THE CHINESE ARMY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1336, 13 January 1912, Page 13

THE CHINESE ARMY.

Dr. Morrison, tho: Peking correspondent of "The limes," supplies some interesting particulars of the Chinoso army. Assuming that its effective strength is tho paper strength, and that no man is absent, tho total strength amounts to 240,815 men. Careful investigation, however shows that these numbers aro far beyond tho real numbers, and that tho actual strength consists of 180,000 foreign-drilled men, with IC2 batteries of mountain und field artillery, each of six guns. Of this number 100,000 aro combatants, who have received moro or less efficient military training. Foreign-drilled troops aro now quartered in varying strength in each of tho three provinces of Manchuria, in each of the 18 provinces of China proper, and in the New Dominion, including Ivuldja and Kashgaria, and preparations aro in progress for stationing in tho future 2000 men in Mongolia, barracks to accommodate this number being now under construction in Urga. It is worthy of note that of all the officers in the Chinese army loss than three per cent, are Manehus. Among tho high commands in Peking thero aro very few Manehus. Thero nro 80 few available that nearly, all the senior oflicors in tho first division—the Manchu division—are Chinese, tho commandor being a Shantung man of tho old school. 11l tho Guards, which was founded primarily as a Manchu division, but is now open to alt classes, most of tho officers are Chinese, not Manchu. The Minister for War is a Manchu named Yin Chang, who was trained for somo years in tho Gorman and Austrian armies, and has twicc been Minister to Berlin. Ho accompanied tlio Regent, l'rince Chun, on his expiatory mission to Germany. His sympathies are naturally with the country in which he was educated. On tho other hand, tho sympathies of tho bulk of tho officers under his command, their instincts and training, aro to a marked oxtent Japanese. More than 700 Chinese officers trained in Japan hold commands in tho Chineso army, and there aro still 80 in Japan comploting their training. Japanese teachers in China itself aro much reduced in number. Thero were GO; there aro at present seven only—namely, one in Canton, one in Wuchang, and iivo in Paotingfu. 'There aro three or four German instructors, but no British. Practically all the teaching in the army and in the military'schools is in tho hands of Chinese, who havo boen trained in Japan. Tho arniy is modelled on that of Japan. Japaneso influence is paramount. Chinese educated in Japan acquire to a surprising degree tho Japanese characteristics, especially that of sccretiyenoFS. They continue in China tho intimate relations formed among themselves when at school in Japan. They are well trained as a rulo. It is becoming a saying that unless -you aro trained in Japan you havo little prospect of promotion in tho Chineso Anmy. Appointments aro now made from "foreign-educated" officers; the old practico of elevating men to high military commands who wero Chineso scholars or Imperial favourites, destituio of military training, has been . largely abandoned. About 30 of tlio officers have been educated in Germany, another 30 in France, one or two in Belgium, two at West Point (tho brother of Dr. Ch'en Chin-tao and the nephew of Wen Tsung-yao, tho As-sistant-Resident in Tibet), but none in England.