NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12759, 9 January 1905, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Tire ABMTXG or CHIN'A. A Cmsr.su official of high rank, speaking of certain rumours among foreigners that China was arming preparatory to another war with the " Barbarians of the West," warmly denied the imputation, from his own knowledge of affairs in general. " Our Government." he said, "is aware of its weakness in the nutter of well and properly drilled troops which puts the country at the mercy of the first aggressive Tower. This, it is only natural, all patriotic officials are determined to remedy without delay. China, as a. rule, moves slowly, but what she fears is partition, and this very apprehension makes her officials work feverishly towards the desired end of making China strong enough to prevent such a catastrophe. Then there is the war in Manchuria, the end of which no one can foresee, and all Chinese feel the need of having a strong army, to hold the??, three provinces no matter how the war will turn out. for there Is no intention to allow the cradle of the dynasty to be wrested perpetually by an alien Power. All these are incentives to all Chinese officials (Manehns. of course, are also included in the term " Chinese,") to raise a. strong well-drilled and modern-armed army without delay, so as to be ready for all such eventualities as have been noted in the foregoing."' There is, according to the sincere opinion of the interviewed mandarin, not the slightest cause for anxiety on the part of foreigners in China of a second and a greater "Boxer" war in the near future. .Sentiment about foreigners in China has changed since 1900, and is still changing, until in a short time anti-foreign mobs will be the exception rather than the rule. When the Government possesses a numerous and properly equipped army so much less will there be the chance of mob rule and riots of any sort or colour: anti-mandarin, or anti-foreign. Indeed, since the last two or three months this feverish anxiety to raise and arm additional armies in the Northern, Central, and Southern provinces has become accentuated rather than, lessened, as from secret reports received from various Chinese Ministers abroad there ore fears in. Europe and America that the war between Japan and Russia is drawing other nations into the warlike arena, and that by the spring of next year no one need be surprised if he sees a general war on the two continents of Europe and Asia. Then where would poor China be, if she remains as weak as after the disastrous year of 1900? This danger is fully recognised at Pekin and the Government is quite naturally and properly preparing for eventualities. But a, general anti-foreign war is out of the question; the lessons of 1900 are too recent, if for no other reason. CJVX iTiWI-n IN' BATTLESHIPS. The two battleships included in the navy programme of 1904-5 are the. first designed by Mr. Philip Watts since he was appointed Director of Naval Const met ion and Assistant Controller. They mailc a large advance, especially in. respect of gun power and of armour protection. For many years it has beer, the invariable practice to lit four 12in gnus into our battleships as a primary armament, and. up till the design of the King Edward VII. by Sir William White, the secondary armament was exclusively of 6in quick-firers. But. it had long been urged that, in view of the greater resistance of tumour to penetration, these quick-firers would bo ineffective in a. fleet action fought at about 3000 yds range. In the King Edward VII. class four 9.2 in guns were substituted for a corresponding number o'. Gin weapons. While this was a useful addition to lighting power, it was still considered by some that the remaining 6in guns wore inadequate. Mr. Watts lias now discarded them, and the annament of the new Lord Nelson class includes four 12in and 10 9.2 in guns. At Ihe same time the length of the guns has been increased— former from 30 to 45 calibres, and .lie latter from 45 to 50 calibres. So that, separately, as we as collectively, the ordnance of the new shim has much greater lighting power than that of the preceding ship,. The 9.2 in guns will be mounted, eight of them in pairs within gun-houses over the upper deck'" while the two remaining weapons will occupy central positions on each broadside, in important: to not,, that thus none of the guns will be placed at a lower level than the upper decks, while the machine guns, numbering 15 12-pounders, do o-pomiders, and two Maxims, will bo mounted on the central battery behind, and at a higher level than the main guns so that they will command the whole «ci area within torpedo range of the battle'snips.