Show LITTLE KNOWN OF CIINA Great Empire Still an Unknown Quantity j I Even to Those Best Informed on I its Conditions H i Absorbing Question Among Military t Men is as to t Povvef ofchlni i 1 I to Carry on a Protracted WarGeneralities are Known and but Little ElseEmpire Has but Two Arsenals One at Tien Tsin and One at Canton j S L TRIBUNE BUREAU j 601 Fourteenth street J Washington D C July 16 1900 J The absorbing question among military mili-tary men now Is as to Chinas power to carry on n protracted war Opinions differ some hold that the Celestial empire em-pire has great resources and that she will prove to be a most formidable enemy en-emy when fighting begins on a large scale This view has been brought about as much from a lack of knowledge knowl-edge of conditions In China as from any positive information AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY The great empire is still an unknown i 1 quqntlty even to those who are best 1 1 Informed on Its conditions and re 1 bureau the sources I Is understood that I reau of military Information of the War department Is greatly lacking In I any definite Idea I of what the Chinese army really consists of Indeed its very form of organization is but poorly poor-ly l understood ONLY GENERALITIES KNOWN Generalities are known and but little else There Is not that thorough understanding un-derstanding of the question that would allow one to judge something of the military capacity of the Chinese people peo-ple The military bureau is now engaged miitary gaged In the preparation of a map of China for military purposes but it Is not likely that this map can be completed 1 com-pleted within a month CHINESE LACK DISCIPLINE Others hold among them men who have lived in China that that empire lvcd will be unable to carry on war against uable the armies of the civilized world for of time They declare tttat any length tmcThc tlat while China would be enormqusly pow store of arms erful with an unlimited eCu1 and ammunition and with such disci plino as her troops might secure b > f vigorous action during a term of five or r < H j T ten years yet that country Ts pracll caiiy helpless because of lack of that discipline and the vSv possession of a POSCsion very limited amount of modem arms Thc believe the Chinese Chines something a mystery and so able to impress a sensational mind with indescribable I power yet they have no confidence In l the materialization of any such power In the near future POWC HAS TWO ARSENALS I There has been much exaggeration In regard to Chinas ability to manu mau facture their own arms The fact Is that s far as is known to fact formed men here there were but two sets of arsenals in China for the manufacture man-ufacture of arms before the present warlike movement broke out Thcso wero located near Tien Tam and near Canton The Tien Tsln arsenals have ben destroyed and now only these shops at Canton are In operation These arsenals were equipped by Imported machinery which the Chinese could hardly duplicate coll I ONE ARMY WELL DRILLED Those who hold this view do not underestimate the yellow peril It thE Chinese were only armed drilled and disciplined according to modern methods meth-ods One Chinese army that fighting at Tien Tan Is so armed drilled and disciplined with the result as shown by tho repulse of the assault of the allies on the 13th a WAS PRINCE LPS A M This army was originally formedby LI Hung Chang when ho was Viceroy of Pe Chi years ago for his own purposes pur-poses It was Inherited by the Imperial Im-perial authorities when LI was disgraced dis-graced and removed from this Viceroyalty Vice-royalty Its equal cannot be found Anywhere else EXTRA SESSION TALK The assault on Then Tsln with its unfortunate results increases tho chances of an extra session of Congress Con-gress and the fact that the President r Avlll be here tomorrow makes It a practical I prac-tical certainty |