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THE CHINESE NAVY

159

wide; and in case of hostilities breaking out, the first aim of the attacking Power would be to seize this neck of land and so sever all communication between Port Arthur and the rear except by sea. Taken as a whole, while the possession of this place adds very materially to Russian resources and influence in the Far East, its advantage must be considered political rather than strategic, and the benefit attained is likely to be found in the continued extension of Russia's hold on China, and the hastening of her descent on Korea, rather than in the superiority of her military and naval position in the gulf of Pechili. Wei Hai Wei, when once the breakwater is completed, will be a far superior naval harbour, and prove in every respect better suited, from a military and strategic point of view, to the requirements of a naval base than is Port Arthur, notwithstanding the strength of that station's position, and the formidable armament and garrison comprised. There is a dry dock at Port Arthur, with a length of 385 feet.

The naval establishments of China are, frankly speaking, unknown quantities. On paper the country's naval strength is considerable; but in China "statistics" is in most cases a synonym for "fictions," and in no country is the contrast between fiction and reality so great. The only dockyard possessed by China is at Foochow, but docks are in existence at Amoy, Ningpo, Nanking, and Taku. There is no naval base, as we understand the term, in China, nor is there a military post to compare with those at Hong Kong or Port Arthur. The nearest approach to either is that provided by the Taku forts at the mouth of the Peiho, where there are also dry and wet docks, though these are not governmental undertakings. There are some fifty forts scattered over the eighteen provinces, of various form and date, some of them likely to prove very effective if only garrisoned by trained men. Of the seven arsenals,

six are practically useless, the only one likely to achieve anything of value being that at Shanghai. These establishments are conducted on a principle involving the utmost waste alike of men, material, and money. As

the result of his visit in 1898, Lord Charles Beresford wrote:

"My visit to the arsenals showed me that enormous sums of money are being expended on war material that in most cases is absolutely useless. If all the arsenals but Shanghai were closed as manufactories, and only used as depots, a very large sum of money which is now wasted would be saved. This sum of money would be more than ample to make Shanghai a manufacturing arsenal capable of equipping an army of 200,000 men in an efficient manner." 1

The Chinese navy to-day comprises the remains of the fleet she possessed at the time of the China Japanese war, together with five modern vessels, which have since been acquired. Of the older ships, seven in all, the most important are the Nan Yin, Nan Shui, and Fuching, of 2,200 tons each, built in 1884, and the Yang Po and Kai Tchi, cruisers of doubtful value. Besides these there are the Pao Min and Feechen, of 1,600 tons each, armed with 6-inch and 4.7 guns. There are besides some half-dozen antiquities, which would be of little value in a fight.

The recent additions to China's naval strength comprise two fine cruisers, built at Newcastle-on-Tyne, the Hai Tien, and the Hai Chai, of 4,300 tons each, with a nominal speed of 24 knots. In addition to these there are three 3,000 ton cruisers, built in Germany, the Hai Yung, Hai Schew, and Hai Schen. All these carry modern guns of the most approved type, and are provided with torpedo tubes. Besides these powerful vessels, China possessed four destroyers, which were as powerful as any afloat, and possessed a speed equal to that of any vessel owned by this country. These formed the Chinese flotilla at the entrance to the Peiho river, and were siezed by the Powers when the Taku forts were bombarded. In competent hands, these vessels would be capable of doing an enormous amount of damage, but it is scarcely likely that they will be restored to China in face of recent events. Altogether China possesses the making of a very effective

1 The Break-up of China.

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