Windows of the World.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 252, 24 October 1934, Page 13

Windows of the World.

A Symposium of Overseas Affairs Highlights of the News Copyright—"Chicago Tribune" and "New York News" Services.

THE CHINESE SOLDIER

HIS CHANGING STATUS. WHAT KAI-SHEK IS DOING. NANKING (China), September 20. There used to be a saying in China that "no good son would become a soldier," and the mediocre character of the Chinese army attested to the accuracy of the saying. While the country jas tlia largest army in the worid (1.999,030 men), it obviously is not made up of the "best sons" in the land. China's armies in the past, and to a certain extent now, are composed of surplus males who have been unable to earn a living in any other line of activity. 111 a sense the Chinese soldier, in the mass, resembled the medieval armies attached to feudal lords which roamed Europe in the middle ages. Their loyalties were toward individual commanders. rather than to tho nation; hence th'c profession of arms was not regarded with honour among the Chinese.

But this situation is rapidly changing In fact, ono now hears statements hy° Occidental military experts that China has developed more rapidly in her military establishment in recent years than in any other line of activity. Based on the amount of money expended on the army, the Chinese people have a rHit to "expect development, for nearly half the national expenditure from the central treasury is earmarked for the military branch. In 1932 the military establishment received 303,777,002.78 dollars of total national expenditures, amounting to G52,990,804.15 dollars, the figures being Chinese silver dollars, -nliich are equivalent to about 1/4J in English money. Since the Nationalist revolution in 1920-27, General Chiang Kai-shek has employed some fifty German military experts as instructors in the National Military Academy. In 1925-1920 the Cantonese Nationalist party employed Soviet military advisers, but when the Chinese broke off relations with Moscow in 1927 these advisers were sent home and replaced by Germans, who are still on the job. Americans- and Italians are being used in the training of the Chinese military air force, and three years a tlie Nanking Government made a deal with the British to develop the Chinese naval personnel.

Up to the present the principal effort "was directed at improving the chaiactei and training of the officer personnel through the National Military Academy at Nanking. At present there arc some 3000 students enrolled, 00 per cent being in the infantry branch, 20 per cent in the cavalry, and 20 per cent in the artillery. The course of training lasts for two years and nine months, all students being selected from high schools over the country. In 1928-1929 the central Government took another important step by passing a law requiring four years' military training for all male students from hign school juniors upward. No male student may now obtain a degree without having first completed the military courses, which include three hours a week, with three weeks of rigid military training during the summer \acation. . In addition to these moves General Chiang also is planning to introduce conscription for all able-bodied males. According to report, the system will be first introduced in Chekiang, which happens to be Chiang's native province. Also, it was recently announced in Nanking that the country is shortly to be divided into military districts, in to facilitate special training, not only for students, but also for the rank and file now in' the various armies.