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TRAGIC DEATH IN YOKOHAMA.
WELL-KNOWN FOREIGNER DROWNED.
The death is reported at Yokohama, under the most tragic circumstances, of Mr. A. I. Knapp, only son of Mr. A. M. Kuapp, author of "Feudal Japan," and Elitor of the Japan Advertiser. On April 4th, about seven o'clock in the morning, the body of a foreigner was discovered drifting in the creek near Kame-no- bashi. It was removed from the water and taken to the polic-station, where a medica! examination showed that life had been extinct for at least two days. There was a bad bruise on the head, but all the evidence pointed to death being caused by drowning. On the body were found some letters addressed to Mr. A. M. Knapp, and the body was subsequently identified as that of Mr. A. T. Kuapp. Hə had long been a martyr to neuralgic trouble.
The deceased, says the Herald, who was for some time connected with the Japan Advertiser, was a man of brilliant talents, As a musician, although he never performed in public, he had great ability, and his theoretical knowledge of the art could hardly be excelled. The many able criticisms of local concerts that have appeared from his pen in the columns of the Advertiser bore witness to his knowledge. Mr. A. T. Knapp was, we believe, a student of Cam- bridge University, where he graduated with honours. Under other circumstances his high abilities would have made him conspicuous. As it is we can only regret that bis career has been cut short by his untimely death."
His
We (Daily Press) may add that the late Mr. Knapp, who was only about thirty years of age, was talented in more things thau music. intellect was of the very highest order, and his interests were of the most cultured width. He was a daring mountaineer, knew the Japanese as few sinologues of his age could know them, but made no parado of his knowledge, His best literary work was critical. As a man he was scrupulously, almost morbidly honourable; a delightful companion, and a loyal friend. Our heartfelt sympathy goes to his devoted parents.
The funeral of Mr. A. T. Knapp, only sou of Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Knapp, took place at Yokohama on April 7th. The first portion of the funeral service was held at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Kuspp, and was conducted by the Rev. W. P. G. Field, M. A., Incumbent of Christ Church, who also read the barial servico at the graveside. From the house the proces- sion wended its way to the Yokohama Cems- tery, the cremated remains, enclosed in a small casket, which W23 covered with flowers, being borne to the grave by Dr. W. J. Davis, Dr. C. H. Hall, Dr. N. Gordou Munro and Mr. E. V. Thorn. Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Knapp were presen as chief mourners, while around the grave were gathered a number of foreign and Japanese residents, whose presence bore testimony to the sympathy felt with Mr. and Mrs. Knapp in their bereavement,
SAMPAN CAPSIZES AT CHEKWAN.
CAPTAIN MCGINTY'S
GALLANTRY.
THE HONGKON } WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE CHINESE ARMY.
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The Canton steamer San Cheong carried a large number of Chinese to the Tsingming festival at Chekwan on April 15. She arrived there about midday and was immediately surrounded by sampans which were rapidly filled by impatient passengers. One of these boats capsized as it cast off from the ship, and its occupants were left struggling in the water. The majority of them were rescued by other boats, but two men and a child were in great danger of drowning. Seeing this, Capt. MoGinty of the San Cheong threw off his coat and dived in to their assistance. He pushed both the men near enough to a sampan to enable them to be pulled aboard, but while so engaged the child sank, and although the captain dived in search of it he was unable to find it, so returned to his ship. This is believed to be the only fatality, The gallant conduct of Captain MoGinty appeared to be admired by the Chinese, who were quite flattering in their praise when discussing the incident' afterwards.
BY THE REV. E. J. HARDY.
