THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN'. PORTXAXD. OCTOBER 15. 1911.
GREAT AT PARADE
rui
jtj
BUT- FULL OF FLAWS
I j China Becoming a Military Power? In
Number of Soldiers Yes, but in Organization,
Quality of Soldiers and Combative Efficiency
Neyer Selling' Commissions to Unqualified
and Other Grafts Flourish Chinese Fine Ac
tors but Poor Fighters.
:
C
I - V .'if. V. Ik
.f vv ' lA'V
BY AfHLtT fORtt
IT IK eherctMtic ef th w Army
ef Chin that It always tries) to look
It beat bfor trr.r.
Not a fw r,bi-vaat visitor," have.
ba IopamJ on la this way: thr CO
horn s r ! n g "Th Chines Army of to
lay U a smart wil-dr:lld body of
troop. At present It 1 (null but
what will It bo bil wo have to deal
wits natlon-ln-arm th population ot
which la thro hundtwd millions?"
Th follow, talj about th Tttlow
Torll.
I have known lhl Army with om
intimacy fir a number of yar: whn
tha ktynoto u truck In my prenc
I in consequently abts to recognise
It at one. While taking a, country
walk oa th outskirts of a blc gsrrl
oa city I camo acroaa a group that
appealed to my Instinct for tha pic
lareequ. A large fatigue party de
tailed for road moodier wu being
artvea a abort rest and tha man had
fallen into a aorU, of most characterise
tie group. My cm mora waa almost
ready whan, at a word of command,
ovary aoldirr scrambled to his feet and
I was surrounded by a crowd Intent on
making photography Impossible. Tho
nontenant In charge of tho party camo
forward.
"Ton mustn't tak a picture bo said.
It wouldn't look welL"
"On tho contrary." I told him. "It
would bo splendid."
"No, don't you see tbo men have been
working bard? They aro not and tlrod
nd were taking a few mlnutea at tholr
ease, sprawling about anyhow. Be-
Ides, they aro not In para J a uniform.
J cannot let you photograph them
thus. It would bo a discredit. "
AH my diplomacy waa of no avail.
I talked with him for some time. After
h bad found that I know bis native
province Intimately and spoke Its dia
lect; after, too, bo had been mildly
bribed by being himself photographed
la herolo pose, bo allowed mo to snap
shot his men. drawn up In regular
formation, but I still failed to got his
sanction to the taking of any picture
that would hare shown them In typical
attitude.
It Is much more tbo desire never to
toe seen except when at their best, than
any fear of espionage, that Is re
sponsible fur many of the general or
der by which foreigners aro hindered
. o
no o
BT It. J. W. DAM.
TtK rivalry between Vincent and
Halladay was bitter enough be
fore Mls Belmayne occurred. It
then assumed an aspect almost Cor
lean. Vincent was the Rom correspondent
ft the London Thunderer. Halladay
was the Roman representative of the
Sndon National. Vincent waa an Ox
ford man; Italladay's Intellectual cre
dentlala were dated at ambrtdge. Vin
cent waa of middle height, dark, lithe,
and athletic. He had an electric en
ergy, and quick, penetrating brown
evea with a merry light In them that
was attractive: also a brown mous
tache that approached the feminine
S'leal. llaltailay was of stouAer and
flabbier build, with a blond, sharp
yvolnted beard, and a face like Lord 11
labury's. Lord Salisbury was. In fact,
secretly bis model. II waa the cousin
ft a peer, but notwithstanding this
drawback bad managed to develop a
alu of his own. which shows his great
fttrre and determination- He was also
five years older than Vincent, who was
nly 31. and. In the gam of ltf. If not
f love, years have a distinct value of
their own. loth men drew lavish sal
aries, moved In the highest society of
3:ome. and ware polished carpet cava
J:t and very popular. Roth. too. bad
weaknesses which revealed their tem
feramente and are correlated torn-. In
t:il narrative.
