THE SCRANTON TlUBlJiNE-JL-'lUDAr, DECEMBER 22, 1899.
ARMY ABSOLUTELY
WITHOUT A HEAD
QUEER TLIQHT OF THE CHINESE
EMPIHE.
More Than a Million Soldiers With
out a Central Commander Individ
ually They Aro Bravo Men, but in
Organization nnd "Equipment They
Are Simply Grotesque Navy Like
the Army.
Ucrlln Correspondence of London Times.
I am able to forward to you a trans
lation of the most Interesting portion
of an article on tho Chinese army from
the pen of Uaron von Heltzlngen, a.
major in the German army, who has
been out for some time In China re
organzing a portion of the Chinese
forces, and who holds tho Chinese rank
of general. The following Is his de
scription of the Chinese army:
The peculiarity of the political geo
graphical and economical conditions of
China, the historical development of
the state and of the family, and other
causes, have given a peculiar character
to the Chinese defensive system. As
military forces arc to be noticed the
Manchu troops, the provincial troops
and the so-called Irregulars, which are
enlisted In case of need and again dis
missed. No such thing exists ns a
centralized command of these bodies.
The Manchu troops aro In general the
descendants of the Mnnchus and of
thoi-o Mongols and Chinese who In the
seventeenth century overthrew the
Ming dynasty and established the pres
ent one upon the throne. They still
constitute the chief support of tho Ta
tslng dvnasty, nnd are divided Into
eight "banners," according to their
eight differently colored flags. ThMr
strength may be reckoned at about
'loo.Oui men. Originally they were kept
In Peking as a body guard, but the
viceroys of the provinces, In order to
weaken the central authority, manage 1
to break up this force under the pre
text that they wished the Imperial
power to have representatives in the
provinces. According to other accounts
the detachments wcte sent them from
the beginning in order to enable them
to keep control of tho eonqueicd ter
ritories. These troops are quartered In
parts of the town specially walled In,
the so-called Tartar quarters. The
obligation to military service Is here
ditary among them, and originally. In
addition to concessions of land, they
received high pay and portions of rice
from the court. Even now every Man
chu receives a salary from the emper
or but It Is so small that It does not
sunice for his own maintenance, much
less that of his family. However, the
military duties aro not fulfilled very
conscientiously, and the soldiers have
plenty of time to devote to other oc
cupations. Marriages between Man
chus ami Chinese are strictly forbid
den, but 1 have none the less seen a
considerable number of small-footed
women in the Tartar quarter at Han
king, and Manchu women, as is well
known, aie not allowed to cripple
themselves by artlliclally lessening the
size of their foot. livery son of a
Manchu and Manchurln Is entered by
name In a roll kept by the govern
ment and Is entitled to a salary from
the imperial treasury. Although tho
Manchu troops have degenerated con
siderably through the Idleness of their
live, they have, nevertheless, even In
quiet lecent times, given proofs ef
their devotion to the throne and of
heroli' courage. In the streets of the
Tartar quarter the angular, light
brown faces of the well built men, and
the curious headgear nnd long red
trousers of tho women, form an agree
able contrast to the Chinese custom.
The Tartar general Is the commander
of the few thousand Manchues who
are stationed In eaci province. He
holds with the governor a privileged
position in the province. These Man
chu garrisons are of verv little use;
they rather tend to Increase the dis
content of the Chinese by reminding
them that they are a subjert race. Tn
considering the external development
of the Imperial power the Manchu
troops may bo neglected.
Till: PUOVIN'CIATj TROOPS,
The provincial troops, with their
green banners, are recruited entirely
from the Chinese population. They arc
under the control of the vicerovs and
governors and are enlisted voluntarily.
They constitute the g.tnisons of the
most Important towns and aro In
trusted with watch, police and Inspec
tion duties. They number about 10(
000 or r.no.OOO men. A small number of
these troops stand In a close relation
to the governor and act as his bodv
guard. The only control the central
government has over tho provincial
troops Is that It settles the amount of
the nnnual estimates and appoints tho
superior officers.
