war footing, but I do not think she defeat and humilia-
tion are yet, or will be, folt and appreciated by the
bulk of the officials or people sufficiently, unless the
despised Japanese, occupy Peking, the difficulty of
inter-conrranisation, the ignorance of the people, and the
unblushing lios disseminated by the Kandarina, Prevent
any run idea of the war from getting into the brains of
the people. The officials know thero is a mar -oing on
but at least half of thom do not understand what is
being done, and their price and concait is so great
that they refuse to haliova it possible the Japanese can
defeat them completely.
As for the common people it is only in the
irmedia a vicinity of the operations that they have any
idea of what the wvar 13. - Our presons poliez seems to
be to prevent the Japanese coming to Pexing for fear of
anarchy &c., that is to say for fear the Japanese may
damage our trade by future competition. It may be that
without such occupation China may reforms, but, except
sec
4-
thoas fex Sinolerfas, who are only through Chinese
spsetpolas, I have not gat met a man who detects any
sims or prospect of reformation.
To za form the
the
Chinoge military aystem requires reform of China;
corruption is so all-pervading that to expect honesty in
one
one department when all others are steeped in
dishonesty is impossible. I ad: 15 that there are a few
honest af^icials and that the military 37zten may be
patched up. At present when a foraien instraeter pro-
deads to the drill ground to drill the men, all the
native officers walk off the ground; they are not mine
to be taught by a foreign devil! As they are hopo-
losely, absolutely and wilfully ignorant they do not
assist the foreimar, on the contrary they despise liám
and thwart his ondoavoura, the posacasion of fereien
culture or baine suspoetod of fozotem leanines is
almost a certain bar to advancament, and the military
profession is utterly despisad; until this is altered
there can be no real military inprovenant.
When she
can be induced to send abroad her youths to be educated
and give than a fair chance when they return to China,
something can be done; for yours to crque China, if she
is to have any amy must have it orcanisud entirely by
Europeana (or Japanese!) at present there is no sign of
Thirty years anything of an European officered force.
of foreiza respond,
forts, shirs and instructors have
onl: laid the country at the mercy of the "Dwarf mabels*
and there is not 1 Chinaman in 1,000,000 who has the
sonse to 30s why it is go, and not 1 in 10,000,000 who
will
549