Tu such an atmosphere, with met ort, and los soldiers has be during the worst period when there was a dubious feeling throughout the civilian community that it might be all up with the Kuominchun, By all accounts that we have been able to read, their behaviour in defeat has been more admirable than that of the "Allied" armies in victory:
Tt has been a trying period for an army in the position of the last Tine of defence, with its advanced troops in retreat from Peking, its communications out at Tatungfu and a very doubtful prospect of a suc. cessful retreat, at the worst, into Kansu, The troops have been mirably handled. Besides the or ary routine of the barrack square, they have bern kept hard at work planting: trees, which will be an example and a'beneft to the whole community. Since the backwash of wounded has been flowing into the Darracks, they have been largely awovitl on and quartered in different wards of the cities. This splitting up ig in itself an excellent sefeguard against the possible spread of disaffection. In the evenings they are taken out to play football or blind man's bult or other child-games—anything to keep them busy, ale idea of the Kuominchun is current among many foreigners who have not come in contact with them, on account of their supposed Bolshevization. 1 think, however, that most of those who have a Knowledge of them Rewer the rank one Sie of not. what one and conversation ree that
gould technically cull" Bolsheviks. The affeers are inclined to be stand. offish, with a manner indicating "you' mind your business and ind mines" The troops themselves are not free and-easy. All of them give an impression of being wary of foreigners, though not anti-foreign, and they are very sensitive in their digities. The general feeling seems to be that if a foreigner mands anything as a "right", even enmmon. justice—he will be_ mot with obstruction and suspicion, if nep with blank refusal; but i€ he shows the proper deference in requesting favours—"give them face" is the Chinese expression—the Kuo mine hun will show him all: inds of consideration, Esprit de Corps The truth is that Feng Vu-hsiang is a man with a genius for organi-{zation who built up the only exniy in China which has " genuine esprit-de-corps. In every army in. North China, which turn about is fighting with every other army, -the best fighting material is recruited from Shantung and Honan, They ave led from one campaign to another with Hittle or no pay and no incentive Dut the prospect of loot. This is what makes them so prone to desert a general in difficulties for one who {ean promise them the spoils of vie~ \tory, and in whose army they will find themselves at home with other men from their own provinces.
The best fighting: battalions of the Kuominchun are cise recruited from Shantung and Honan, but they were welded by Feng into'a recognizable and dependable army. By encouraging Christianity, by prohibiting smoking and drinking, by enforcing discipline, cleanliness, and the prin. ciple that property is not lightly violable but if appropriated must be accounted for with a form of legality; by instilling some rough dea of patriotism for China and loyalty to ideals, and not to a chief conly—by every device from patrio-fe slogans, hymn-singing and the Rey, Jonathan Goforth to gymnastics and round games, he created an army with a pride of profession and pride of identity, aware of its immeasurable difference from any other Chinese army.
Tu Chinese armies, generally speaking, the worse paid the men abe, the more license is allowed them a of pay. Feng seems to ha the first. to realize that the only way to keep an underpaid soldiery efficient and in hand is to stiffen the discipline. In this the ascetic side of the "Chris! formula works in excellently with the financial exigencies of the organization, There are times when the army is heavily in arrears of Pay. If the men were allowed to smoke and drink but could not afford these little luxuries, immediate dis. cont: nt would result,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.