Evening star., 1932-02-28
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

tional Army, 946,000 men; the Szech-
wan Army, 100000 men; the Shansi
Army 100000 men: the Kwantung
Army, 1854 men. and miscellaneous
troops of other provinces, some AGO.
900 men.
The majority of these troops are
equipped with modern rifles and ma
chine guns. Their artillery leaves
much to be desired, but they all pos
sess six-inch trench mortars which they
can handle very efficiently The air
force is inadequate and the troops are
not equipped with chemical warfare
appliances.
Gen. Chang Kai-Shek's Army, the
best organized of all, possesses a num-
Der of English type whippet tanks.
The officers are trained in the mill
tary academies of Whampo and Paot-
ing Flu. A number of the senior Of
f1cers have been trained abroad, es-
pecially in japanese military academies
and a few in France and Germany
Training Intensive.
The training in some of the Chinese
armies is intensive Foreign instruc-
tors, mainly German officers OF the
former imperial army, who drifted into
China after the World War, were hired
by Northern war lords such as Tchang
Tso Lin, and by the Cantonese.
These officers take the military busl-
ness much more seriously than any
Chinese general has ever taken 1t, and
have succeeded in forming excellent
units in China. Gen. Chang Kali
Shek had nine military advisers in
Nanking, who organized two model
divisions for the former President OF
The Chinse Republic, divisions which
are reported to be as good as any 9TH
er army in the East.
Heretofore Westerners used to talk
Scornfully about the Chinese soldiers
who went into battle with an umbrella
in one hand and a rife in the other
They spoke Scornfully about the Chinese
soldiers who used to fight for days
without either side suffering any casual
ties worth mentioning. But to under
stand the real characteristic of the
Chinese soldier one must bear in mind
that since 1895 the Chinese have not
fought a foreign nation.
The many wars which have been
waged in China can be compared with
the feudal wars which were fought dur
ing the Renaissance between italian
republics, when soldiers speaking the
same language and belonging to the
same race fought against each other in
long drawn n-out battles which resulted
generally in a few unimportant casual
ties The same mercenaries who fought
today against one prince would be found
tomorrow fighting for that prince if he
offered better pay. They made a good
deal of noise, looted and pillaged all
they could, but did not really mean to
harm each other.
Soldering at Bottom.
China is an eminently pacific country.
Hence soldering is considered one of
the lowest occupations in that country,
where the intellectual and the scholar
are on top of the social scale, followed
by the farmer who does an actually
constructive work. The merchant who
makes profits by his wits comes third
and the soldier is at the bottom Of the
scale.
In modern days, when China began
fighting its interminables civil wars, a
large army was necessary. 1t was re-
cruited from the unemployed and the
-do-wells of the villages, and If
that recruiting did not yield the neces-
sary number Of troops the rabble of the
country was pressed into service.
These men fought only for the pay
they received from various employers
An American met group of Chinese
soldiers Of the South in railway sta
ton near Shantung He got into con-
versation with them and asked how
much they were paid. They said Sc
month. The American asked whether
they had received their full pay that
year and the answer was, Twenty
cents"
Did you fight hard against the
Northerners?" was the next question.
The men shrugged their shoulders and
one answered, Twenty cents worth"
This is the natural attitude of mer-
cenaries who fight against their own
nationals. The Chinese who becomes a
soldier does so in order to receive food,
clothing and some pay, and he goes into
the battle to earn his pay and nothing
more. There is no enthusiasm when
battle is won, and likewise he retreats
with light heart and no sense of
shame or distress. There is no question
of national insult. because the fighting
has been among Chinese.
All Family Wars.
The men forming opposite armies
have no hatred against each other
Frequently, as was the case in the
Battle of Shansi, in July, 1926, the
commander finds that his opposing
chieftain is an old classmate and a
dear friend. When soldiers desert from
one army to another they are hand
somely treated and Immediately offered
employment In short, the soldiers feel
that the wars they are fighting are
family wars.
But the same soldiers can become
fierce fighters when they are well led
and are battling men of another race.
Such was the case in the battle between
the Cantonese and the Northerners at
Tiensin in February, 1926. The first
battalion of the first Nationalist army
was surrounded by overwhelming forces
belonging to Gen. Tchang Tsu Chen.
The 400 men composing this battalion
fell on the field of battle, and there was
not a single attempt TO run or sur
render.
With proper discipline and material
care, the Chinese soldier can make as
good a fighter as any in the world.
The Chinese coolie (who composes the
great majority of the armies) possesses
great physical qualities. He is wiry and
strong, and being accustomed to carry
heavy loads, he easily bears his pack
and arms and the necessary SUPPLY of
ammunition. He is not sensitive to ex-
treme temperatures and stands the
brunt of hardships easier than any
other soldier in the world
Sanitary conditions in the Chinese
army are beyond description, yet the
Chinese soldier, who has never had any
proper care when he is i'll or wounded,
does not seem to mind.
Air Force Deplorsble.
The Chinese military man, however,
does not know how to handle mechan-
ical contrivances While the Chinese
makes an excellent airman because he
has "air sense" the Chinese air force
is in a deplorable shape not only be-
cause the generals have no money to
keep up their airplanes, but because
their men have no idea how to take
care of them.
The same thing applies to the Chinese
artillery. Artillery troops have to be