Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1894 — CELESTIAL SOLDIERS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CELESTIAL SOLDIERS.

ACCOUTERMENTS OF THE OLD CHINESE ARMY. Rows and Arrows Still in Use—Gonffs and Trumpets as Offensive Weapons—Drill Turning Somersaults—Battery Equipped with Fire Crackers and Cannon. Back Number Warriors. The signal defeats the Chinese navy has encountered in its engagements with the Japanese ships show that the Chinese have learned little more of the art of using steam vessels of war than they knew in 1860. In that year, during the war with the British, a small gunboat grounded in a river, was abandoned ty the crew and captured by the Celestials. Noticing the superior speed of the gunboat over their own tub-like junks, they determined to use the vessel, so floated her off the bar, lighted the Are in her furnaces, produced the proper amount of smoke from the funnel, but was greatly surprised that she did not move, and conceiving that the foreign devils must have bewitched her, sent for conjurers to remove the spell. All their eCorts were, however, in vain, they finally concluded that the boat needed a couple of eyes painted, one on each side of the bow. to enable her to see her way. Before this could be attended to, the boat was recaptured by the foreigners and further experiment indefinitely postponed. The efforts of the Celestials to utilize Western methods of army discipline and Western arms in the land service seem to have been greeted with somewhat more success than this attempt to press a steamer into the employment of the Flowery King-

dom, but with all the improvemonts that necessity has forced upon the Chinese military authorities, the army remains, for the most part, in a condition that renders it a scoff and byword to the troops of any civilized nation. Nominally, on paper, it is an imposing force. According to the Chinese official reports it comprises all the arms of the service in overwhelming numbers. There are the troops of the Eight Banners, including Manchus, Mongols and the Chinese, or rather the descendants of those who joined the invaders under the Emperor Shunchih in 1644. Altogether, therefore, the empire

is said to be able to put 1,250,000 men in the field, a force that seems so large that any one might be excused for entertaining a profound respect for the military strength of the empire. Such a force is not large when compared with the area of the country nor with the population, for it should not be forgotten that the Chinese empire is almost as large as the whole of North America, and •that more people speak the Chinese language than any other one tongue on the globe. Butin absolute numbers the Chinese army is strong, and were its efficiency only equal to its numbers the plains of Central Europe might once more behold the spectacle of Mongolian cavalry overrunning the fairest regions of Christendom. If this sight is ever witnessed, however, it will only be after some centuries of drilling have given the Celestials an idea of military tactics, and the same period of good food and proper exercise has hardened and developed their muscular systems to enable them to stand the fatigue of long marches and the labors of the battlefield. It has never yet happened in the history of the world that a nation of meat eaters was conquered by an army of grain feeders, and until the Chinese alter their diet Europe has nothing to fear from them. Nor need the Japanese be greatly alarmed at the prospect before them of a horde of Chinese being poured into Corea,from the plains of China, fqr the Chinese idea of military drill and tactics is of the most primitive description. Only ten years have elapsed since the Governor of Shantung reported the results of a grand review and declared “the perform-

ances of the soldiery were found worthy of high commendation, as well in shield and spear practice as in posturing, tight-rope dancing and other military exploits.” A little later the Director General of the Yellow River forts also had a review, and in his report to the court stated that “the performances of the soldiery in evolutions, spear, shield and archery practice, and in turning warlike somersaults, was of the most satisfactory description.’’ As late as 1884 a Governor of a province on the Yank-tse-Kiang tested bls troops in shouting, and affirmed that their performance was “past all criticism,” while “in gong-beating and trumpetblowing” he never had heard their equals. “They also ran very swiftly.” While the last named military accomplishment may be greeted with a smile by those unfamiliar with Celestial tactics, its usefulness, particularly to troops whose highest merit on the field of battle is an ability to beat the gong, to shout, to turn somersaults and dance the tight rope, cannot be questioned, and the astuteness of Its Chinese officers in training their men to speed is as deserving of compliment as the ♦rurnpea blowing of the soldiers themselves,‘ But the Chinese see nothing absurd in such performances, for one of their greatest generals long ago laid down the maxim that “when an enemy comes and breaks down the wall of a Chinese city the army ought not to stay and fight, but should retire as speedily as possible and await an opportunity to harass the movements of the enemy.” Another grav<> authority declares that “the chief point in offensive or defensive movements is to frighten the enemy, and to this end the faces painted on the shields are of the greatest value, and next to these is the ability to shout well, to beat the gong and to turn somer-

saults, all of which aje inexpressibly terrifying to outside barbarians.” The Chinese army has been lately remodeled, that is, an attempt has been made to remodel it, though how far this has been successful is an open question. A number of European officers were appointed to teach the tactics employed in the armies of more civilized states, and some degree of efficiency has, it is said, been attained in the use of civilized weapons. How far this statement is true will doubtless soon be made

manifest. It is certain, however, that only ten years ago. dqljdng the war with the Ereneh in Tonquin, the reorganized regiments were little more efficient than the mob of shouting, gong-beating, and somersaultturning Celestials, who were the sport of both French and British soldiers and sailors in previous wars. Even now, however, the constitution of the army differs little from what it was when China, at the beginning of this century, having been, so to speak, the cock of the walk in Eastern Asia from time immemorial, was regarded by all her people as absolutely invincible. 1 The leading branch of the military