Vincent's weakness was a small sloop
jacht which he kept at Naples for va-
attnn rrulsea Net having time. In the
rrensur of event, to love a woman,
e loved this yacht. Whenever social.
ilrlomtlc. or International affairs did
tot command hi attention, be and bis
r-tpe and the yacht had charming houra
rf mental communion together In his
lartment. Whenever leaves of ab
sence permitted, the three dIJ Capri,
r-orrento. lschla. and t!ie adjacent Tur
ner paintings of the Rav of Naples In
congenial company. On stretching seas.
In the calm and gorgeous afterglow,
dreamed of a rotbI fair one In the
nebulous future. This showed his tern
pframmt to be romantic.
Hailadav's weakneea was "The War
Oloud In the Balkans." Whenever other
rows failed he would knit his editorial
Vrow and 11 his portentous Ink and
,e ominous signs of trouble In Srrvla.
Jiulgarta. and the Balkan Provinces.
Int ran always see ominous signs ot
trouble In Pervla. Bulgaria, and the
3'alkan Provinces, and they make an
excellent frame on which to hang long
and sweeping periods dealing with pos
sible International complication. From
which It will be seen that Halladay
u ambitious. He always used the
not majestic polysyllables that fitted,
and thee won him the reputation of a
powerful and far-seeing correspond,
ent. which reputation he confidently be
lieved that he deserved.
These divers temperament, caused
the two men to secretly scorn eacn
other, and this feeling was not dimin
ished by thlr alternating newspaper
triumphs. Important bits of new, from
tie Qulrlnai or the ministries, which
fell now to one and now to the other,
and caused the usual variatlona of
nger and delight.
Thus It was when Mis Belmayne and
her parenta arrived at the Grand Hotel
for the Winter. Parents are. of course.
f bo Importance. but It may be men
tioned that Mr. Belmayne had made
stoves, and Incidentally aecumu'ated
two million, on the shore ot Lake
Michigan. Ml Belmayne was a gtrl who
wbo. without effort, bowl ever unpre
pared Eng'.trmen like ter.ptrs. She
. bad style. I'mrls style, and tht. when
I the drt sa.-nkr la drtv,n with aa Intel
from close contact with this Army. As
an Instance, any Chinee visitor to
barracks will be admitted as a matter
of course, after statins his businees,
but no foreigners ran b allowed in
side the gat. n any pretense what
ever. tll the direct permission of the
ofneer In command has been obtained
This holds good In places where mere
neither la nor ever could bo any thing
to conceal
Those who have wars of piercing
thee barriers know what a mass of
pretense the Chinese army la. Inder
General Tin Chang, who has now held
the presidency of the Board of War
for about a year, some matter have
been momentarily Improved. In par
ticular. Yin Chang Is not a notably
corrupt man, as was kls predecessor.
Teh Liang. Tho latter cuatomarlly
sold appointment. In the army and es
tablished a price list on commissions
on which few discounts were allowed.
From that current in tha year 10I
I may quote. In terms of American
money: General of division, 1000;
Major-General. $3000; Colonel In com
mand of regiment, SHOO; Major, 11100
to 1100. Kxactly what factor. Influ
ence the fluctuation of price In this
last rank la not specified. Thes prices
are purely graft, and do not bear any
relation to tho legal "purchase sys
tem" In Togo a generation ago In tho
British army. Any Chinese officer who
loses hi, post lose, tb wbol of his
"Invested capital" also.
One purcnaser of tbo post of Colo
nel waa (before making this Invest
ment) chief cook to tho president of
the Board of War. A well-filled purse
and experience In the slaughter of
chickens ware hi, sole qualifications
for the Colonelcy. Tho former wu tha
only essential one.
As a diplomat ho would havs been
a failure, for I bava It on his own au
thority that ho paid full market prlco
to his master, feu rely a cleverer man
would have served up a good dinner
and then bargained for reduced rates.
