CHINA’S QUAINT SAILORS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1927, Page 1

CHINA’S QUAINT SAILORS

(By DAVID NEVILLE, in the London

Daily Mail ”.)

When the crews of the mutinous Chinese warships explained that some of 'their shells had landed in the French concession at Shanghai by accident, they were in all probability speaking the truth. For the Chinese Navy’s personnel is as incompetent as its equipment is useless. Four years ago 1 watched a Cantonese cruiser, whose captain had thrown in his lot with AYu-Pei-l'ti, the Peking Government’s commander, shelling tiic permanent way of the PekingMnkden Railway, along which Chang Tsn-lin's retreating troops were being carried by rail. The line at that point (between ( bin Wang Tao and Slianliaikwan) almost touches high water mark, and the enemy vessel was anchored half a mile or so off-shore. In three days’ bombardment they did not register a single hit. The Chinese Navy is, indeed, a thing of shreds and patches. It began, in 1898, with the purchase of several protected cruisers from Japan- (An earlier attempt to modernise it hail been postponed through the decision of the Dowager Empress to spend the revenue collected for. the purpose, 21,000,000 taels (or about £2,500,000), on enlarging the Summer Palace.) They are still in commission, supplemented hv two cruisers of later date built on the Tyne. A few 30-knol destroyers of 1912 construction, regarded as fighting ships, would make any modern fleet smile, and more antique than any are. tho 16-knot torpedo boats, nearly 30 years old. The great war brought an unexpected accession of strength in the German river gunboats Vntcrlanil anil Otter, which were interned and subsequently confiscated.

I went aboard tbe former, now renamed the Li Sun, some years ago. The delicate sighting mechanism of her guns was red with rust and her engineroom was in little hotter case.

There are, it is true, 60 officers of flag rank in a total personnel of about 8,000; and it is true that the Chinese of the coastal provinces, Shantung and Fukien in particular, is a horn sailor. But what can lie do against tho ageold institutions of graft, corruption, and incompetence in high places which to-day make the Chinese Fleet nothing but a oolletion of floating scrap-iron?