The witty anthor of How to be happy though married", who is so well known in Hongkong, is now Senior Army Chaplaiu iu Egypt. His interest in China has not dim- inished oven in Cairo, as the following articls, written for the Nineteenth Century, shows,
We learn from their history and literature that the Chinese were once a fighting people. In the Ping Fu, or Art of War, written five hundred years before Christ, there are common senso remarks about shooting which might be paid attention to with advantage by modern armies using rifles instead of bows and arrows, The necessity of control is fully recoguised. To waste arrows by random shooting and afterwards to want them is like waiting to be slain (or in South African experience to surrender) with the hands tied." Indeed, 80 much did the martial spirit pervade China in those days that the feasibility of making female soldiers was contemplated. When Sun Tzu, who wrote this Art of War, was dis- cussing one day with Prince Ho-leo of the Wu State, the latter said, “I have read your book, and want to know if you could apply its principles to women.” Suu Tzu replied in the affirmative, whereupon the Prince Look 180 girls out of his harem and bade Sun Tzu drill them. He divided them into two com- panies, and at the head of each placed a favourite concubine of the Prince. When the drums sounded for drill to begin, all_the_girls burst out laughing. Thereupon Sun Tza, without a moment's delay, caused the two con- cubines in command to be beheaded. This restored order and ultimately the corps was raised to a state of great efficiency. After some time, however, the patriotism which had made the Chinese keen soldiers was succeeded by pedantry. That horrid system which has now come into Great Britain of appointing to offices in the State by competitive examina. tions was instituted. Men who scored in Chinese classics gained lucrative posts, but caplains courageous wore looked down upon instead of being rewarded. The Empire was
to
be defended by diplomacy or lies. Politeness is better than force, it was said, so posture and imposture came to be relied upon rather than proficiency in arms,
тего
Formerly there was DO cohesion in the Chinese army, and each commander acted for himself with irresponsible light-heartedness. Indeed until quite recently there was no Imperial army in China, but only an apology for an army in each province. Certainly there was an attempt at combining part of these detached forces, and the result was called the Green Banner Army. So little confidence, however, was placed in these warriors, that when rebels in China had to be suppressed and foreign robbers checked, peasants were engaged at a much higher rate of pay and complimented by the title of "braves." The soldiers' left to do garrison and police daty and the "braves" faced the enemy. In fact the Chinese Government treated its regular army as Great Britain did hers in the South African troubles. Chinese peasant volunteers received more wages and the title of braves," as our volun- teers got four shillings a day more than their fellow combatants of the regulars, and were called “gallant "ad nauseam, Then stupid conservatism used to cause military mandarius to wish everything to be done as it always had been done and to dread change as the greatest of evils. When the British and French stormed a part of the walls of Canton, no preparation had been made to resist them. Guns were trained and military mandarins sat in chairs of state to give orders when they were to be fired, but the allied devils entered where there were no guns. The Chinese general excused himself to the authorities at Peking by saying that the capture of the city was not his fault, but was owing to the cowardly unsoldier-like foreigners who would not face the guns, but came in where according to the established rules of war they ought not to have come in. Did not some British soldiers talk in the same strain about the Boers? They said that these farmers were cowardly, etc., for not leaving cover and fighting
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[April 21, 1906.
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as gentlemen (or fools) acording to old. fashioned expected methods in the open.
But what more than anything else prevented China from having a respectable army was the low estimation in which until two or three years ago the profession of arms was held. A military mandarin ranked far below almost any civilian mandarin in public esteem. He was considered to be ex officio a fool and his subordinates coolies too lazy to work. You don't use good iron", says a Chinese proverb "to make a nail, or a decent man to make a soldier." Well, it used to be said of the British army that it was minned by the dregs of society, and officered by the froth."
In no country can an army be efficient which is not supported by civilian public opinion- soldiers in China being looked down upon censed to respect themselves. They deserted, robbed and generally played the fool. If the ordinary Chinese had no stomach to fight, it is no wonder, considering how little used to go into that member. "A soldier's ration of rice was, until very recent army reforms, so purloined between its departure from the public granaries and its arrival at his month that it scarcely kept him alive. His pay was from four pence to six pence of our money nominally, but he did not touch more than half that amount. The general took what he considered to be bis due out of the money provided for paying troops, and passed it on to the next in command, and so on. The people who got up the rebellions that were so common in remote districts were generally soldiers dissatisfied because they were cheated of pay-indeed, a rebellion used some. times to be started by a military mandarin. That worthy obtained money from the Government to enable him to provide more soldiers and war material. Part of this he gave to the leader of the rising to induce him to make peace, and the rest be put into his own coffers. One reason why good rifles were not supplied to the infantry or good horses to the cavalry is because the men used to desert and sell them.
Neither dil the clothing of their troops trouble Viceroys and provincial Governors Fans and umbrellas were occasionally supplied to soldiers, but, as a rule, only parti-coloured jackets, which could be easily slipped on and off. On the back of the jacket the word “ping," or soldier, was inscribad. Without this label one might easily have made a mistake. Should courage fail the warrior, he throw off his jacket and retired into the comparative safety of private life. Was there to be an inspection and the mandarin had no soldiers to show? Coolies were hired for the occasion and put into blue and red jackets. Falstaff said that he could get linen for his soldiers on any hedge; a military mandarin reversed this and got mea for his liuen in every village. A general inspected a regiment and luuched. When he was at the meal the jackets of the inspected men were sent to another place and put on coolies who were then inspected. In several of the provinces the army was literally one of dry bones. The names of men long dead were kept upon the rolls, drawing pay and rations by
proxy.
There have been for some years quite np-to- date forts and guns in Chins, but there was always something wrong. Perhaps the ammuni tion provided did not suit the gun or coal-dust had been supplied instead of gunpowder. The unreformed Chinese soldiers were as a class deservedly hated, for they robbed and maltreated in every way those whom they were hired to protect. In one town of which I heard, there was a row between Protestant and Roman Catholic native Christians-a sort of North of Ireland Orange riot. Soldiers were seat not exactly to settle theological differences but to keep the peace. The first day they demanded rice from the inhabitants, but cooked it themselves with their own charcoal, the second day they commandeered both rica and charcoal, and the third day they forced people to cook for them. This was the condition of the Chinese army when the Japanese came along. Then the nation began to think that it was time to set their military house in order, and they were con- firmed in this opinion when the European Powers began to appropriate slices of their country and to extort enormous indemnities, when at last the worm turned. Several times when stationed at Hongkong I went on leave to important places in China and particularly
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