Judged by our conceptions the Chi
nese troops are, to all intents and pur
poses, quite untrained, badly nrmd
nnd thus useless. M"reoer they lack
a centralized command. The so-called
"braves" are still to bo counted aa
among the best. They are better
armed and provided for. Some of them
have been through a course of EurJ
pean drill, and their oflkers Pave been
trained In military schools. The duty
of arranging for th commissariat and
armament of the troops Is intrusted
to tho generaln and the superinten
dents of the camps. These maintain,
ns a rule, only a small proportion of
tho legulatlon strength, a fraud which
Is connived at by the superior official-),
who divide tho profit with them. Oc
casionally a camp is temporarily or
oven permanently broken up but It
Btlll appears p the accounts. The
wages which are paid are generally
insufficient, and the soldiers endeavor
to supplement their myitis by private
work and by robberv. Chinese oflicers
regard the post of mm erlntendent of
a camp as a speculation. Cheating is
universal. The nccou ferment and
training of tho soldiers are dlffeient In
every province. In ono province the
men are exercised with antiquated
lances, halberds and plls. in another
with Martini rifles, nnd In another with
Herman model 8S. Tn ono year Krupp
guns are brought out, remain lying
about somewhere and in a short tlmo
are in such a state that It is Impossible
to use them. The oflicers are secretly
glad of the opportunity to buy new
weapons, nnd make a snvill profit on
tho transaction. Tho officers. HUo all
other ollclals In China, have to make
their living by embezzlement. They
obtain their position by the favor of
high officials and disappear with the
fall of their patrons without receiving
either fi pension or further employ
ment. The conurtion is Increased by
the fact that rank nnd official post
are obtained by purchase, and tint
punishments, even for serious crimes,
can be bought off. Ah Is natural in
such clrcumstancea, hlleobedlonoe Is
rife in the official world. The attempt
at re-orgranlration after European
models which have been made by somo
governors have made no progress. Tin
body of troops formed at Wusung has
fallen back Into Chinese hands,
NAVY ALMOST AS BAD.
What has been said of tho military
forces applies to a certain degree to the
navy, although tho officers are here
better trained, nnd In soma Instances
honorably anxious to do good work.
Tho purchase of modern ships of war
and torpedo boats is being carried on
as rapidly as means will allow; but
there Is a lack of officers capable of
commanding nil these ships and main
taining an undivided control over them.
It must be added that neither tho land
nor the sea forces are sufficiently sup
ported. There Is a lack of roads, rail
ways and modern formications. The
so-called fortresses are mostly built
with sloping walls of clay scarcely a
foot thick at tho top. Forts built uc
coidlng to European nations are only
to be met with at a few places on tho
coast. Of those in tho north, the fort
resses which, In conjunction with tho
fleet, were designed to defend the en
trance Into tho Oulf of Pe-chl-11 have
passed Into the possession of the Euro
epan powers. Port Arthur and Ta-llen-wan,
and of Chl-fuan. tho northenst
point of the Slmn-tung peninsula.
There remain to be mentioned the forts
which protect the coasts of tho Gulf
of Lcao-tong and of the Gulf of Pe-chl-11,
Of those, ln-hw, on the Lnnho
river, has to protect Mukden. The
most lmpoitant link in the chain of
fortifications defending the approach to
Peking Is Taku, at the mouth of tho
Pelho river. It Is Intended to protect
the barrier of the liver, and there Is a
lino of forts extending from Taku to
Tien-Tsin and the camp -y the north
ern at my. Of the fortifications of tho
Yang-tse river, the fort at Wusung
has recently fallen Into cfmplete de
cay. The Nan-shl-tang and the mod
ern Szctzelln battery still remain. At
ICiau-yong, too. there ure a few modern
batteries existing side by side with the
ancient ones, and the same Is true of
Tsln-Kiang. Further up the river the
batteries at Nanking are the only for
tifications of any Importance.
