The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-13
THE CHINESE NAVIES.
Squadrons Managed Independently
of Each Other.

The recent addition of two cruisers.
built by Messrs. Armstrong of New
castle, to the Chinese navy. brings the
northern squadron UP to quite a re-
spectacle little fleet, as it now con-
slsts of five useful cruisers and four
destroyers, besides smaller craft
In speaking of the northern squad
ron 1t must be borne in mind that the
Chinese, unlike other nations, believe
as regards their imperial defenses-in q
policy of decentralization, so that each
fleet must be taken on kts individual
merits. no two fleets are in any way
under the same authority or are in any
way capable of acting together.
There is no patriotism in China. This
was strikingly eXemplif1ed in the late
war-when. on the occasion of the cap
ture of the northern squadron, one of
the ships belonging to the Shanghai
ntN- happened to be included; the cap
tam Of her at once went to see the
japanese admiral and demanded that
he and his ship should be allowed to go
free. For he said, Il don't belong to
this fleet" The point of view that mis-
was a Chinese ship and that his coun-
try was at war with Japan did not seem
TO appeal to him in any way.
The northern squadron has all along
worthy of being called a fleet of men
of war; organized by Admiral Lang,
the men were properly drilled on Eng
lish lines, and had it not been for the
hopeless and almost inconceivaole in
competence on the part of the officers,
there is little doubt that China would
have given a much better account of
herself at sea. AS it was, the result Of
the war was the humiliation and cap
ture of the entire northern squadron.
AT the time of writing the Shanghai
fleet consists of obsolete ships, utter
ly useless for fighting purposes, but the
northern squadron has been built up
again by the purchase of modern ships
in Europe. The fleet now consists of
three cruisers, which have been built
in Germa Y, of 5000 tons each. carry
ing two 6-Inch and eight 4.7-inch guns,
and capable of steaming twenty knots;
four deStroyerS of a modern type, also
built in Germany, and two large cruis-
ers, which have been built at Newcas-
tle-on-Tyne, and have only lately
reached Chinese waters. These two are
sister ships, and are the largest YES
sells which the Chinese have ever pos
sessed. Their armament consists of two
S-inch and ten 4.7-inch, all quick-firing
gun, the S-iIch having fast electric
trains gear, besides MaXims.
The speed attained on the trial was
over twenty-four knots both for the
Hal Tien and Hal Chi, as the ships
are named, each of which has a dis
placement of 4,300 tons. 1t is evident,
therefore, that China has at present
a small, but certainly an efficient fleet.
if only il is handled properly. This
is not likely to be the case, as there
is not an officer of the Chinese navy
x,-h iS r0a n of m \ n 2 n
of-war and fighting her; and even were
such an officer to exist. it is doubtful
whether he would be placed il posi-
ton of responsibility, as the eternal
system of squeeze" which prevails
from the highest to the lowest in
China, means that commands and Off
cial positions of every description arc
obtained by those who have the most
influence, or in other words, who are
in the position to offer the greatest
bride; and when once a command is
obtained il is used as a means of MAX
ing money, by only employing half the
number of men for whom ratiOns are
drawn. and a variety of other means.
Admiral Lang has undoubtedly left
his mark on the Chinese navy. While
he was in charge the standard Of drill,
gunnery and general discipline was a
very high one, and it will take some
time for this to wear of; but wear of
il will, unless more European officers
are introduced.
1t is characteristic of the Chinese
that the naval depot should be at Taku.
The dOckyards, such as they are, are
situated close TO the mouth Of the Pei
Ho river: but there is no dock there
capable of dealing with any of the
fleet mentioned and the approaches
are so shallow that the ships have
to anchor eight miles from the en-
trance TO the river, quite out of sight
OF land. There the fleet has lain fol
some considerable time, and there II
Will prObaly remain. Occasionally sin
gle ships go for ashOrt Euise round
the Gulf of Pc Chi Ii, but the feet
has not yet been taken 10 sea.
With Port Arthur in the hands Of
the Russians, KiaO Chau in possession
of the Germans. and Wei Hal We
| leased TO Great Britain, China is de
prived Of all her best harbors in the
north. and with the exception perhap!
/ OF Che Foo there is practically nowhere
| where an efficient naval base coulC
| be established. When the writer wa.
! recently IN China there was some tall
/ of building a breakwater and estab
| fishing a naval depot at this port, but i
| seems doubtful whether anything vii
/ really be done.
! Incredible as it may appear. II il
/ nevertheless a fact that to this da!
! Chinese soldiers are exercised witt
! bows and arrOws-and little can b.
/ expected from a nation with such an
! tiquated ideas as this.
/ It is feared that the fleet which Chi
! ma has got together at considerable eX
pense will only serve as useful add
1 tions to the navy of whatever powe
| may first be inclined to take them.