The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-08-30

does she intend To do with the military
power when acquired? She has con-
structed arsenals, she has kept pace
with the world in the manufacture of
the most improved rapid fire guns and
rifles. she has invented rifles of her
own and applied the foreign inventions
to them. Large quantities of Reming-
tons, of Mausers and the German arm,
the one that proved so fatal in the
hands of the Beers in South Africa,
the Mannllcher, have been imported or
manufactured. More than q dozen ar
senals have been at work for years
turning out rifles, and one of these has
capacity of 5000 Mausers year.
China manufactures smokeless pow
der and everything in fact that would
be required by land forces except the
ammunition for rapid fire guns. 1t is
little singular that she should be be-
hind in the matter of making ammuni-
ton. The Chinese invented gunpow-
der, but all the new forms of destruc-
tive ammunition have been surprises to
them
While getting ready with their arms
reforming their armies, but the idea
seems to have been to have a few
crack corps rather than an immense
army of partly trained men. Attention
has been concentrated upon an army
of fighting braves" as they are call
ed, and who are selected for their
splendid physique and their high moral
and mental characteristics. 1t is said
that the army around Tien-tsin, num-
bering about $4,000 or 10000 men, is
the most efficient in China. If this is
the case, the result Of the fighting along
the Pei-Ho will be a test as to the ca
pacity of the Chinese for war.
If the Chinese lack courage, they
have singular way of showing it, for
in the war with Japan they stood up
to be slaughtered in great numbers and
again and again returned to the charge
when the first attempt showed plainly
that they could make no Roadway.
When aroused, they seem to have an
almost fanatical determination to win
or die. They died in great numbers.
There were 6,676 Chinese killed in bat
tie with the Japanese, who lost but
43O killed. Already in the war with
the allies on the banks of the Pei-Ho
the Chinese have shown the same
physical bravery, charging again and
again, and apparently unappalled by
the awful slaughter suffered from the
modern weapons Of the allies.
Ii Hung Chang offers hint that in
all the give away game of the last few
years China has held a trump card up
her sleeve. With the knife at the
throat she has yielded territory to
''barbarians," but with the reservation
that she would some day take it all
back. The powers for their own selfish
purposes have played into the hands Of
the Celestials by teaching them how
to make implements of war, to train
soldiers and to handle modern guns.
The purpose of this has been to pre-
pare the local governments of China
to maintain order in the districts where
the foreigners have interests at stake
Local uprisings and riots have always
been epidemic in China whenever there
was provocation. The presence of the
foreigner Is a constant provocation. If
there is famine or any other afflic-
ton seeming the act of Heaven, the
people think their gods are angry be-
cause the "barbarians" are allowed to
desecrate sacred soil and to ignore
customs which are ordained for the
faithful. Concessions by the imperial
government mean nothing to the peo-
pie. They know that they are wrung
from the throne by threats. and as the
land belongs to the people, being only
held in trust by the emperor as the
viceroy of Heaven, the powers may en-
ter into the possession of their prizes
In just so far as the populace is will
ing.
The disastrous war with Japan and
the part taken by the European gov
ernments In that crisis and afterward
opened the eyes of John Chinaman
as nothing but calamity would. In
spite of the stagnation and conserv-
atism of the Chinese 1t may be that
with him, as with other nations "civi-
lization doth git forrid, sometimes on to
powder cart" Defeat by Japan was
taken as national disgrace-not ma
siOidi III tliC SChSC VI ntSttln ptOplt,
but In the sense that a despised for
eign invader had brought the ancient
kingdom to Its knees. Hatred of the
foreigner Is Chinese patriotism. They
have no flag to revere, no constitution
to uphold, but they have customs hand
ed down for thousands of years which
no one in China except the foreigners
scoff at.
The Chinese are very Initiative, and
when they saw that japan held place
among the powers merely because Of
her military spirit naturally they wish
ed to show what China can do In the
same line. The powers fostered this
pride and sent officers into the prov
inces to train the local armies, sent en-
gineers to teach their art and skilled
men to direct the manufacture of rides