THE CHINESE ARMY AND NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 177, 3 July 1900, Page 4

THE CHINESE ARMY AND NAVY.

According to the most credible accounts very little improvement lias been made in the Chinese army since the war with Japan, which revealed its worthless character. It was never easy toascertain facts concerning the Chinese forces. The elite of the army is composed of the Shen-Che-Ying, or Black Flag troops, and the Pa-Ki, or Eight Banner men. The former are said to number 80,000 men with the colors. These men more nearly approach our European standard in drill and arms than any other troops in the Imperial service. The nucleus of the Black Flags is constituted of the veterans of Gordon's army which . suppressed the Taeping rebellion, and the troops have been trained largely by European officers, who have spoken highly of their steadiness and efficiency in drill, Next in importanee to the Black Flags come the Banner men and the Army of Manchuria, composed of soldier-like troops, but some of them still armed with bow and arrows, or with the old gingall. The Banner men are estimated at something like 300,000. They consist largely of Manchus, Mongols, and Chinese or Han-chun. The army of Manchuria was raised from the Banner men of Fengtien, Kirin, and Hei-lung-chiang. • These were all fighting men, perhaps 180,000 in all; but fully 100,000 had received no European training. Outside the ranks of the Black Flags and Banner men and other Manchurian forces, of whom perhaps 175,000 possessed various modern arms, and are drilled somewhat upon the European plan, is- the vast array of the Luh-ying or Green Flags, with a paper strengh of 650,000 men, scattered through the Empire, under the control of the local viceroj s and governors. This heterogeneous force possess little military value. But the reverses of the Chinese, it was thought, would not unlikely give something of new character to their military defences, and the army will probably yet be stripped of some of its, archaic character; though nothing can avail if the corruption and nepotism of the official classes be allowed to prevail. It is quite the rule for the generals and local governors to maintain only a small proportion of the established force, and to draw pay for the whole. Wages paid to soldiers are insufficient, and the deficiency is made good by pillage and frvud. In one province men are exercised with antiquated lances, halberds, and pikes, in another with Martini Rifles, and in another with the German 1888 model, and Krupp and Armstrong guns are alternately ordered with Nordenfeldts. and left to rust and become useless, During Ills recent visit to China Lord Charles Beresford saw all the armies, arsenals, dockyards, ~ships, forts, and schools, and found them in a deplorable state. Re was of the opinion that an army 200,000 men be maintained with the same Budget as at present if waste were avoided. The viceroys whom he saw approved of his suggestions for reorganihation, but it was very unlikely that anything would be done. It was, stated some munths ago that the Emperor hadoidered the formation of a sort of national guard, The Chinese Navy was practically wiped out in the war with Japan, The Kang Chi and Chew-hai were all that remained of the Pei Yang squadron, and the southern squadron contains no ships of real value. The most important new vessels are the sister cruisers Hai Chi and Hai Tien, of 4300 tons launched at Elswick in 1897 and 1898. They were well protected, have engines of 17,000 horsepower, 24 knots sj.eed, and carry an armament of two Bin, ten 4in, and twelve 3-pounder quick-firers. A torpedo cruiser of 850 tons, the Fei Ying, has been added to the Pei Yang force, and in 1897 the cruisers Hei Yung, Hai Shen, and Hai Shew, for the same squadron, were launched at Stettin, They displace 2,950 tons, and are well armed. Engines of 7,500 horse-power give a speed of 19 knots. I Several sea-going torpedo boats have I also been recently added to the fleet. I