service is found in the “Bannermen.” These are the descendants of the original invaders, who, by law, have the rigid, to guard the Emperor’s person and the twenty-four gates of the “Forbidden City,” Pekin. As there are over 100,000 of these men in Pekin alone, it is obvious that they can not all be so employed, so selections are made from their number to form a privileged corps, the crack regiment of the Chinese army. This body is armed with bows and arrows, save on great occasions, when they

wear swords and carry lances or halberds. They stand guard at the gates of Pekin, at the palace, and escort the Emperor on his journeys. The next in honor are also armed with bows and arrows, very good bows, no doubt, and excellent arrows, but still somewhat behind the times. As though in recognition of the fact, they are provided with matchlocks, with which they are supposed to exercise six times a month, firing three shots on each exercise day. Much more importance, however, is attached to the archery practice, for, though it is no disgrace to a soldier not to hit anything with his matchlock, some discredit attaches to a failure with the bow. The principal drill is with the scaling ladder, it being taken for granted that the enemy will always seek refuge in some place that needs to be scaled, though much attention is also given to leaping and jumping on horses, running at full speed. These do not comprise all the drills, for the soldiers are taught to use the sword, the club or military Hail, and also to beat the gong in the most ear-split-ting and terrifying manner. The army of the Green Standard constitutes the great body of the Chinese militia. Assembled when an emergency demands the use of troops, they are generally disbanded when the emergency is past, and so have neither time nor opportunity for acquiring a knowledge of drill or of military tactics. Little effort is made at uniformity,either in dress or arm-, and the men composing the militia force are in reality a mob that could not stand a moment before even a single regiment of European soldiers. Untrained, undrilled, their swords, spears, matchlocks, and bows hang rusting on the walls of the barracks, save on those occasions when a dress parade is commanded. Even then there is no little difficulty in making them presentable. The cavalry of the Chinese service does not differ materially from the infantry, save in the fact that the men are mounted on scrubby ponies much given to falling down. The drill, or rather lack of drill, is the same, and the men are armed with the same kind of weapons, except that the cavalry carry bigger gongs. The artillery, however, constitute an entirely distinct branch of the service, and by their inability to hit anything are a wellspring of joy to the enemy. For of all cannon that were ever invented the Chinese cannon are the most worthless, and of all gunners the Celestial artillerymen are the worst. Their native-made guns are the poorest apology for artillery that ever came from a foundry. One English officer tells of a gun he saw that had been cracked in tiring, and was nevertheless continued in the service by being patched up With strips of bamboo and tied with strings. The guns have no sights, for the Chinese ao not understand these mysterious appliances, and often remove them from the foreign guns purchased for the use of the navy, sometimes rep'acing them with pieces of bamboo. With the native guns it Is impossible to hit anything,

partly from the lack of sights, partly from other faults in ■ the piece, and partly from the worthlessness of the powder. It is said the Chinese invented powder hundreds of years ago, and artillery men who have tried to use the Chinese product are often tempted to believe that it is some of that powder that was first invented. The Chinese guns merely throw out the shot and that is about all. During the opium war the English, watching the Chinese batteries, often saw the round balls used drop from

the gun at the distance of a few yards and roll away, and even when the Celestial shooting was at its best, the balls glanced from the wooden sides of the mem-af-war, generally without throwing off a splinter. Besides their cannon the artillery men are provided with bows and arrows, generally much more effective than their guns. They have no gongs, the report of the artillery being supposed to answer the same purpose, but they are provided with one weapon, which, so far as known, is peculiar to China. It is known by a Chinese name, which, translated into English, sig-

nifies the “stink-pot,” and it justifies its appellation. It is a small vessel or jar of pottery filled with sulphur and other combustibles, and is used by lighting the inflammables within and then throwing it among the enemy. One match, burning under the human nose is bad enough, but the general effect of this peculiar weapon is that of a barrel of matches, and no wonder can be felt at the fact that, when landed on the deck of a hostile ship, it speedily drives the defenders from the scene. With cannon, stink-pots, and a bountiful supply of very large firecrackers to use, when their guns from any cause fail to go off, a Chinese battery is well

provided for either attack or defense, and is justly regarded as the bulwark of the national independence. To what extent the warlike appliances of ten or twelve years ago have been supplemented by more modern and improved devices is uncertain, but judging from the fact that of the troops dispatched to Corea, some at least were armed with bows and arrows, it is fair to presume that in no inconsiderable degree the timehonored implements of war still hold their place in the Chinese bands, and were it not that the Japanese are better provided, the international duel would be about as interesting and as bloody as if it were fought with mops, washboards, and flatirons. r

ON THE WAR-PATH.

ONE MEANS OF PROMOTING COURAGE.

A VETRRAN GUN.

OLD-STYLE FIGHTING JUNKS.

A GROUP OF OLD-TIME SOLDIERS.

MILITARY TRAINING EXTRAORDINARY.