The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-29
VAST Army SCHEME OF CHINA
FRENCHMAN HEARS SIZE NAY
ENROLL lOyOOO,OOO MEN.

Drilled and EqulpDed-P1aht for Al
Least q 1000 600 Soldiers IN Ten Nsar
We'll Kept secret o. Her New RIne.
A Frenohman who has been making ,
study Of the Chinese army warns Europs
that Il ls not ~inoonoelVabIe that within
ten years China may DO able TO oppose Ia
the white nations Of the world a thoroughly
drilled and equipped force OF EOOOOOOo
Of soldiers. Il IL quite certain, he thinks.
that II will have the biggest ARM IN the
world--at least 100000 meh ready %
mobilize at short notice and equal In eovN
age, drill and equipment to snS european
troops.
This 1000, 900 minimum IL provided for
: by present plans. The increase to the
maximum figure means nothing hut A
little more efforts draft on the wealth
Of population which Is trivial when spread
out thin over 40 vast an empire, The writer
fears that, stimulated by their " 70.
markable performances in army making
up to date, the Chinese rulers may make
a change in their plans at any time and
may do It without taking Europe into their
confidence.
The new Chinese army had lie inception
about 1889, when the late Marshal Ma iS.
sued an order abolishing the rcd umbrellas
which the Chinese soldiers used to take
into the field with them. Ma was an abs
organizer, and the sort OF soldiers that
we're produced under his management
were revealed 10 Occidentals in 1900, when
the capture OF the Taku forts took place.
Fighting Chinese soldiers previous .
that encounter had been little better than
massacre; but the defenders Of the TaAu
forts and those Of Tientsin and Of Chan Hal
| Kuan, armed with modern rides and hay.
ing Armstrong and Krupp cannon, fought
not only with desperate bravery but with
discipline. They gave pretty nearly az
good an account Of themselves as equal
number Of European troops woull have
done.
When China caught her breath in lsn
she realized that these were the only sor.
OF TROOPS worth having. Rejecting tho
plan submitted by her British adviser, Sir
! Robert Hart, for the creation Of a miniature
| army OF four divisions TO be developed in
! the course OF ten years, the Lien Ping Pu,
or council OF war, boldly adopted a scheme
| of evolution which would seem startling
in any country.
II contemplated the creation Of twenty
| army corps Of two divisions each, each d.
vision comprising two brigades OF infantry,
a regiment OF artillery and one Of cavalry
a battalion Of engineers and a battalion
of supply train. Each brigade was to he
| composed Of four regiments OF three bat
talions Of 300 men each,
A scheme Of local recruiting was adopted
with a period Of active service OF nine years,
10 be followed by seven years Of reserve
with a months drill each year. The erea-
! ton Of twenty-five schools OF cadets with a
| capacity to furnish 1000 officers In the first
three wears and an annual contingent Of
1900 thereafter was also decreed, and 4
primary levy Of 500 900 men was made.
The viceroys Of the various provinces
budgets a sufficient tax for the support n
| this force. No exact estimate Of the Teve-
nue. needed was 10 be made. however, until
the Government had 10000 men IN active
service and 1000, 600 reserves.
II used TO be the way that things ended
with talk in China but times appear To he
changed. There are actually az the present
time, according TO the French authority,
10000 men armed and drilled in modem
style, organised into fifteen army corps
with capable officers.
There are no more red umbrellas and no
more banners inscribed With threats be-
fore which the enemy 10 supposed 10 nun
away. Every soldier has for the time
being a Mauser rife and plenty Of am.
| munition, which he il taught 10 burn 20
good effect But the Chinese have de-
vised a magazine rife Of their " which
they consider much better than any now IN
use in Europe and which Is besides the only
rife in the world the mechanism OF which
il an absolute secret. Six a~rsenals have
been established with proper machinery
for making this arm. They are working
night and day. and Il 10 said that they can
turn out 5000 guns a week:
A very important detail lie that the new
army is regularly paid. A serviceable
uniform has been adopted for the troops.
Zouave trousers are tucked into half boots.
The soldier on parade wears q neat tunc
with a belt ,lbut on active service he is clad
in a flannel shirt, over which he wears cross
belts 20 carry bis knapsack and cartridge
case
The men are Of fine physique and the
health in the army Il. said to be excellent.
They are as easily fed as the Jspanere.
They are completely disciplined, and With
the Chinese indifference to death, which
has been displayed under the most
disastrous conditions, II seems as II they
might man for man prove equal TO the best
European troops.
There il a fair supply Of field end noun.
tain artillery and the supply Of krupp
siege guns Is steadily increasing. There
are 1000 cadets at present In the military
schools, and 900 pupil officers, as they are
called, are receiving higher instruction
in ordnance, strategy and tactics at four
superior schools A military, academy
which Is to occupy somewhat the position
Of our own war college Is being organized
in Pekin.
The Frenohman estimates that the eI-
pense Of the army on a basis OF a million
active and seven million reserve soldiers
will not involve an increased burden Of
more than 5 cents a head on the population
Of China. Even 90 poor a people, he thinks,
can stand this, and the Government ana
people have grown 50 proud OF the army
that he sees no hope Of any Stacking in is
development This Is the real yellow
peril, Is the conclusion that he draws