To the more Important fortresses of
the southern coasts of China belong tho
fortifications of Tsln-Hal, which guard
the entrance to Hang-Chau, and those
of Fu-Chau at the mouth of the Blvcr
Mln. which consist of five forts built
by French engineers. Further south
we find the fortresses of Amoy and
Swatcau, and. opposite Hong Kong, tho
group of forts at Canton. These last
consist of three zones intended, in con
nection with mines and torpedoes, to
protect Canton from attack. It would
not be worth while to consider more
fully the importance of these vailous
fortifications. The high clay walls of
tho majority of the forts, the sentry
houses, the flag poles and the high
gates offer magnificent marks 4ir ar
tillery. Tho protected shooting places
are quite antiquated. The size of tho
court-yards, with the clay huts which
they contain, facilitates the destruc
tion of the forts. Only a few battel ies
conespond to modern con.-eptions. Bat
teries, too, are to be found which are
composed of twenty or more guns dif
fering entirely from one another In size
ami consti action. This fact alone would
render It Impossible for the action of
the whole battery to be directed by a
single will, and the same effect is pro
duced by the placing of a single gun
at the summit of each of the J Ills at
Kiau-Yong and Nanking. Hut the Im
portant principle that the flic of a bat
tery should be directed from a single
center is not understood by the Chi
nese, with whom It Is not the officer,
but tho man In charge of the gun, who
directs tho firing.
The guns, too, are In a very sad state
where there are no European instruc
tors. In the forts on tho Yang-tse lino
powder Is even now used for heavy
Krupp guns, while on the other hand
brown prismatic powder Is used for
firing salutes with Armstrongs. Tables
of charges are only to he found when
they havo been fixed to tho guns. Cov
erings and packings are not, as a rule,
watertight. Ammunition Is generally
placed in damp rooms, nnd nobody has
any Idea of the ballistic capacities of
the guns.
CO-OPERATION NOT UNDERSTOOD
But even if the fortifications were
u a better state, they would be of
little use to China, for there Is no
commander who is capable of under
standing what is meant by the co
operation of troops and fortifications.
There is not even an officer who has
a clear idea of the Co-operation of
different Kinds of troops on the field
of battle, and from this judgment I
would not even except Lieutenant Gen
eral In-Chang, who speaks German
and is at present In command of the
northern troops. During tho many
years I spent in China I only once
heard of a proposed combined strategic
avium vi me troops, i iefer to the
plan which Is reported to have been
drawn up by the counsel of war at
Peking and sanctioned by Impeilal
decree for use In case of war with i
European power. According to this
plan LIn-kun-I. the viceroy of Nan
king, would be appointed as commander-in-chief
of the Yangtse valley with
C3.000 men under him. The Viceroy
Cheng-Chl-Tung, in Wut-Chang,
would bo entiusted with the command
of 4S.000 men in the central portion of
Yangtse. The defense of the west
would be under the control of the gov
ernots of Hu-Pol and Hu-Nitn with 1S.
000 and 30.000 men respectively. The
waterways of the Yangtse would be
protected by Admiral Huan with 40,
000 men. General LI of An-HIn would
be appointed to command the southern
fleet. I have not been able to ascer
tain with certainty whether this plan
has any real existence. In any case
tho Chinese government has not
at its command one-tenth of
the number of soldiers whose
disposition Is thus arranged for, and,
tho lack of roads would render It very
difficult to use them as proposed. And
then, too, It must be considered that
these troops lack everything they
would need to take the field with any
chance of success; leadership, disci
pllne. training, arms, accouterment and
commissariat, all aro wanting. Even
tho small corps that was built up wlih
such energy nnd success at Wu-Sung
Is no longer an exception to the rule,
since it has been removed to Klnu
Yong, and deprived of its German in
structors. The China of tho present
day has, In fact, no understanding for
military matters, nor has the govern
ment the money necessary for tho cre
ation of a good army. Nono tho less
tho government has recently taken up
once more the idea of reforms, which,
however, aro chiefly concerned with
tho extension and improvement of tho
navy.
It is not soldiers nor modem weapons
of which China has the greatest nefd.
What is wanted is a man with tho
courage and ability to bieak with tho
old traditions, to utilize tho treasures
which exist In the country, to reorgan
ize tho administration, to put an end
to the mlszovernment of the official-.
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to create an cflli'Ient hody of troopi
under the control of one central au
thority, and to construct roads and
lallways so that troops could ho Im
mediately dispatched wheievcr a dis
play of military power was necessary
to defend the empire.
AMONG THE AFRIKANDERS.
The Boer Women Have an Intense
Hatred of the English.
From the New York Trlliune.
"Tho Boers of South Aft lea aro a
distinct race liy themselves," said
Louise V. Sheldon, who lived thrfta
ypars In South A ft lea. "They aio and
always will remain pilmltlvo men and
women, who iicfer to live on Isolated
fauns, far from am neighbors. The,
Boer's ancestor, probably som-j Dutch
or French Huguenot exile, 'trekked'
tc the command of the outlander, who
came and took possession of his idavcH
and farm. Hut he will not 'trtk' again
to please nny enemv.
