Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-31


lW E%Al nascence in China is one OF
In ks&Ml absorbing interest to the
lXkzxElNl student of world politics, In
whatever angle he may look upon tne
problem. There are those who nope 10
see China develop sufficient mllltary
and naval prowess to recover Its rlgntS
and maintain it's integrity with run
restitution of independence and with
full acknowledgment Of responsibility
to international laws. There are oth-
ers who fear the day when China shah
arm it's millions with modern military
equipment and knowledge--who dread
the imminence of the "yellow peril.
There is only one considerable nation
on earth which apparently doesn't care
a continental about the matter, ana
that nation is--China.
Yet there Is an increasing solicitude
upon the part of the Chinese govern
ment regarding military affairs whlch
is highly important feature or the
present situation in the far east The
army Is receiving some attention, ana
respectable nucleus of great ana
powerful army is actually in existence.
The navy is being sighted for excellent
reasons In this era of Dreadnaught
building even the strongest and wealth.
lest of nations are put to their wits
end to devise means to meet the terri
BILE strain imposed upon the pubic
purse by the Unsuitable nav OF the
navy Ship builders and gun makers
have sung softly at Peking, retailing
| promises of mighty fleets to be had Tor
a song on longtime tick" but their
Establishments have been wasted.
The attitude of the Chinese throne on
the navy question was clearly outlined
! to diplomatist in Peking recently. The
prince recent and his advisers argue
| iii. wa Gh
! to our country's debt by engaging to
build a powerful navy it would be GER
| tain that we would have to keep the
debt, but could we keep the ships? We
| can't get full navy built and finished
| all at the same time. If we began
! gradually. everything would go along
until our navy reached respectable
but not formidable size. Then what
would happen? Japan would simply
! start a war and take our ships away
from us, just as 1t did in 1894. Japan
wouldn't wait until our navy whs any
/ thing like as big as its navy, but only
until 1t was big enough to throw us
upon our own resources for defense.
"If we don't have navy, then the
present condition continues. The ma
| rine powers, through mutual Jealousy
are pledged to protect Chinese coasts
| They already have most of the Chi
nese harbors. No one of them can at
tack China, because we have no navy
and to do so would precipltate gen.
| eral war. AS long as the present con-
dition continues China can afford very
| well to let other nations spend the
money to build ships to protect Chi
nese coasts. And the surest way tc
change this condition would be for the
| Chinese to build navy and invite
single contest with any one OF the
! great marine powers"
But the army Is an entirely different
matter. The Chinese government real
| ICES that II cannot extend It's author
ity, unite the provinces and cement the
solidarity of the nation without ar
army sufficiently large to cope with In
ternal disorder and to give pause Il
the considerations of an intending In
| vader. Once the barrier thrown around
the Chinese coasts by the mutual Jeal'
ousies of greedy powers Is broker
| down then the Chinese must depend
upon their own army for the protection
Of the interior.
No other nation in the world knows
SO we'll the value of the weapons o.
passive resistance. Armies may sweeI
over China. but the Chinese will not b'
conquered. The history of scores o
centuries attest the fact, and the boy
colts of the last decade prove that thu
|
the Chinese people. Now the Leaders
of the people are attempting, in on
way and another, to bring the people t
a realization Of the need of active ant
forceful resistance.
Yuan Shih-kai is the one militar,
man in China who has shown a geniu
in organization. He is in disgrace
shorn of all his power. But the arm,
he organized still exists. Yuan Shih
kai, unlike all other Chinese arm,
commanders, paid his troops. The gov
ernment pretends that his worthy ex
ample is being followed, but there ar
persistent rumors of discomfort amonI
the soldiers caused by irregularity o
pay.
To enlist in the modern army a Chi
nese man must be between the age
Of twenty and twenty-five, at least fiv
; feet, six inches tall in the southern
provinces, and five feet, eight inche
in the northern part of the empire, an
he must be able to lift above his hea
q weight OF 113 pounds. Furthermore
he must be OF good character, from
good family and free of the vice o
opium smoking. He Is enlisted for thre
years and is promised pay of tael
, | 20 n month. a little less than SO Amer