The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-30


Chang-chi-Tung is in many WAYS an en-
lghtened ruler. and he has now at his
coll regular force of cavalry and ~
fantry some thousand strong. In the up
per part of the city at Wuchang they
have had built for them military bar
racks and a large military school close
by, with symnaeiumS and claSSrooms at
tached. over them have been placed
German officers. and lately some Japa-
neSe have been added to the staff of
instructors. These German officers have
b5en secured from the German Army.
and are IN receipt of annual salarI-s
from the Niceroy. and they wear
curious mixture OF German and Chinese
unitorms-blue cloth. with many dragons
embroidered on IL. Their daily round is
hard and continuous for they have to do
the work of serseants as well as that
proper 10 their rank They drill the sol
diers, both horse and foot, and instruct
them in shooting they superinteud the
gymnasttc exercises; they have military
classes on aii subjects for the officers and
cadets and, in addition they have The
duty of making plans Cor all the fortitiCa-
lions in the provinces. What struck me
as the most tiresome task of all was the
necessity of translatinE the manuals and
classbookS into Pekinese. The system in
vogue, like all German syste ms, is we'll
y,
as regards the men in training. a fair
amount of time-a year or so-is given for
carrying il out.
Whetehr the result is worth all the care
and expense involved is another matter.
saw the men at drill, and was courteously
shown something of the various depart
ments Needless to say that the appear
ance of the regiment was vastly different
from anything OF purely native brand The
Anf old
ON high days with an ancient rifle and
clothed in brilliant cotton Jacket of blue
and red or orange ana green. As rule
he IS equipped with nothing more formida-
bic than Chinese umbrella Compa red
with this soldier a rire the German trained
man is the pink of perfection He has a
neat dark blue uniform of Chinese cut
with black cap bound by black pugga-
rec that looked not unlike a snall urban.
Al drill he moves like clockwork Whet her
he would even now be good hghtng ma
chlne II is hard 10 say The German
officers complain of want of self-reliance
ana independence of character and che
grade of non-commissioned Officers has
peen done away with because the Chinese
mind could not appreciate the distinction
between commissioned and non-comnnis-
Toned. In fine. these instructors lean TO
the opinion that their men would only be
valuable as part of a mixed force with
European sufening one curious point
was mentioned. They have ii seems, an
armament composed partly of German and
partly OF Chinese made rifles. The latter
look IKE the real article; they are GER
fanny very clever reproductions in stock
ana barrel; but to use them for firing any
thing but blank ammunition wouldbe dan
gerous in the extreme. Such a farce re-
minds one of the Iorpedoes filed with coal
aust that were put down in the lower riv-
ers during the period of the ia panese war.
An fool piggin," the old Chinese pilots
said.
Some Queer MintS.
In all provincial governments there is n
provincial mint turning OUT coinage &C
ccrding to the "tael' standard of the dis
trlct' and l. I'd Charles Btre ford suggests
a uniform coinage as one of his cures for
me SICK man of the Far East When the
Mandarin gives up his "sque Ze," then
there may he uniform coinage. but NOT
before 1t is unr zee ssary to demonstrate
now rich harvest is provided for the
subordinate official by the operations of
the mint, akin to the Old clipping and de-
basing tricks of the Stuart Kings. At
Rankin, which is the city of another vice
legal administration, there was delight
tul arrangement Until recently the Nan
KIN mint was entirely in the hands of ma
uVes, and in order TO incr ase and equal
Ice the squeeze" as much as possible.
the master refused to order any improv-
ed machines, and by adhering to the old
principles Of hand laior the amount al
lowed for wages out of the provincial ex-
chequer was kept at its original figure.
For stamping the copper cash" which
i the current small coin of China. none
out the simplest appliances Were used.
The metal was put under a punch work
ed by a strap, and TO every strap there
was workman Unfortunately, in order
10 make UP the ofIic al salary 1t was
found impossible to engage more than a
quarler Of the men returned a employed
in milling 50 that when the annual In.
spection by high-pr ed Mandarin took
place it was necessary TO search out some
cf the coolies of the district in order TO
make decent show. At the exact moment
when the Mandarin entered every coolle
pulled his $ rap, and all the copper was
instantaneously stamped. To look at the
output would have been beneath the dig
MY of the inspector, 50 he went away
happy, the pay was drawn. and it was
only the con that suffered from being
punch in so many uraccustomed spots
There IS now an English as. aver as "boss'
and this gentleman has to be on his guard
against the perverted Ingenuity with
which the ccins are lighttned and adulter-
ated. AS with Nankn, so with other pro,
vincial exchequers. The coinage of China
is magnificent rerquise of the Manda-
rims, against the loss of which they would
struggle with far greater obstinacy than
against the loss of the dynasty.
Obstacles to Reforms.
Granted that the provincial officials keep
in their own hands army, navy and coin
age subject 10 the payment of tribute TO
Pekin, and the possibility of removal 50
soon as they are no longer a BILE to bride
their partisans at the palace. it is at once
apparent how fatuous are the schemes for
the reform of China based upon the soy
ereignty Of the Manchu and the SIX
Boards, when provincial rights and priv
leSes are in question The principal of
home rule is consecrated by long 0ges OF
Chinese administration. II is bone Of the
bone of Chinese government, and all pro-
jects to the opening up Of the empire must
proceed on separatist lines. There is not
a single man of experience or authority,
be he consul, missionary or trader that
has come into actual contact with the
Chinese outside the treaty ports where
the comprador, or Chinese agent. is ell in
all. who believes in the possibility OF re-
forming China by way Of Pekiu or by Chi
nese machinery. Edicts may be issued
and punshments inflicted for non-compl-
anCe, but the bureaucracy Of the manda-
rims has its own way OF meeting them by
carrying out the time-honOred ma kim
that the secret Of all government Is in
a1tfcn Chanp-ght-Tunp ,ftap boon