"Tho Boer women nre very prolific,
many of them having fioni fifteen U,
twenty-three children. This Is not an
uncommon fact, and these children an
ruled by their mother with u strong
hut silent hand. Tho women of this
race aro tall and massive, with glanta
for sons, '.hom they bring up In bare
footed freedom to tun over their na
tive veldt.
"Good features' and n beautiful com
plexion aiv common to the Boer wo
men, and, althoiiRh shfi muy only live
In a piimltlve house of cement and
clay, nho Is most careful of her looks.
When Jn an ox wuuoii cr cape cart sho
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WE HAVE CUT THE PRICES TODAY ON ALL HOLIDAY GOODS. THERE MUST NOT BE A DOL
LAR'S WORTH LEFT WHEN THE CURTAIN RINQS DOWN LATE SATURDAY NIQHT. NEVER HAVE QIFT
QOODS BEEN SO LITTLE PRICED AS NOW.
Christmas Thin
There are none of us infallible.
We go to the markets and look over the Christmas novelties ; we see things that we think will
sell, we bring them home and spread them out before you in all their gorgeous array.
As a rule, we are not disappointed; the gift-things find quick owners here. But not always.
And so it happens that certain lots of articles, bought for the Holiday Trade, are not marching out
of the store as quickly as we could wish. It may be the price; if so, we have remedied that for Friday.
It certainly is not the styles or qualities for over our buyers is the generalship of experts, who seldom
make mistakes.
W O'CLOCK
&i
This week's sale, coupled with our enormous Christmas trade,
Holiday Goods are added several articles at startlingly low prices.
Come early in the day if you can.
Decorated Lamps.
$1.25 instead of $1.4!) and $1.8!).
This for your choice on Friday of
nearly a hundred. All hand-decorated,
with globe or dome shades, extra large
burners and twenty i-tylcs and colors to
choose- from.
All day Frida after 10 o'clock.
Double Roasters.
"J!l cents instead of -10 cents.
May as well have the turkey done to a
(urn when you can buy a roaster for so
little.
Double roasters, too. Made with
patent vent will hold the biuigest bird
that ever strutted into your kitchen.
All day Friday after 10 o'clock.
Lace Curtains,
SI. Ill iutead of $2 the pair.
Wu have never offered a better bar
Ran in our upholstery store than is this
one. Very fine quality curtains, full :'M
yards long and ." 1 inches wide, complete
with white pole an ornament to any
home.
All day Friday after 10 o'clock.
Cluster Scarfs.
$;.!)S instead of live dollars.
This for your choice on Friday of
seventy-five Cluster Scarfs in Stone
Marten, Sable and Klectric Seal; also a
few in the much desired imitation Silver
Fox.
This is a typical fur season never
have cluster scarfs been so much in de
mand; the markets arc practically empty
and yet we give you this unparalleled
chance for Friday.
All the newest season's shapes.
All day Friday after 10 o'clock.
i
drives with iter face swathed in foldod
linen, allowing only the oves to remain
uncovered. The hot winds that t-weep
over the country from tho Kalharl de
sert blister and burn and play h.noc
with the .-d:ln
"She Is not as ignorant as one would
suppose, but she lacks that woildly
wlso self-possession which the Eng
lish woman ha cultivated. she Is In
a way shy and speechless before a
foreigner, unless he or she Is an
American; then a metuinoiphosH
takes place. Her eyes spaikle, a littlo
added color files to her cheeks as she
sayy, 'You come lroiii u republic llko
our own.'
"She Is encrpetlc to such a degrea
that It llrt.i an Ameikiin woman who
i.i not a club woman to watch her.
Her leligion Is of tho Hutch reformed
creed, and she and hr family 'trek'
Into town every three months to a
beautiful church built of stone, erected
at a cost of $30 000 or Si'u.OW. In a vll
lago of not over 1,000 Inhabitants.
"Ufr lazy, black, native ervanth
havo to bo told ewry day from tho
time they arrive from their distant
huts in the morning until night Just
what they must do. The Ka'llr has
no memory for the white man's work,
and therefore n, sharp "stick well laid
on his back Is the .inly argument
which tho Boer frau u.us and which
will make him woik.
