The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-25

that their navies. in which respect China
is conspicuously weak, would be Of little
or no account except for transportation.
They could, indeed. lombard a few coast
cities. but the swarming millions of China
do not live in coast cities. The helpless
ness Of a powerful navy in a land war con-
Quoted in the interior of an enemy's coun-
try is shown in the present British-Boer
war. China has already the nucleus of an
efficient army. What is called the Army of
the Eight Banners, the regular army. is
said TO nave an effective strength of about
100, 900, armed for the most part with mod
ern weapons and trained in European tao
tics. Recent dispatches have spoken of
these troops as being armed with Mauser
rifles. and in the recent bombardment OF
Tien-Tsin they used Krupp guns. 1t APP
pears also that either the Boxers" or the
regulars were able to repulse an attacking
force of Russians and United States ma
Ter, and there is reason to fear they have
cut off and perhaps massacred the COM
bined relief expedition which started for
Peking some time ago under the command
of Admiral Seymour. In addition to this
well-armed force of 100000 men there is a
rational or provincial army of the nomi-
nal strength Of 54O,O 900 men. bat these are
almost without military instruction and
are insufficiently armed and devoid of mill
tary spirit. The dispatch announcing the
ranuIse IF the attamnt to ralieye Tian-Tsin
says: "Hordes of Chinese with well
posted artillery blocked the way of the
American and Russian forces" and it also
said "The guns of the allies could make
10 impression and it was found impossible
TO shift the enemy's position" So it APP
pears that the Chinese know how to post
and use artillery, and hat they can and
will fight when attacked on their own soil.
How well and how long they will fight is
another question. An important factor in
the case is their lack of patriotism and ma
tional homogeneousness. In this respect
they are undoubtedly weaker thar most
great nations, but under the stress of re-
ligious fanaticism and a war for self
preservation this akn might be
measurably overcome. Even now it may
not be as great as Europeans imagine. Ar
English historian says: Dynasty has sue
ceeded dynasty, but the political tradition
has remained unchanged. and though Mon
gols and Manchoos have at different times
wrested the throne from it's legitimate
heirs, they have been engulfed in the
homogeneous mass %inhabiting the empire
and instead of impressing their seal on the
country have become but the reflection of
the vanquished." A people that absorbs
and assimilates its conquerors cannot be
entirely lacking in homogenousness. Chi
nese patriotism is not American or British
patriotism. but there may be a latent quality
in the Chinese people which Europeans do
not suspect and which circumstances would
develop. 1t should be remembered the high
British official above quoted said: "No Eu-
ropean really knows anything about
China" In previous wars with both Eng
land and France the Chinese nave fought
bravely. and. though worsted. they made
British and French victories costly. OF the
war with England in 1902 an English his
torian says: THE Chinese in most cases
evinced a bravery which showed how mis-
taken were the views which regarded the
subsection of this extraordinary people as
an easy task" As the military resources
of the country and the spirit of the people
are greater now than they were then, it is
fair to conclude that a war with China will
prove a serious matter.