Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-20

ccrding to European ideas, that l found in
China: and for this reason l have entered
thoroughly into its equipment and eff
cheney.
Armies Near Pekin.
When 1 was in Pekin there were the fol-
lowing armies in the neighborhood:
Gen. Sung. who is reputed to be very
able man, but is now eighty years old, and
has an army supposed to be 10000 strong.
scattered all along the coast about Kin
chow. AS a matter of fact, / could not
make out that there were more than 10000
men-5,O00 at kinchow, 5000 at Chung-ho-
and 1000 at ShanhGikwan.
They are well armed with Mauser rifles
and have krupp artillery and Maxims.
Some of these men have been drilled by
German officers.
At Lutai there were thirty camps under
Gen. Soon Ching. A camp is square fort
supposed to accommodate 800 men. They
however, rarely contained more than 2'o
men, owing to the system that / have de-
scribed. OF the 1J.O0O men said to be here
there are only between 1000 and 5000. Col
Warranoff belonging to the HuSsars of
the Russian Guard and some Russian Of
fccrs Were there. They had superseded
five German officers in March, 1898. who
had been instructing the men. There is no
men.
l met one of these German officers. whose
name was Schaller. l also met Col. War
ranoff
oESc.
There We're about 10000 Kansuh troops.
under Gen. Tung Flu Ch&n-mos;ly Moham-
medans-encamped a short distance from
Pekin. They We're most disordcrly and
undiscipined rabble, badly armed and uu-
| drilled. but good fighters. They had been
ordered from the west. where they had
been subduing rebellion, to Pekin. While
| was there they assaulted and nearly
killed two British engineers who were
n tai Ilsn
broke windows of the railway station and
damaged some boilers and stores. Their
presence was deemed dangerous to the
foreigners that the foreign minister de-
maEded their withdrawal.
Between Hsiao Chan ard Tien Tsin Gen.
Mich had some thirty camps. containing
about 13,000 men. Some of these men had
been well drilled by German officers. They
well armed with Mauscr rifles artil-
lery of mixed caliber and Maxms but
their discipline is very lax. There were
five Russian instructors there. / asked for
permission TO visit these camps. but the
Chinese officials threw every obstacle in nv
way.
There is also a Pekin field force. comman-
ced from the palace. of especially picked
men-10.om strong. They are auartered in
the hunting park in Pckin. They are well
armed. but indiffercntly drilled.
Cavalry and Mnnchurian Forces.
There was cavalry camp at kaiping
the supposed strength of which was $40
men. Three Russian officers have super
seeded the German officer who was drilling
these men. They are extremely short of
horses.
1t Is reported that there is large army
scattered about in Manchuria Though
fairly armed they undrilled and url-
disciplined The number of this army is
variouSly estimated at between 5000 and
lJ,GI0 men. The name of the general COM
manding is Yi-Ke-Tong.
Besides the armies that l have enumor-
ated there are in Mongolia about 10000
Monaghan cavalry. They are excellent
men and ruled by their own princes under
a system of feudal tenure. They are not
paid. l was informed that they are de-
voted to the present dynasty.
With the exception of Yuan Shi Kai's
army, ali these armies above referred to
have little or no firing practice and none of
them have any organization whatever for
transport 1t seems incredible, but some OF
the soldiers are still practiced in shooting
with bows and arrows al target. When
at Pekin l saw them practicing in open
space near the observatory. Hitting the
target is detail of minor Importance; the
real merit consists in the position or at;i-
tude of the bowman when dischargilg his
shaft.
Troops With Modern Arms.
I witnessed a review of the garrison of
Wuchang. There We're about 400 men and
a battery of six guns. About 200 OF these
men were very well drilled, smart and well
dressed. They were well armed with the
newest German pattern Mauser rifle The
others had not been drilled, and 1 was told
had only been enlisted. The guns were
drawn by men and not horses. These were
80 centimeter Krupp guns. The ammun:-
ton was carried by the gums crew. The
cavalry are quite inefficient in their present
condition. The viceroy has about 5000
troops scattered over his provinces, but
~. fGa CHI rtar he. nrli-
nary Chinese Observation-Disclosures, but
fairly armed. Besides this. there sup
posed to be 1O.OOO Manchu troops about
5000 miles away, between the Tung Ting
lake and Ichang. They are under the COM
mand of general named Ching Heng.
They are undisciplined and very badly
armed
His excellency, the Viceroy Liu Kwen VI.
is supposed to have 10000 troops under his
command. l about $500 of them.
They Were fine body of men. many of
them of splendid physique. The majority
of them were Human men: The infantry
We're armed with three different kinds of
rifles. this being observable even in the
companies. of the 10000 men 10000 would
be required to garrison the forts on the
river. The men We're well clothed and ap-
parently well fed. but not well drilled or
disciplined
AT kiangzin there is a garrison of 1900
men under General Ii. which comprises two
six-gun batteries Of artillery and two squad
rons of cavalry. l saw these men on parade
as well as maneuEerlHS over a country.
They were a fine lot of men, well turned
out and well drilled. They had been drilled
by German officers, who had left
COOIie Soldiers.
Ills excellency. the Viceroy Hsu Wing
Kwei. is supposed to have an army of 5000
men; but these men cannot be called SOL
diers at all. They are mostly coolies wear
ing the military badge before and behind.
His eXcellency is commencing, however to
drill some troops, and has enlisted some
fine men. l saw 80 of them. They
were in the early stages of learning their
drill.
There is a small Manchu garrison at
Hangchow.
His excellency, the Viceroy of Canton, is
supposed to have an army of 10000 men
under his command.
Most of these undrilled and undis-
ciplined, and many of them unarmed.
Those that l saw were the ordinary Chi
nese coolies.
There are some men in the forts very well
turned out, disciplined and drilled.
There Is also a Manchu garrison at Can
ton of about 5000 men. They live in their
private houses. and are undrilled and uAdis-
ciplined. All these troops were very badly