The Memoirs of Admiral Lord Beresford
out of six could be trained in {443} the required direction, so that if
the other guns were brought to bear, the guns' crews would be killed.
The face of the fort, instead of being at right angles to the course of
the river, was parallel to it. At my suggestion, a dummy figure was
placed in position; a gun was fired in the required direction; and sure
enough the shot blew the effigy to pieces and went wandering among the
junks crowding the river. The Chinese said that the English Mandarin
was the cleverest mandarin they had ever seen; and explained that the
fort had not been built in the right position because the ground was
swampy.
Among my observations of forts elsewhere, I noted a battery of 60-ton
muzzle-loading guns, which were loaded by depressing their muzzles into
the magazine. I ventured to suggest that any carelessness in sponging
out the guns might result in the explosion of the magazine. The
general said that the English Mandarin was extraordinarily clever; and
explained that a year previously a magazine had been blown up for the
very reason I had indicated, had killed forty-two men, and had then
been rebuilt upon the same plan.
At another fort I noted that the powder used for the heavy guns was
unsuitable, and ventured to suggest that it might burst the gun.
"Yes, it does," said the general simply. "We have lately blown the
breech off two 12-inch 50-ton Krupp guns, killing and wounding thirty
men." And he congratulated the English Mandarin upon his extraordinary
powers of divination. After the general's explanation I understood how
it was that in another fort two 12-inch Krupp guns were fitted with
Armstrong breech mechanism. The Krupp breech having been blown off,
the Shanghai arsenal had neatly fitted them with Armstrong breeches.
Observing that a powder-mill at Canton had open gratings for windows,
and stood in the midst of a sandy plain, I ventured to suggest that the
sand might blow in, and that a spark from it might cause an explosion.
"Yes, it does," said the mandarin. "It blew up two {444} years ago and
killed and wounded twenty men." He added that although it had been
rebuilt upon the same plan, it was not intended to use it again; and
expressed his admiration for my remarkable penetration.
At one of the arsenals, the workman boring a 6-pounder gun had his
speed too fast and his feed too thick, so that his machine was taking
out chips of metal and jumping under the strain. My guide observed
placidly that the man didn't seem to know how to do it. The European
instructor, he explained, had left. I offered to replace him for the
occasion; took off my coat; and being an old hand at the lathe managed
to set the machine right in about an hour's work. Then there suddenly
arose a great crying and calling among the coolies outside. I thought
a riot was beginning; but the tumult was only the coolies in their
innocent way screaming their delight that "the English Mandarin could
do what their own old mandarins couldn't."
I drew up a report with regard to the forts and arsenals in China. The
general conclusion was that enormous sums of money were being expended
on war material which, in most cases, was totally useless, although the
establishments were often capable, under European instructors, of
turning out work which would compare with the best in Europe. Two or
three of these arsenals, rightly managed, would serve to equip a
million men for less money than was already being expended.
H.I.M. NAVY
I also visited the Chinese Navy, which was divided into two squadrons,
the Peyang squadron in the North and the Nanyang squadron in the South.
The Peyang squadron consisted of three cruisers, one torpedo cruiser,
and one torpedo gunboat. The Nanyang squadron was composed of seven
cruisers, four old gunboats, and four torpedo boats. The Fleet as a
whole was undermanned, but there were many men who had been well
trained by English instructors. The only dockyard is at Foochow.
{445}
Many Chinese authorities having asked my advice as to the fleet, I
recommended them to put their ships in order for police purposes, and
to utilise them for the purpose of checking piracy; advised them not to
spend any more money on their navy, because their army was of greater
importance; and pointed out the waste involved in keeping about the
coasts and in the river hundreds of man-of-war junks.
Throughout China, I found among the high officials at least an
ostensible agreement with my views concerning the necessity of
reorganising the army: agreement which was no doubt largely dictated by
the very present fear of Russian aggression.
His Excellency Li Hung Chang, whom I visited, was an exception to the
rule; for the great Minister, one of the Six Grand Secretaries, was
growing old and infirm; and having offended the Reform Party, it was
not improbable that he was looking to Russia to protect him in case the
Empress Dowager's support failed him. His case was typical of the
Chinese attitude, in which the regard for personal wealth and safety,
threatened so subtly and from so many dark quarters, is naturally apt
to override patriotism.
At the same time, China is one of the most democratic countries in the
world. I have seen the great Li Hung Chang stepping into the Yamen
over the bodies of the coolies, who refused to move and who chaffed him
as he passed. I have seen a whole Council huddle up their fans and
disperse like startled poultry, because a coolie put his head in at the
door and exhorted the old gentlemen to be quick, because it was going
to rain, and the coolies were going home.
It is the rule of the road in China that all passengers must give way
to carriers of burdens, and it was enforced without respect of persons.
