86
4
The only drink is hot tea, the tea coming from the same source. All other stores for the ship are supplied by the Captain, except coal, ordnance, oil, and all engine-room stores and gunner's stores, rope, sails and awnings, &c.
The is supplied by the Captain as well.
pay
The temptations assailing the honesty of a Captain and his opportunities of squeeze are untold.
39
How the Captain is to perform all these duties and also do his proper work one
cannot guess.
The money for paying the officers and men is sent down periodically from Tien-tsin or Nanking, and arrives most irregularly. Admiral Sa has about 20,0001, at his disposal for casual payments. If he is short of cash, he calls for more.
Gunnery and Torpedo Efficiency-There appears to be no reserve of ordnance stores at all. The ammunition carried on board the ships is all that exists, or practically all.
This remains a fixed quantity, for no firing is ever done, except with blank on ceremonial occasions.
No tube cannon is done, and no aiming drill.
The torpedoes are never fired, nor are primers nor gun-cotton ever tested.
The efficiency of the guns' crews is at zero, and the knowledge of the majority of the crews is nil,
The guns are clean, and the crews are smart and jump about well, and are attentive and willing.
The fault is want of knowledge, not want of discipline.
If a crew were casually selected and examined as to their knowledge of their weapon, perhaps the captain of the gun could shift the breech-block, but certainly no one else could do so.
It is very doubtful if any of the executive officers could do so, except the Gunnery Lieutenant, who might be capable of the feat. The Gunnery Instructors, who are fairly numerous, know their work and may be expected to teach the others soon.
But at present the position is as described.
The Secretary of the Admiralty had a good scheme ready to remedy this, but it is probable that he will not be permitted to start it before he returns to his coast inspector duties.
The following is an outline thereof:-
To collect all the most promising Gunnery Lieutenants and Instructors that can be selected, and to place them ashore in a gunnery school under some competent foreign Instructor. After six months, these, who should not exceed six officers and twelve men, would remain at the school as Instructors, and a further selection of otheers and men would be sent to learn, and would remain at the school for six months.
After two years
of this type of progressive instruction, the most brilliant officers would be chosen, and some half-a-dozen would be sent to England to some gunnery school.
These would be the future gunnery and torpedo experts of the Chinese navy,
In this way it is hoped that a Chinese Gunnery Staff will be created, which staff would be self-contained and capable of doing without outside assistance from the foreigner.
The Chinese sailor is recruited mainly from the coasts and islands, and is generally a good type of individual, capable of much hard work, and most amenable to discipline." Add to this that he is convinced of the superiority of his race to all others, and have first-class material for the manufacture of a good man-of-war's-man, for he is brave, cool, and indifferent to comfort.
you
The Officers.The Captains are very ignorant, and they know it; but they are anxious to learn and see progress made.
There are two classes in each rank, as senior Lieutenants and junior Lieutenants. A "Navy List" is being prepared. I will try and get a copy, for I could not understand the technicalities of their ranks.
No
Fleet Training-The military training of the navy has never been considered. cruiser squadrons exist, and the only cruises made are in the nature of searches for pirates or snugglers, work which could be very well done by small vessels of the gun-boat type.
At present there is no intention to build more ships; and, if the authorities will take the advice of their present Secretary, none will be built until the men are educated and capable of working them.
This will not be for another five years at least, and then the ships must be built,
5
Allow ten years to elapse, and China may have a fleet of modern battle-ships or cruisers and a small number of destroyers.
But no danger need be apprehended from her till then, and it will be necessary for her army, or at least her artillery, to keep pace with the navy if the latter is going to do any good, as her harbours are at present so shallow that either enormous harbour works will be necessary or large numbers of artillery will be required to defend the naval fortresses in the outlying bases amongst the islands.
But, in looking ahead, it must be remembered that, if the day of the large ship has returned for good, less practice is required than heretofore to make a fighting fleet.
Only a few people technically trained in handling ships will be required in a fleet. The remainder can very easily be trained ashore.
The essentials will be stores, equipment, reserves of ammunition and guns, spare parts for everything, auxiliaries, fuel, and, above all, a suitable base.
The prime essential being money, those who fear China should make themselves acquainted with the state of her exchequer, and should carefully watch the progress of her methods of technical education.
If these are found to be in a crescent condition, it will be time enough for appre- hensions of her intentions usward to be entertained.
As the Academy, if ever founded, will be here at Shanghae or at Nanking on the river, there should be no difficulty in keeping well acquainted with its progress.
Training of Chinese Midshipmen. I am not in a position at the present moment to give an accurate account of the training, or rather lack of training, of the midshipmen.
The following remarks let fall by Rear-Admiral Sa suggest that the system is at present neither thorough nor successful :-
Midshipmen are admitted to the Academy at Nanking at any age between 18
and 18.
They study in navigation and other school subjects till three years have passed. They are then drafted to some ship, in which they remain an indefinite time, and from which they may at any time be taken away.
The ships do not as a rule carry midshipmen, and seldom more than three in each ship.
He attached great importance to the training received by the Chinese midshipmen who are now serving in our fleet.
It is not improbable that some of these young officers may be sent to Shanghae Arsenal to assist Admiral Sa in his work. Admiral Sa seemed to favour this plan of getting information at first hand from officers who, having served so recently in a modern fleet, should be able to help him in his reorganization work.
When this ship goes up to Nanking, I will call at the Cadet Academy and see Mr. Munro, formerly a Naval Instructor in His Majesty's ship "Sans Pareil "and other ships.
He is instructing the Chinese cadets.
The ships under the immediate eye of the Admiral appear to be smart and clean. They are very well handled when passing up and down the river, and details such as mounting guard are carefully attended to. A further report will be made as soon as information of a more detailed nature as to particular ships can be obtained.
Rear-Admiral Sa is the most courteous of mortals and the best of hosts. He is very much liked by all foreigners, is regarded by the Chinese as their best officer, but is considered by them to be more than half a foreigner, as he furnishes his house in two fashions, those rooms where he welcomes foreign guests being furnished to suit the taste of the latter, and others being kept according to the Chinese custom,
For himself he prefers the former, where he can sit and smoke a briar pipe and reorganize his fleet on English lines.
BERNARD LOUIS MAJENDIE.
(Signed)
"Cadmus," at Shanghae, November 1, 1906.
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