If China Was Armed.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue VI, 11 August 1900, Page 260

If China Was Armed.

Supposing* that the Chinese Empire armed in the same proportion as do other States, the army of the yellow men would be ineomparablv the largest in the Eastern Hemisphere. A glance at the accompanying diagram will show the relative strength of European armies, on a |>eace footing, be it noled. As will be seen, Russia stands first: then c ime France, Ger-

main, Austria. Italy, and. finally, the tin* standing army of England. Above them all towers the Yellow Giant symbolising an aunv of no less than five millions, or the population of London. Fancy. 5,000,000 fighting men! The idea is appalling. This is the size of the army which China

would possess if she armed her population in the same proportion as do the Powers. In France there is one soldier to every eighty inhabitants. A similar proportion in China gives the above staggering result. Supposing that the inhabitants of the Flowery Land were to be roused from their torpor, and imbued with a military spirit and a desire of conquest. what could Eurone do io keep these myriads of armed men within

their own borders? Why, all the armies of Europe put together would total up to a number far. far below the strength of the Mongolian hosts. Lord Wolseley made an alarming utterance- on this subject some years ago. in which he followed the leael of “Chinese” Gordon. The latter soldier

had exceptional facilities for knowing- his subject. Happily, the Chinese are not a warlike nation, as the pitiable performances of the Imperial.troops belore the redoubt-

able “Boxer” fanatics testify all the present time, repeating the lesson of the Chino-Japanese war. Mr Harold Gorst, in his informing book on “China” refers to the Mongolian army as “a mere disordered rabble, who took to their heels and scarcely paused to tire a few pebbles out of their anti-

quated matchlocks.” This dots not sound very formidable, and when we remember that the Celestial soldier is in a chronic state of almost mutinous discontent, by reason of very much deferred pay, our contempt for the pigtailed heathen as a fighter becomes intensified. Elsewhere Mr Gorst says: “The Chinese army is really composed of peasants and labourers, who give their spare moments —if they have any—to military exercises. ... A thorough drill is under these circumstances out of the question, and the exercises which are indulged in are better calculated to develop a body of muscular athletes than an army of trained soldiers. Playing catch with heavy stones, shooting arrows at straw dummies. marching on parade, blowing calls and signals, bawling words of command, are the chief items of drill in the Chinese army. There is little target practice, because it is considered a waste of money to expend powder and shot in times of peace!” Truly, the teeming millions of China if armed, would not be so form'dable as at first sight appears.