The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-07-25
CHINA WAKES UP. TO WAR.
"Sleepy Pacifist of East" Shows Pow
er Against Universal War Lord.

After German u-boats had destroy
ed more than a thousand Chinese
lives on neutral belligerent ships and
China had declared war against the
imperial German government, Berlin
chuckled. Another one!" laughed
the infatuated burghers. What on
EARTH" they asked, 'can the sleepy
pacifst of the East do against our
universal war lord?"
Here is an answer-a tabloid YER
sion of what China is doing, can do,
and, in less than a year, has done
against "our universal war lord
And it shows it is no dream to
assume that on the Western front
itself Chinese troops may swing the
final fortunes of the war.
China is commonly 'called "un-
wieldly.' Certainly her power is not
organized with the watchlike COM
pactness of Germany's. Millions and
millions of Chinese have never even
heard of the great war and doubtless
never will. But it must be remembered
that in so vast body of humanity
even comparatively minor reactions
of small parts of the population loom
proportionately large according to
our Western standards.
Thus, as to China's army. In the
mighty agglomeration of races which
make up the new republic it is al
most lost. And yet it embraces As
divisions of 10000 men each-900,-
coo hardy soldiers. Seventy per cent.
of these are thoroughly modern units,
well equipped, well drilled, and led
by officers who have met the most eX,,
acting tests of European and Japa-
nese training.
An Expeditionary Army.
The first Chinese expeditionary
force is now preparing to go to
France. Negotiations are under way
among the allies to put them across.
This first unit is an army corps
10000 of China's sturdiest troops,
most Of them veterans familiar with
the rattle of machine guns and burst
ing shell. And the Chinese govern
.ment, if the necessary financial as
sistance and transportation facilities
are provided, can send after, as fast
as they are required, additional army
corps until the Chinest fighting forces
in France number 100000 men of all
ranks.
Such a force could easily man 20
miles of trenches. 1t is third of the
number Hindenburg and Ludendorff
flung into their great drive from the
Chemin des Danes to, the Marne.
China is taking this matter of mill
tary. aid on the Western front very
seriously. She had already establish
ed military headquarters in Paris
under Lieut.. Gen. Tang Tsai Ii, vice
minister of the Chinese chief of staff.
There are now many high Chinese OIL
GERS on the battle line studying the
actual conditions under which Chi
nese troops expect to operate.
Chinese physicians, most of whom
volunteered in London, are sewing
with the British forces in consider
able numbers. And the whole world
was surprised when Chinese laborers,
caught in the great German offensive
through Picardy last spring, flung
down their shovels, grabbed the
nearest rifles and in the critical in
terval, while French reinforcements
were rushing to the battle, put the
irresistible Hun over the backward
jump.
The Labor Army.
Evidently these laborers must have
been of a different type from the or
dinary coolies We see in America.
They are. They come chiefly from
north China-Shantung and Chilli
where the material for the Chinese
army is recruited. Strapping six
footers, and bronzed to deep burn
ished luster, they can work harder,
and longer, endure more, and eat less
than the most wiry peasant Europe
produces.
There are 1875, 5,000 of the super
laborers in France, divided between
the British and the French forces,
but now, of course, like every other
military organization, serving under
the unified command of General
Foch. For they are military or
ganization. They have their own
regiments and companies, under
their own petty officers, and they
drill smartly to snapped-out English
of aDr,roon1