Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-11-12
A First-Class Fighting Man.

Some Rudyard Kipling should arise to
pay tribute, as the singer of the Bar
rack Room Ballads" paid to the Fuzzy
Wuzzy, who broke a British square,"
to another "first-class fighting man." the
Chinese soldier. The heroic, if futile de-
tense OF Shanghai, which fell to over
whelming Japanese forces this week
after lightweight days of gallant re-
slstance, recalls what Chinese Gordon"
the great British general commissioned
by Ii Hung-chang to crush the TAPPING
rebellion in 1864, had to say about the
Native Disciplined Force, called by the
Chinese The Victorious Army"
which he led to triumph in what until
then was the bloodiest war in Far East
ern history.
After the decisive victory over the
rebels at Tai-tsang in May. 1868, about
two months before the Confederacv suf-
fered an almost equally crucial defeat
at Gettysburg in our own Civil War,
General Gordon issued the following
general order, which lives as an immor-
tai eulogy of Chinese heroism: THE
officer commanding thanks the artillery
and infantry for their gallant exertions
during the late operations. In spite of
most determined and desperate re-
slstance, they carried this city, which
had garrison of five times their num-
bers, and have done what could not have
been surpassed by any troops in the
world. The commanding officer assures
the officers and men that he has never
seen such a determined fight, lasting,
as it did, hand to hand, for twenty min
utes.' 1t is interesting to recall at this
particular moment that it was primarily
due to General Gordon's suppression of
the Tai-ping rebellion that Shanghai
was preserved to China as a commercial
metropolis. The empires gratitude to
its savior was so profound that at one
time Ii Hung chang considered ceding
the port to the British, in addition to
Hong Kong, which was already in their
possession.
Japans eventual military subjugation
of China is not to be doubted. Sheer
weight of greater numbers of organized
troops and equipment will tell in the
invaders favor, sooner or later. But
Chang Kai-sheks intrepid armies have
blasted for all time the myth of Japan's
military superiority and invincibility.
The island aggressor has done more than
permit the Chinese to exhibit the quail
ties OF bravery, tenacity and contempt
OF death which make the ideal soldier.
The japanese have converted China's
man power from rabble of discordant
mercenaries, seldom animated by higher
motives than pelf or loot, into a ma
tional army which is proving on dozen
fronts that ancient Cathay still pro-
duces the bulldog breed that extorted
Chinese Gordons" enthusiasm three
quarters Of a century ago. Japan's
dearly bought victories in the north and
at Shanghai have filled the Chinese peo-
pie with respect for and confidence in
one another that they have not enjoyed
for generations.
Chiang's legions, beaten and in re-
treat though they are, have proved to
an incredulous but admiring world that,
adequately munitioned, equipped. fed
and otherwise enabled to meet their foe
on equal terms, the Chinese could and
would drive the insular invader into the
sea across which he has launched a
campaign of conquest that, in secre-
tary Hull's words has outraged the con-
science of mankind"