The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1910-02-17
CHINESE GOOD shot
Natives Stand First in COMPETE
ton with Foreigners
Score Best Average-Marching Their
Weak Point, and They Fall Below
Their Opponents in Gen
eral Results.

Shanghai, China.-Shanghai Is for
tunate in having the first Chinese vol
unteer company to be formed. Since
its inception many other companies
have been formed in other parts of
China, but under the control of for.
eign officers and inspired by the exam
pie of British, German, American, Jap
anese and Portuguese companies in
Shanghai our Chinese company has
gone ahead at a great pace and holds
the proud position of being the pre-
Those who form this company are rich
men and clerks in good positions in
the international settlement and as
the strength of this unit of the Shang-
hal volunteer corps, which is COM
manded by a British officer, is only 100
there is keen competition when a
place falls vacant. The company is
armed with the new British short-serv-
ice rifle and the men are using it with
good effect in competition with the
other units. The Africa cup competi-
tion, reputed to be the most difficult
held here, saw the Chinese right ahead
in shooting this year and the COM
of the way in which the Chinese. shot.
This competition requires teams
from each unit taking part to march
from point to point by their own
routes, thus testing their knowledge Of
the settlements and their ability to
move rapidly as they would be re-
quired to do in times of riot, such as
we experienced in December, 1905. At
the end OF the forced march, which by
the shortest route Is over seven miles,
the men have to advance up the rifle
range and attack targets, appearing
and disappearing, which represent fig
ures of men in blue coats (the Chinese
uniformly and khaki. These figures
are difficult to, hit and the crack shots
have not been able to register high
percentage In the competition just
held the Chinese obtained 1888 points
for shooting, beating the all-Britfsh
Maxim company, which was next with
14.11 The Americans, Japanese and
Germans were all beaten by the Chi
nese in shooting. The Maxims, artil-
lery, battery and Japanese were, how
ever, all above the Chinese in the final
results, as they made up in marching
what they lost in shooting and Of
course it must be admitted that the
Chinese by paying more attention to
shooting than marching were steadier
when they came to the butts than they
would have been had they doubled
half the way round as most of the men
did. But the great point was that any
company losing man was put out of
action Immediately.
There is no doubt that the Chinese
when properly trained is steady shot.
This is evidenced in the general COM
petitions, for, although we have such a
restricted number of Chinese in the
company, yet they always have men
we'll up in the open shooting competi7
tions. But the Chinese cannot march
at great pace. This is evident in the
regular army. have seen regulars
break down at march of four miles
an hour for six hours day, but the
new army will be less incumbered even
than Yuan Shi Kai's model army was,
and there Is yet much reason for hope
for the new Chinese army. Foreign
observers speak in the highest terms
of the efficiency of the new army,
while engaged at maneuvers, and If 1t
is provided with real leaders much
may be attained. The Chinese com.
pany has at any rate demonstrated
that Chinese can shoot with deadly eff.
feet at the most difficult targets.