The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-07
SHALL WE WIN /?

ture OF the imperial Government and the
enormous and almost Independent power of
the viceroys the military system is TX
ceedingly complicated and of a nature TO
defy description on a brief scale.
fairly clear idea of it, however. Is given
by writer in the London Chronicle"
According to him each province of the En-
pirc has separate force at the disposal OF
its governor, consisting of troops belonging
to the five classes named below:
First-Banner Men.-These are descend
ants of the army which established the
Manchu dynasty $50 years ago. The war
with Japan revealed the force TO be I'M
trained iil-discip!ined.. and oowardly. and
since then little or 10 Improvement in
either respect has taken place.
Second-The green STANDARD t.ooI s.,
forming the Chinese territorial army. and
a survival of that which was conquered by
the Banner mer. For many years these
regiments have proved themselves to be t
terly inefficient, either as an army or as a
police force.
Third-The fighting braves. composed of
voluntarily enlisted men. force tlat o ig-
mated in Gordcl's ever victorious army"
The braves were the first section o. he
but the instruction. which they now und srgo
in this respect is merely nominal.
Fourth-The Chien-C hun. or disciplined
troops. This force. numbering only
ten thousand bayonets, was inau-
surated by Ii Hung Chang. and
is composed of the cream of the lighting
braves-young men Of good physique. They
are the only "beef-fed troops il the
whole army. After the war, thirty-fve
tain Reitzenstein, were specially engaged
to remodel, drill and train these troops on
the latest European lines. They are ex-
tremey unpopular with the remainder of
the army.
Fifth-Local troops. or raw levies. armed
with spears. matchlocks, and bows and
arrows.
These five constituent sections of the
Chinese army are divided into three lines
of defence. viz. fighting troops. reserves
under arms, and reserves between sixteen
and sixty years of age. who are called out
for training for only a few days in the
year. The fighting troops and reserves IN
der arms form what may be termed the
imperial standing army II is impossible
to arrive at any definite conclusion as TO
their strength, but it is reckoned that
there are $4,000 cavalry and $50 600 infan- |
try and artillery. Major a. f. ]. Mar
shall, the British officer who is bsst ac-
1uainted with the numbers and disposition !
Of the nations military forces. Sums up
the standing army as follows: Fighting |
troops = Manchurian field force, $4,000: |
Manchurien !rreguiars. 10000; fighting |
braves. l25. 900; Chen Chun, or disciplined |
roops. 10000 Total, 205. 900.
Reserves under arms-Pekin field force.
=. 900. banner troops in Pckin. 5000; BAN
Ter troops in provinces 5000: Luh- Wing.
IT green standard regiments. sol. 900.
Total. Csc, 0OG
There ar also S5S. 500 reserves not or
linarily called out, between sixteen and
sixty years of age, including militia. vol
inteers, gendarmerie river and canal
guards. grain transport and tribes. In
he Chinese army numbers are always
eckoned by battalions or wing of 900
men in the infantry, and $50 men in the
avalry. Two or three companies go to
'ying." In the event OF an international
orce being opposed on the march to Pc
in. the most formidable resistance would
e encountered from the Chien-Chun and
he Pekin field force. The Chien-Chu
owever, may have been already placed
ors de combat by the capture of the Taku
orts. as owing TO their quarrelsome be-
avior these crack troops have been ex-
ellod from the standing camps and rele-
Hled 10 the river and coast 10rtifiCatlOnS.
The Pekin field force dates from 1862.
nd is composed of the pick of the Pekin
tanner Men. II is composed nomnally of
thirteen battalions OF infantry of 1000
len each. eleven of cavalry. of 500 each,
18th 1.J00 artillery. The latest accounts
tate that the guns with this force are
,ur-pounder cannon of ANTICIPATED design.
he Chinese generals. however, assert
nat the Pekin arsenal is full of modern
ED pieces. which @iTl replace these when
YER hostili'ies break out. the worthless
Id guns being utilized for drill purposes
My.
The Chinese field artillery proper ap-
ears to be under the management Of the
Fighting Braves" who are mainly sta
oned In the interior. There are at least
lirty six-gun field batteries with these
oops. the weapons being 9-pounder b. l..
guns. and T-Dounder and IL
,under B. l.. Krupp guns. The gun
ans consist of four ponies. thirteen
inds In height. hence the batteries are .
cry deficient in mobility. and the men
emselves have hardly any training in
irnery; while in order to save trouble.
battery Will as often as not appear on
irade minus its limbers. In the Chino
panese war this arm was most shocking
msmanaged: indeed the majority OF
lnners did not know how TO set the |:
SEES of their shells Curiously enough.
q Chinese artilleryman displays consid-
able interest in the manipulation OF
rtress pieces. with which he often comes
make fair practice.
Quite recently. it is reported. the Chinese
t,nH n