THE CHINESE ARMY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1299, 30 November 1911, Page 4

THE CHINESE ARMY.

POLITICAL DEFECTS OF THE TERRITORIAL SYSTEM. The military ciiriv-n.inili'iil of Ilic "Stiuidiird," wri'lini; i>n Oololior 17, >la((>;-: two »r tlm'o yeai> ;)K<> lh» attention of miliiury circles in I'iurope was ;ilIniclfil to llii) grc;it improveincnrs lirinu curried tint in the Chine?:>- Army, which if Iwing gradually reorganised in conformity with Wpjt'ern inndH.-. Thorn can hf no question but that great improvements liiivn been eft'sclwl: and niat-l rapci'l.4 would bo (li.-rpo.-cd to agree that Hid plan which h;i< been worked out_on paper is ono well fitilod to the peculiar condition obtaining in tho Cnloitial Empiro in many respects. But there are weak points in Ihe system oven jn theory, and there arc vep-'woak paints in the procedure by which the system is being carried out.

Although what may bs called the ordro de bataiile, that is lo say, tho breakingup of the whole into divisions, brigades, and ?o on, is modelled on European lines, the Chinese Army differs from most modern Annies other than our uivn in that the rank and file arc obtained by voluntary enlistment, nnd they arc paid (if they .iro lucky) for their services. In a. land where the inhabitants are liko the sand of the sea for number obligatory service produces far more men than arc required, and it can only bo managed fairly if the arrangements for (bo ballot are very well devised (as is the case, for instance, in F.gypt). Tho voluntary syslem of enlistment is undoubtedly tliat best adapted to the Dominions of the Manchu Emperor, and it appears to work satisfactorily. Tho building up of tho Army, as it was designed by the reformer, who took the work in hand some few years ago, has been delayed, rather by tho difficulty of procuring tho officers, aud by the want of arms, ammunition, aud equipment than by any lack of rocruits when there have been invited (0 come forward in the various district?. The men servo for three years with the Colours, and they then pass on into the Reserve for three more; after that thev are supposed to be incorporated in a kind of landwehr for four more years, but this seems to bo quite unorganised. When tho reorganisation of the forces was taken in hand thoso in authority naturally enough started in the northern provinces, . about Peking. Tho, consoand social conditions in tho agglomeraas a whole is in a much more forward state in that part of the country which is most attached to tho Peacock Throne than it is in tho progressive and antidynasty south. Altogether 28 divisions havo been formed, or are in process of formation; but it is understood that only wn are comp.ete. • The fact that the soldiers aro quartered in the districts where they are recruited—that the system is territorial, in other words—is a weak point in the organisation. The nature of the political and social conditions i nthe agglomeration of provinces superintended by the reactionary aud out-ot'-dato .Executive in Peking renders it desirable that the troops raised in any part of the country should lie tent elsewhere'for fear of their taking part in the autwlynastic movements which are constantly springing up. Tho troops which niado themselves masters of Wuchang, and then proceeded to seize Hanyang with its arsenal, belong to that part of tho country, and they naturally made common, cause with the rebels when the time came for action. It is an interesting fact that, «t the present niomont, when the eyes of the world are so much directed upou the Armies of Italy and of China, Italy should be suffering to some slight extent becausa its Army is not territorial, while China, or, at ull events, the Imperial Government of China, is suffering because its Army is territorial. Tho reason why the Italian Army was not tcrritorialiscd, when it was organised on its existing lines f.onio forty or so "years ago, was that United Italy, had been built up out of a number of distinct principalities aiul kingdoms, and it was therefore thought well lo knit these together by incorporating men from .-ill parts of the countrv in the samo regiments. This was 110 doubt sound from the political point of view although it is unsound, from, .the military point of view, as itcomphciites mobilisation In China the very important political aspect of this -question would seem to have been subordinated to the mnitary considerations," and ' this may turn out to be somewhat unfortunate for the Manchu dynasty.