THE COMING WAR IN THE FAR EAST.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1356, 1 February 1884, Page 2

THE COMING WAR IN THE FAR EAST.

China is popularly believed to be ihe most Conservative country in the ftrorld, and the one which most effectually resists all attempts to introiuce new, and particularly European :deas. The fact is, however, that no jountry has daring the last 20 years jhown more enterprise in adoping novel and improved weapons of war, and in acquiring the. means of manufacturing them. All kinds of war material are now produced in China by native labour, including large steam corvettes, sloops, gunboats, and small craft of various kinds, with their boilers and machine: y ; rifled guns, of the Woolwich pattern; oi all sizes up to 150-pOunders; fieM pieces of .the Krupp and Armstrong types, brass howitzers, military rifles of the Kemington and other patterns, Gatling and Nordenfeldt machine guns of different calibres, tor^edo^s, gunpowder, cartridge, shot and shell, rockets, percussion caps, fuses, and mauy other of the latest European weapons and implements of warfare. In connection with these branches of manufacture, telegraphic apparatus of all kinds, torpedo connections and fittings, and other developments of modern military science are made and being utilised. There are five great centres in China where arsenals for carrying on these manufactures are in full operation — namely, Canton, Foo Chow, Shanghai, Nankin, and Tien Tain. There are four seperate workshops or factories in and near Canton. One, which is called the arsenal, is in the city proper, close i by the public execution ground ; one is at Li-rningkun, a few miles up the river, above the city ; one at Tung-pow-toi, upon the river side just below the city ; and the other on the island Whampoa, about 12 miles down the river below Canton. The arsenal consists of workshops, which contain all kinds of small machines, smiths' forges, 1 ''iron-plate machinery and other appliances. The engines of tho Chop-sai and Hoi-tung-hung, war vessels be- ! longing to the Viceroy of Canton ! squadron, were made here*, those d \ the latter consisting ot two pairs of vertical compound engines with i cylinders of 14-inch and 24-inob ; diameter and 12-inch stroke. Smallei boilers arid entities for -ju-ilmts and I steam iaanclnsare also mide herein I considerable numbers, the boiler-pla ci being imported from Europe. Iror and steel breach loading guns of lfincl calibift are made in large quantities These are mounted upon trunnions, bu fitted wit'i a bint for taking aira from the shoulder. Ten-barrelled Gatling • guns of 1 inch bore, and shot and shel . of all sizes and patterns up to niut inches in diameter, are manufacture ' here. There are large works at Li jming-kuu, which include shops ir I which gunpowder and shot and shel! of ail kinds are manufactured. Larg< 1 engines xain also be constructed here, j The Chop-sai, a wooden sloop about : 190 feet long, plated over with iron oi i half an inch in thickness, and sundr) . river-boats and steam launches have i < been built at Litning-kun. There is a , small private shipbuilders yard at Tung-poui-toi, in wiii<h the Hoi tunghung was constructed. This is a gunboat built of wood, and is an , imitation of the alphabetical gunboat! , sent out to China from 1 this country by the firms of Messrs Laird and Messrs Armstrong The bow is covered with plates of iron half and nch thick, and the vessel is armed with one 8-iuch llj-ton ' reech-loadirii? Arm- , strong gun of the newest type, and t.wo other small guns. At Whampoa, about 1 2 miles below Canton, are shipbuilding works and dooka, formerly belonging to the Whampoa Dock Company, whicli have recently been acquired by the Chinese Government. These includo two large. «ijton<j^docks, one of which his 21ft depth of water over the still at high tide; five small mud-docks, and workshops of various kinds. Most of the machinery has, however, been sent away to North China. These works are in a bad state of dilapidation through neglect Training schools are beta.- founded here for the benefit of the navy of Canton. She arsenal of Foochow is a large and important establishment. It was founded by M. Prosper Giquel, and for many years was carried oh under his personal management, with the aid of French engineers and foreman. At present, however, it is entirely in na ive hands. This arsenal contains a foundry, 6tting and erecting shops, in which large marine engines are constructed ; rolling mills, boiler-shopa, smiths' shops, a ■ hauling-up slip capable of taking vessels of 700 tons displacement, and all appliances requisite for building and engiuirig ships of war of moderate size. About 25 vessels have been built here, of various dimensions, up to 250 ft in Ungth, and horizontal I high-pressure compound engines up to ! 200 uomiual horse-power. The earlier :*of these vessels were built of .wood, j from the designs of French engineers, ! and the engines of some constructed at ! Foo Chow, we c of the vertical lowj pressure type, and as tliese are unsuit- ! able for v nar mo lived warships the latter ones have b^en copied, from a pair of horizontal engines manufactured by Messrs Haudslay and Co. in 187&. The boilers are all made at Foo Chow r with iron plates imported from Europe. The early ships were built of common Manila wood, but it was found that this decayed very rapidly, and required renewal. No timner could be found in China able to withstand the effects of white ants and other causes of decay. Teak was therefore tried, and is now exclusively used. It is imported from Bankok> and is of remarkably fine- quality. The later vessels a c of composite build, the iron for the frame being partly imported from Europe and partly manur-

factored at the araoaal out of scrap iron andChinese-taadecharcoal brought down from the interior. The coal used at I>o Chow is from Keelung, m Formosa, but charcoal i* very plentiful, and is largely used. Some of th« composite corvettes built hore are , said to have reached a speed of 12$knots per hour, and attempts are being; made to construct improved vessel that will have a speed uf 15 knots. Thereare large trainiuingraoboolsat Fop Chow? for the navy of the province, and lor supplying the. native techuical staff of the arsenal. Some of the young Chinese officiate Jiave been' educated in France, Ameriea r and elsewhere,, and are exceedingly intelligent and well-in-formed, A large number of student* are now being trained in France for service-at the Foo- Crow arsenal