Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-05-08
CHINA LAID
OF LOYALTY
Population of 400, 100000
Contrasted as Helpless
Against Japan.

fact that in Japan the military spirit,
having been kept alive and the sol
diers rema..ling on top having been
able to incurate the whole nation with
the military virtues of loyalty, dis
cipline and sense of duty. when they
realized the necessity for adopting
western methods they had only to get
western arms and learn to use them.
In China the military spirit had
gradually died out. The ruling classes
lost it first. The soldier dropped stead
lily down the scale until finally he was
at the bottom Of it. To such an ex-
tent was this carried that for all prac-
teal purposes the warrior class had
thing of reproach.
Code of Chivalry Unknown.
Such a thing as a code Of ~chivalry.
similar to the bushido of Japan, was
unknown. The dominant idea was not
that when evils were inflicted on the
nation they were to be resisted and
CScIV cuOlL luduc W ONclCOuS LuSlu.
but that they were to be expected and
must be borne or, at the most, resisted
passively.
Thus it was that humiliation after
humiliation taught the Chinese moth
ing. They hated the foreigner and
wanted to get rid of him. Periodic
and useless outbreaks against mission
aries and efforts such as that made by
the Boxers occurred.
From time to time men in high posi-
tons saw the necessity for adopting
European methods. They. however,
apparently saw no further than the
need for foreign arms and training.
They did not understand that back
of these and more important was the
military spirit. This lack Of under
standing. coupled too often with the
presence among the troops of dishon-
est officers. led to such iascoes both
: on land and sea as those of the Chino
! Japanese war.
Planned Reorganization of Army.
! In 1905 q very comprehensive modern
scheme was drawn up for the organi-
cation of the army. The condition Of
the soldier vas bettered to such an ex-
tent that he soon stood far higher in
the social scale than he had for some
centuries.
By the time the revolution broke
out the imperial troops in the north
amounted to more than 100000 men
with nearly 900 guns. Their training
was good. but the revolution showed
the proper spirit to be lacking. The
very best Of the troops mutinied. not
because of sympathy with the revolu-
ton, but because Of the chance to loot.
The Young China party. which was
responsible for the revolution, chafes
under the humiliations inflicted on
China and ever calls for war to pre-
vent their continuation. The leaders
know, however, that in spite of it's
numbers, of it's size and Of it's resources
China is helpless. The necessary spir-
it of nationality and military virtue
have been lacking.
National Spirit Lacking.
The population always has been unit
ed in theocratic beliefs. in love OF fam
lily life and family system. in it's eth
les. customs. presidents. symbols and
dress. In spite of this. ~religionalism
has prevailed to such an extent that
it virtually has excluded all spirit of
nationalism.
The revolution has apparently awak.
ened both the military spirit and the
spirit of nationality. The peace loving
Chinese are commencing to realize that
national integrity and sovereignty rest
on military force.
What they have not realized is that
the qualities requisite for military sue,
cess cannot be put aside and donned
again like a garment; hat these quail.
ties are the results of generations of
patient, careful and persistent educa.
tional effort: that as time goes on wal
demands a higher and higher training
and moral standard on the part OF
those who engage in it.