New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-17
CHINA'S MILITARY POWER
TWO ARMIES UNDER WIDELY DIVIDED
CONTROL
GREAT ARSENAIS WHERE USELESS WAR MA
TERIAL Is MADE AT GREAT EXPENSE
REORGANIZATION DELAYED.

The war news from China has created much
interest in the Chinese army, and the reports to
the effect that the Boxer mobs cannot be sup
pressed have caused many readers to wonder
how and of what material the Chinese regular
army is composed In this as in many other
things the Chinese have not kept up with other
nations and their deficiency was clearly demon
strated during the ChinO-Japanese War. But
the warning was not sufficiently needed, and the
improvements which have been made in the
army since then not sufficient to bring the
military up to the point where it should be for
the protection of the country. Although there
are two armies, neither of these is known the
Imperial Army. There is an army for each prov
ince. This body, known as the Army of Eight
Banners, contains nomnay about three hun
dred thousand men, VINO are descendants of the
Manchu cOnquerors and their allies OF these
about eighty thousand are maintained on war
footing, and divided into three groups,
MOngols. Chinese and Manchus, and form an
hereditary profession within which intermar-
riage is compulsory. OF these hereditary soldiers
about four thousand are usually stationed at
Picking Imperial Guard.
THE NATIONAL ARMY
The national army is called Wing Ping This
body is known also the Green Flags and
the Five Camps" it being divided into five dis
tinct parts. This army is subdivided into
eighteen corps, one for each province, and is
under the immediate command of the Governor
General or Viceroy. The nominal strength of
this national army is about six hundred thou
sand, but of this number only about two hun
dred thousand available for The Tien-
Tsin army corps is the most important, and has
about thirty-fve thousand men. These have
been drilled by foreign officers, and have modern
arms and equipment and do garrison and police
duty at Tien-Tsn and at Taku.
The "mercenary troops" play an important
part in the Chinese military system. They are
raised in emergencies Then there are the Mon
golian cavalry and other irregular cavalry. num-
boring about twenty thousand, which have been
described by foreign observers as "of mill
tary value" The total land army on peace
footing Is estimated at three hundred thousand
men, and on a war footing at about one million;
but the army as a whole, according to the same
authority, has no unity or cohesion; there is no
proper discipline; the drill is mere physical eX-
ercise; the weapons long since obsolete, and
there is no transport, cOmmissariat or medical
service But the various provinces spend much
money for army purposes, and maintain great
arsenals where war material in the shape of
guns and ammunition is made and stored
THE GREAT ARSENAL AT SHANGHAI
The arsenal at Shanghai seems to be out of
place in connection with the antique and Slip
shod Chinese army. This large place is under
the provincial government of the Viceroy of
Marking and is full Of modern tools and ma
chinery stores and material of every descrip-
ton. The arsenal is in every respect a well
equipped and perfectly furnished modern insti-
tuition in good order, and if organized under
European control, Lord Beresford thinks, could
supply war material for the whole military
r,f.a1 hxrI lITOTAA aFlC
and is now in charge of two Englishmen. To
show what the arsenal is capable Of producing
a report made out less than two years ago
shows the following work in progress:
Two 90 guns to be mounted on hydro-pneu-
matte disappearing carriages; two 81 guns foI
garrison batteries; eight 6-inch guns. twelve Al
guns twenty 12-pounders, twenty 6-pounders
and fifty 3-pounders all quick firing"
All the steel for these guns was made in the
arsenal from native ore. The machinery at this
arsenal is adequate for the manufacture of al
caIibres up to 12-nch fftytOn pieces.
The director of the plant-a Chinese mandarin
expressed anxiety to what is going to be-
come of China in the future, and favored rela-
tons in England which would give China the
benefit Of British protection Lord Beresford II
his account of an interview with the mandarin
SAYS: Il pointed out TO him the large and use
less expenditure of money incurred by the man
ufacture of heavy artillery, which should have
tegrity of China under present conditions