The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-11
FARMING THE YELLOW GIANT
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.

BY FRANK G. Copyright. lso9. by Frank G Carpenter9 Wuchang, 1909. "H HE biggest army of the world has now its beginning in this fast 4 awakening empire of China It al- ready numbers 15O,OOO trained soldiers. Two years from now it will have 10000 and within 9 years, if it goes ahead as did that of Japan, 1t will have 100000 on a peace footing and 100000 in times of war
 Such an army is not a dream of the 1 opiura pipe. It is a live possibility, and 1t seems less improbable than did the present army of Japan 9 years ago. The | Japanese army began it's creation in 1872. l On peace footing it now numbers 6OOO0O, and it's war strength Is close to l0O0o0. Today, one Japanese in every eighty is serving as soldier, and at pinch, one in every forty can be thrown into the l field. China is already in advance of the l Japan of quarter Of a century ago Her soldiers are now being trained by the best of foreign military talent. They are armed with modern weapons, and their l organization is on the lines which have brought up the army of Japan. The military system of Japan came 1 from Germany That of China Is the same, with Japanees improvements. Let us contrast the China of the future with the Germany of the present. The Ger mans keep 1 per cent of their whole O. O00,000 under arms, and in times of war they could put per cent of them into the field Their peace army is 6000O0 and their war strength more than 100000. In the same ratio, China, with it's 400,0000 900, will keep 100000 soldiers in time of peace. and will be able to muster 2O0OOOW in times of war I repeat: These are not visions. The yellow giant is already in the gymnasium He is swinging dumb bells and Indian clubs under the best of modern physician directors. He is out on the drill ground, practlcng the goose step and learning to shoot.
 china's New Army.
 I had long chat last night with q high military authority who is stationed in Pekin He is a trained officer of one of the great European powers, who has been sent here to investigate what China is doing. It Is his business to keep track of the military forces of the empire to visit them in their camps and attend their maneuvers. He has just returned from sham battles between two of the armies on the YangTse- Kiang, and Is full of the changes which are going on
 
 Said he:
 "The growth of China's army is fast becoming a serious problem and 1t is one which is bound to trouble the world in the future. You can have no idea of the situation without going from province to province. The central government has ordered each viceroy or governor to create one or more army divisions. In addition, one has been assigned to Man churia and another to Chinese Turkestan. The reorganization is going on after a scheme laid down by Yuan Shih Kat and others In 1904. Yuan might be called the father of the new army. His scheme started in with 5000 men. In 1905 over 100. 900 were drilling, and the enrolment will soon be double that number It al ready comprises F divisions of more than 200 each. and 1t will eventually be increased to 36 divisions, or about 10000. This number should be under arms by the end of 1911. It will be divided into two armies; one of the north and one of the south.
 A Chinese Division.
 What is the character of China's new army?'' I asked.
 "Practically the same as that of the army of Japan. The troops have Japa- nese military textbooks, and they use the same physical exercises the same sani- tary methods and the same drill. AS to the divisions. they are constituted in the same way. Each has four regiments of infantry, one of cavalry and one of ar tillery. In addition each division has a battalion of engineers and transport troops a balloon and telegraph section, as well as a company devoted to sanitary work. In numbers all told 12,512 men, in cluding officers soldiers, clerks, employees and servants of all kinds
 Are such divisions already organized in all of the provinces?'
 No But they have been begun In every province and they are actually in operation in about three-fourths of them. Some provinces. such as Chihli and Szechwan, have three divisions of armies of 36,OOO men each, while others, such as Honan, Shansi and Chekiang, have only one"
 The New Officers.
 I asked here as to the training of the troops. and the military expert replied;
 "The most of the drilling is done by Chinese who have been educated abroad, although a few of the viceroys and gov ernors have Japanese or German officers in their employ. However, foreigners are used chiefly in the military schools the actual details of organization being car ried out by the Chinese themselves This country has now many graduates of for  ly sending more and more army stu dents abroad There are 30 Chinese studying in such schools in France, six In Germany, two in England and two at West Point. Many are being educated in Japan. and there are several thousand graduates now in the service. The young Chinese began to go abroad for military instruction as soon as the Boxer trouble was over The majority of them went to Japan, choosing that country for several reasons One was the forbearance and Kindness of the Japanese troops during the rebellion, and another Japan's prox- fmity to China. The fact that education there cost less was a great inducement, as was also the Japanese language, which is so allied to the Chinese that these peo- ple learn it more easily than any other. It is for this reason that they have adopt ed Japanese text books, which are now being translated into Chinese.
 China's Military Schools.
 "Tell me something about China's mill tary schools"
 "They are now to be found in every province and in every large city. The government scheme provides for pro- vinciaI military school at the capital of each province and an academy at every one of the larger cities The provincial schools might be called the primary mill tary schools and the academies the sec ondary or high schools. In addition there is to be a military university, or war col lege at Pekin."
 "These schools are first-class, and are run along modern lines' the expert went on. "I visited one the other day at Han ,,ou, O bout eO0 miles from the sea up the