THE CHINESE ARMY.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1320, 7 November 1883, Page 2

THE CHINESE ARMY.

In an article treating upon the military strength of China, the Morning Post says : — The Chinese field forces are divided into three armies of operation, each from 30,000 to 40,000 strong, to which must be added a fourth army of a strength of about 120,000 men, which furnished the garrisons for the various cities. It is not saying too much, therefore, that China would be able to oppose an invading army appearing between Tientsin and Pekin by 150, 000, fairly well drilled troops armed with modern weapons. Vs a matter of fact the Chinese army is at present in a s ate of organisation. The new army is to be systematically reconstructed on an entirely novel basis, the existing army supplyingmerely human material. The basis includes the selection, purchase, and introduction of a new arm both for the infantry and artillery, the reorganisation of existing factories for thr manufacture of the new arms an<l a>n munition, the drawing up of f e -h vgulations, and finally the establishing t of inilitsuy schools for the foaualku of

military cadres. The question of the weapons to be adopted for the Chinese army was settled in 1380, when both the Mauser vide for the infantry ami the Krupp gun for the artillery were introduced. I.i that year large contracts for i he, supply of thu Mauser arm were entered into with the Gvr.uan tnanu Itccu '<»s, anl partly eff cred, and continued th/ough 1381. Krupp's gun factory furnished in 1880 no' fewer than 150 siege and naval guns and 275 field guns. They were all delivered in China, the same yoar. Tiie Chinese army to be re-organised on the German pattern, and several German regulations and military handbooks have been translated into Chinese through the direct agency of tiie Chinese Amt.assador at Berlin.