
stationed at Pekin as an imperial guard.
The national army is called Wing Ping.
This body is known also as the Green
Flags" and the Five Camps it being
divided into five distinct parts. This
army is sub-divided into eighteen corps,
one for each province, and is under the
immediate command of the governor
general or viceroy. The nominal
strength Of this national army is about
six hundred thousand, but of this num-
Der only about two hundred thousand
are available for war. The Tien-tsin
army corps Is the most important and
has about thirty-fve thousand men.
These have been drilled by foreign Of
ficers, and have modern arms and
equipment, and do garrison and police
duty at Tien-tsin and at Taku.
The ''mercenary troops" play an i'm
portant part in the Chinese military
system. They are raised in emergen-
cies. Then there are the Monaghan
cavalry and other irregular cavalry,
numbering about twenty thousand,
which have been described by foreign
observers as "of no military value"
The total land army on peace footing
Is estimated at three hundred thousand
men, and on war footing at about one
million; but the army as whole, &C.
cording to the same authority, has no
unity or cohesion; there is no proper
discipline; the drill is mere physical ex-
ercise; the weapons are long since obso-
lete, and there Is no transport, commits
sariat or medical service. But the vari- !,
Gus provinces spend much money for
army purposes, and maintain great ar
senals where war material in the shape
of guns and ammunition is made and
stored
The arsenal at Shanghai seems to be
out of place in connection with the an
tiaue and slipshod Chinese army This
large place is under the provisional gov
eminent Of the viceroy of Nankin, and
is full Of modern tools and machinery,
stores and material of every description.
The arsenal is in every respect we'll
eounred and perfectly furnished mod
ern institution in good order, and if or
ganized under European control, Lord
Beresford thinks, could supply war ma
terial for the whole military forces of
China. 1t was organized by Europeans,
and is now in charge of two English
men. To show what the arsenal is ca !
pable of producing. report made out
less than two years ago shows the fol-
lowing work in progress. Two 80 guns
to be mounted ON hydro pneumatic dis
appearing guns for garrison batteries;
eight slx-inch guns twelve Al guns,
twenty twelve-p FOUNDERS, twenty six
Founders and fifty ee-pounders, all
"quick-frng. All the steel for these
guns was made in the arsenal from ma
tive ore. The machinery at this arsenal
Is adequate for the manufacture Of all