Being carried in a sedan, with four bearers and four coolies running
alongside, I was horrified to perceive the head coolie incontinently
knock down an {446} old mandarin who was in the way. The poor old
gentleman rolled over and over, Red Button and all; and when he arose,
his gorgeous silks all befouled with mud, the coolie spat in his face.
China is full of the unexpected.
HIGHLY COMMERCIAL
As already explained, the two aspects of my investigations, the
military conditions and the commercial conditions, are here treated
separately for the sake of simplicity, although at the time they were
necessarily conducted together. The following brief account of the
results of my inquiries into the state of trade and commerce contains
those particulars which may still retain their interest.
From Pekin I went to Tientsin, where I attended a meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce, which vehemently protested against the "Sphere of
Influence" policy, declaring that the future trade of Tientsin would be
entirely dependent on preserving the integrity of China, and upon the
existence of a guarantee of the policy of the "Open Door." The British
section of the Chamber of Commerce presented to me a memorandum, which
they desired me to transmit to the Associated Chambers of Commerce in
England, protesting against the absence of any definite policy, and
stating that considerable anxiety existed with regard to the safety of
capital already invested in China. The fear of Russian aggression had
virtually paralysed the movement of capital in the northern part of
China. The general opinion was that if the "Open Door" policy were
established and secured, these apprehensions would disappear.
I was most courteously received by the Chinese authorities at Tientsin,
who expressed great friendliness towards Great Britain; and who, as
usual, affirmed that China was helpless and that all the European
countries were taking advantage of her weakness. In the case of
Russia, they stated that concessions were being demanded throughout the
whole country which China was unable to refuse.
{447}
From Tientsin I went to Tongshan, travelling upon the Shanhaikwan
railway, which had been built by Scotch engineers under the direction
of Mr. Kinder, a British subject of great talent and energy, who had
married a Japanese lady. Of the two people whom I met who seemed to me
really to possess an intimate knowledge of China and the Chinese, Mr.
Kinder was one. The other was Dr. Morrison, _The Times_ correspondent.
With Mr. Kinder's assistance, I collected the whole of the statistics
regarding the working of the Tongshan railway workshops, of the
Shanhaikwan railway, and of the coal mine, in which Chinese miners were
employed under European foremen.
Upon my arrival at Newchang, I was received by the British residents.
The British merchants here, like the others elsewhere, wished me to
represent to the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Great Britain that
trade in the North of China must be secured against foreign aggression,
and transmitted to me a number of resolutions to this effect.
The Russians had settled at Newchang, taking the land without
permission, and paying the native occupiers nominal prices. Since 1897
the Russians had been pouring troops into Manchuria, and their number
was steadily increasing. I prepared a detailed report upon the trade
of Newchang.
Chefoo I visited twice, first on 13th October and again on 9th
November. The British merchants here complained of the extension of
German interest, which began with the opening of Kiao Chao. I thought,
however, that their alarm was not justified. Kiao Chao had been
declared by Germany to be an open port.
Upon visiting Wei-hai-wei, I observed that with a comparatively small
expenditure of money it could be made into a most efficient and
powerful naval base. Already, in the few months which had elapsed
since the British flag was hoisted on 24th May, 1898, Commander {448}
E. F. A. Gaunt (now Commodore Gaunt, C.M.G.), in command of a party of
bluejackets and Marines, had accomplished a most admirable piece of
administrative work, in cleaning up the place and in enforcing law and
order so tactfully and skilfully that the only punishments inflicted
had consisted in docking the pigtails of two offenders. There were no
guns mounted at Wei-hai-wei; but at Port Arthur, 80 miles distant
northwards across Korea Bay, the Russians had already mounted seventy
guns.
I also observed that the island of Wei-hai-wei, which is two-thirds the
size of Gibraltar, was the best place on the China Station for the
establishment of a sanatorium for the Fleet.
My visit to Kiao Chao was made in response to a cordial invitation sent
to me by Rear-Admiral H.R.H. Prince Henry of Prussia. The harbour is a
difficult place for vessels to make, particularly in foggy weather.
The Germans were as busy as bees, clearing the ground, building
barracks, making parade grounds and preparing emplacements for guns.
Prince Henry was most kind to me, and showed to me everything. His
administration and organisation were admirable; and afforded another
example of the achievements of naval officers.
But the place was still under military rule, which discourages
commerce. On my voyage out, three Germans had come on board at
Singapore. They told me that, although they had been very happy under
British rule, they preferred their own colony, and intended to start a
hotel at Kiao Chao. Some time afterwards I met those three patriotic
Germans again. They were on their way back to Singapore; because, so
they said, they could not make a living at Kiao Chao! They told me
that they were obliged to pay a tax of five per cent. upon their
investment, with the prospect of paying another five per cent. when,
after a period of years, their property should again be surveyed.
At Shanghai, which, being situated at the entrance Of {449} the Yangtse
Valley, is the most important Treaty Port in the Far East, I framed an