108 



CHINA. 



The Chinese troops in Central Asia were under 

 the nominal command of Liu-Chang-yo, who 

 had bis headquarters at Kashgar, and had from 

 20,000 to 30,000 men in his own command. 

 Besides these there were about 80,000 troops 

 garrisoned in Soongaria, or engaged in main- 

 taining the long lines of communication be- 

 tween Kashgar and Kansu, under command of 

 Generals Kinshun and Liu-Cliang-yo. There 

 were large numbers of disbanded soldiers till- 

 ing the soil, to furnish supplies to the troops. 

 The Government was concentrating troops at 

 Sban-Hai-Kwan. The military efficiency of 

 the troops which the Government in its igno- 

 rance was prepared to put against trained 

 European soldiery was contemptible. They 

 lacked the first elements of tactical training, 

 and were armed for the most part with worth- 

 less matchlocks. The Russians with a few 

 thousand men could have cut off the army of 

 60,000 troops in farther Kansu, and the new 

 dominion from all communication with China, 

 and would have had them entirely at their 

 mercy. 



General Gordon, who had been summoned 

 by the Government to advise them in their 

 difficulties, discovered that the Chinese had 

 deceived themselves as to their boasted prog- 

 ress in the military art. The superficial ac- 

 quirements of the most recent improvements of 

 military science torpedoes, gunboats, steam- 

 transports, heavy artillery, modern fortifica- 

 tions, rifle -practice, etc. only deluded them 

 into the belief that they were on a par with 

 European countries, when their military or- 

 ganization was really as defective and primitive 

 as before. Gordon left with Li-Hung-chang, 

 as he returned to Europe, a memorandum upon 

 the military power of China, and the best mode 

 of its development. He advises the retention of 

 the old system of tactics and organization, as 

 better suited to the character of the people. He 

 warns the Chinese that they can not stand up be- 

 fore solid bodies of European soldiery, and ad- 

 vises them never to attempt pitched battles. 

 They should cultivate skirmishing; and, with 

 their facility in throwing up earth-works, and 

 power of quick movement unhampered by pack 

 and baggage, they might by their numbers, 

 frugality, and hardihood, harass and wear out 

 an enemy with whom they could never cope in 

 regular warfare. Their naval defenses should 

 consist of numerous and small armed craft, and 

 plenty of small and cheap torpedoes. The army 

 should be armed with breech-loading rifles, and 

 should not attempt to handle heavy field-guns or 

 be burdened with any equipments which would 

 hinder its movements in the skirmishing tactics 

 of irregular warfare on which it must rely. 

 " China needs," he concluded, " no Europeans 

 or foreigners to help her in carrying out this 

 programme. If she can not carry out what 

 is recommended herself, no one else can." 



The moderation and election of a pacific 

 policy on the part of Russia, no less than the 

 influence of the wiser Chinese statesmen and 



the tact of the Chinese plenipotentiary in St. 

 Petersburg, brought the international difficul- 

 ty to a peaceful issue. By the Treaty of St. Pe- 

 tersburg, Russia consented to restore nearly 

 the whole of the territory in dispute, including 

 the important Tekes Valley, which Chung- 

 how had agreed to surrender, and the com- 

 mand of the passes of the Tien-shan. China 

 agreed to pay to the Russian Government a 

 large sum as an indemnity for the cost of paci- 

 fying and occupying the province. The other 

 stipulations look toward the improvement of 

 commercial relations and the extension of the 

 overland commerce, and their effect is likely 

 to be for some time to come simply a moral 

 one. The abatement of the jealousy and en- 

 mity with which Russians are regarded by the 

 Chinese may be effected by a conciliatory pol- 

 icy, and the knowledge of Russia's military 

 strength might influence the Chinese Govern- 

 ment without a breach of friendship ; whereas 

 a war would result in the overthrow of the 

 dynasty, and leave no means of resisting the 

 purposes of Russia which would be permitted 

 by other powers, and would excite an animos- 

 ity which would rankle for generations in the 

 hearts of the people. A friendly Chinese Gov- 

 ernment may permit the Russians to establish 

 themselves in the really independent Corea. 

 But the project of commercial supremacy in 

 Eastern Asia, which is the practical object of 

 Russia in advancing eastward in the interior 

 jind in seeking to establish stations on the Pa- 

 cific sea-board, would be defeated entirely by 

 an embittered conflict with the Chinese people. 



The fleet which Russia concentrated at "Vla- 

 divostock at the critical stage of the Kulja ne- 

 gotiations was the most powerful ever sent to 

 the Eastern seas. Had hostilities broken out, 

 the two northern provinces of Corea would 

 probably have been occupied by the Russians, 

 giving them a position on the Yellow Sea 

 which would always be within easy striking 

 distance of the capital and northern ports of 

 China, besides the much-desired harbor of Yung 

 Hing, better known under the Russian name 

 of Port Lazareff. The harbor of Port Lazareff 

 on the Sea of Japan is one of the finest in the 

 world, being perfectly sheltered and contain- 

 ing anchoring-ground for any number of ves- 

 sels of the deepest draught. It lies only about 

 one hundred miles south of the Tumen River, 

 which divides Corea from Russian Tartary. 

 Russian statesmen have desired for generations 

 to secure a harbor which should be open all 

 the year round on the Pacific, and have already 

 been disappointed in two which have been 

 tried. This port, which lies at their door, and 

 can be annexed at any time without a blow 

 and with small risk of serious complications, 

 answers perfectly the commercial and strategic 

 requirements. 



The Treaty of St. Petersburg, by which the 

 retrocession of Kulja to China was accorded, 

 secured to Russia in return extended commer- 

 cial privileges in China. The development of 