"She can always get servants,
strange to say, while- her Knfcllsh
neighbor will bo forced to do her own
work through lack of understanding
how to rule them. Until or.e lives In
the country and closely observes tha
customs of the capo people lu govern
u
Illustrated Bibles.
$1." on Friday instead of three dol
lars. What more appropriate gift than a
liiblc a good one that can be handed
down from generation to generation.
We offer on Friday only and on no
other day, fifty Teachers' Bibles, con
taining over six hundred magnificent il
lustrations of Bible scenes and localities.
Printed on superior quality of paper,
bound in full morocco, silk sewed, full
Divinity circuit, red under gilt edges,
and complete with maps and helps.
These arc the famous illuminated edi
tion that have attracted universal atten
tion. They arc sold in most stores at
five and six dollars.
Only fifty of them Friday at the
special price of $1.S." much less than
cost.
All day Friday after 10 o'clock.
Boys' Suits.
$US the suit, instead of $'2.7i).
Don't know of a much more agree
able present to give a boy than a suit of
clothes especially when you can buy
the expensive kinds at our low Friday
prices.
breasted in style, heavy in weight and
in many pretty and desired patterns,
in any pretty and desired patterns.
All sies from seven to fifteen years.
All day Friday after 10 o'clock.
is Is,
ing' the native tho servant question
remains as difficult to solve as heie.
"The Boer frau stays at home and
uins the farm (of several thousand
acres), while the men of the family
go to war, and her In'ierlted and ac
quired hatred of the 1'ngllsh Is so in
tense that she glories In being able to
send her sons to destiny them. Sh.
Is extreme In her llla-s and dlsllkea,
nnd tho Bngllshman his no bitterer
foe than the Boer frau.
"The EngllMi have no love for prim
itive, uncultured people, and they hava
on several occasions presumed upon
the outwnrd appfaramo cf timidity
In the Boer, and in turn been soundly
thrashed,
"No one but Amc: leans could ever
amalgamate with the Boers, and that
will never be, because Americans hava
enough to do Jn developing naturo's
storehouses in their own country, for
the poorest mines In Cripple Creek,
Colo, which un not considered worth
working, arc richer than tho vlchest
minrs In tho Johannesburg gold
llelds.-
CASTOR! A
For Infants and Children.
The Kind You Have Always Bought
Bears tho
&tSM&
Signature
rices
cupse:
ats
OCLQCK
will be a record-breaker.
Photo Frames.
IS cents instead of 150 cents.
This for your choice of a big quantity
of Photo Frames, seven by nine inches
in size will hold the largest cabinets.
Made with easel backs and finished with
mats in front.
A decided bargain at the price.
All day Friday after 10 o'clock.
Hand Sleds.
L'O cents Friday instead of ."!) cents.
There's plenty of snow ahead but
the Big Store cannot wait for it. The
little folks can, if they've a pretty sled to
look t.
Let's suppose that we need the room
(and we do) and that you need the sleds.
A fair exchange will be no robbery so
come for these on Friday at twenty cents.
In two styles the high one for girls,
made with bent knees and prettily
painted; the low ones for the bins
made very strong to withstand all sorts
of knocks.
All day Friday after 10 o'clock.
Rocking Chairs.
Two lots for Friday a splendid gift
for very little monev.
Thc$L'.ri0 kind at $1.!)P.
The $:i.00 kind at $li.2;t.
Three hundred parlor rockers in ma
hogany and oak finish. Your choice of
saddle, cobbler or upholstered seat-.
Made with high carved backs, turned
and straight spindles and broad arms.
An unprecedented offering right in
the midst of the Christmas season.
There'll be three hundred happy
homes tomorrow night.
All day Fridav after 10 o'clock.
FOR
CHRISTMAS
Fine Umbrellas
Eudless variety of Handles, Tied Oaks, Natural
Crooks, Sterling Silver, Etc., in Taffeta, Puritan, Gloria
and Fine Twill Silk. Great variety of '. ','
Pocket Books,
'pi
Card Cases, Shopping Dags, ';;
Boston Bags in Seal Alligator; V
Morocco, Riissia Leather,
Etc., Etc. :
MEARS & HAGEN,
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To the
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PRESENTS
415417
Lackawanna Ave.
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