Arizona republican., 1905-09-08
PHOENIX. ARIZONA. SEPT. 5. 1905.
China's Military Development.

According to the report of an ex-
pert observer military reform in Chi
ma is an accomplished fact and China
already has large body of troops apt
to unpleasantly surprise any western
army to which it might be opposed.
Lieutenant Coriier of the Fourth
United States infantry, visited a year
ago one of the great Chinese training
camps in PechiIi province. witnessed
the maneuvers of 5000 Chinese infan-
try, and was deeply impressed by what
he saw. In an article entitled 'Impe
rial Chinese Infantry recently pub
lished in the Journal of the Infantry
Association, he says that the work OF
the troops was wonderful and made
possible only by perfect training"
Speaking of a sham battle that he saw
he says: This lesson not only opened
the eyes of the Americans present, but
provided much food for thought. There
was comparison of notes-no salient
point was there for criticism only ad-
miration.'
Comparing the troops observed by
Lieutenant Cordier and the troops en-
countered by American soldiers at
Tientsin and during the forced march
to the relief of the legations-for there
is not now the slightest doubt that Chi
nese imperial troops formed the OPP
posing force-one perceives that Chi
ma has made astounding military pro-
gress in the brief interval that has
Sipoa a1aDSad o,,tS+riprgpa- a,rar TaDoo
in the celebrity with which she has
adapted herself to western military
methods.
China, for many reasons. has long
had possibilities of military dominance
greater even than those of Japan,
though they have been neutralized by
the absence of any national sentiment
and the prevalence of a carefully cul-
tivated contempt for the profession of
arms, based on a Utopian belief. not
unlike that held by a great many
Americans as to their own country,
that China was for some mysterious
and supernatural reason exempt from
the common lot of nations, impregna-
bic against all the world, and free
from the necessity of maintaining an
army for her defense. Soldiers were
despised because they We're believed
to be needless. For years the western
nations have been hammering and
welding China into national solidarity
and convincing China of the useful
ness, and, by consequence, the dignity,
Of the soldier. Now they seem likely
20 reap the reward Of their educa-
tiOnal efforts in the form of a great
Asiatic military power. inspired by a
national sentiment of hatred and con-
tempt for all ''outside barbarians."
The western world has good reason
for regarding a military and militant
China with much uneasiness. In China
the consciousness of military strength
Will not be tempered, as it has been in
Japan, by a direct regard for the opin-
ion Of mankind and a keen sense of
international obligation. Japan's am
bition has been to be regarded as a
member of the family of civilized ma
tiOns. To China there is but one civ
iliZed natiOn-China. All the rest of
the world is barbarian, to be conquer |
ed and civilized. That is to say, Chi |
ma regards the civilized world exactly |
as the civilized world regards China. |
1t is this that makes China's devel- !
opment into a strong military nation |
dangerous to the peace of the world. |
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