The honesty and moderation of Tin
Chang ha, abolished this sale of office,
but when his resignation has been
handed In (an event which rumor say
will not be long- delayed) his -successor
may establish It again. Yin Chang
la a rather broad-minded man who has
received something of a military edu
cation In Kurope and ha twice been
Chinese Minister to Germany. Ha has
absorbed many Idea from that coun
try, some of which (such as universal
military service) he 1 attempting to
apply In rather pedantic fashion to
China, without regard to tbelr real
suitability to circumstance a.
I'p to the present most of hi rec
ommendation have been shelved, and
many of his positive order, have not
o
o
ligent curb. Is very fascinating. She
was fairly tall, blonde, had Ideas, dark
blue eyes and a frank, sympathetic na
ture. All these exercised novel and
powerful Influence on the two men.
They met her on the same evening at
a diplomatic reception. The charms
mentioned were quite enough for Vin
cent. He went home, lighted his pipe,
put on his slippers, looked at the fire
and said. "By Jover He said nothing
more to the Are or anything else for
two mortal hours. Then he said "By
Jove!" again and went to bed. The
same charms sufrieed to stagger Halla
day. but to them he added the two mil
lions. He was older and more practical.
H wrote his cousin, the peer, and told
Mm to be sure to come to Rome that
Winter. Then he mentally watered his
genealogical tree, resolved to lay siege
to the beautiful Vlcksburg with the firm
patience of a Grant, and absently took
a cold bath. This chilled him. at mid
night, but did not check hla ardor.
Mine Belmayne took Rome and the
Korum and the Coliseum very serious
ly. This was a novelty to Vincent and
Halladay. so they awoke to Its gran
deur, and took It very seriously Indeed.
They sent her books, and bronses. and
prehistoric pavements, and fragments
of ancient palaces by the cartload. Papa
Belmayne. who waa Indulgent, said he
didn't particularly care for a macadam
ised drawing-room and engaged an
other room to hold the ancient archi
tecture. The attentions of the two men
soon became constant and very marked.
And through archaeological mornings
and afternoon drives, on the blocks of
the Korum and the steps of the Col
iseum, on the rinclan Hill and the roof
of St. Peter's, they fell deeper and deep
er In love, but kept their own counsel.
The dear girl was as yet unconscious
of It. but they hated each other with
the hate of the ls:o-t dramas. It was
anything all to win the adorable
beauty, and sentence the other fellow
to life-long despair.
The primal cause of all the subse
quent trouble was Vincent's yacht. He
bad. on various occasions, shown Miss
Belmayne the r.lrh responsibility of his
position as correspondent of the Thun
derer. Now and then he wrote hla dis
patches at her hotel, after dinner, and
two days later would read her the pow.
erfuU ponderous Thunderer editorials,
which, telegraphed all over Europe,
were based upon the dispatches sent
by Mm. This Interested her tremen
dously. Like every true American girl
of nowadays In her ante-matrimonial.
ant-balies-of-her-osm period she se.
cretly longed to sway rations. To write
dlspa tehee which set Europe and Amer
ica In a ferment, which caused Salts
bury, the German Emperor, and the
Czar to instantly buckle on their skates,
ss It were, and dash off to do something
final, seemed to her the only occupa
tion worthy of woman or of man. She
found nothing so delightful as helping
him. and he knew nothing so delightful
aa her help, notwithstanding that the
hotel note paper waa scarcely the prop
er stationery to bear this freight of
heavy thought. When the Thunderer
arrived she would read the dispatches
with a thrill of Interest born of her In
direct connection with the great news
paper. Finally ahe wanted to write a
dispatch Just a little one all by her
self. He. reserving rights of correction
and revision, consented. It wa a safe
contribution, not at all sensational,
about tre return of the olive crop. She
wrote It. She also read It. word for
word. In print, two days later. That
experience was a crisis in her life. Des
tiny opened out Its arms to her as a
Woman of M!sht and Power. Halladay
lost ground visibly after that and bad
been enforced, so that tho state of the
Chinese army ha not been greatly
Improved. Official (queexe has become
less severe on the men, however, and
Is extorted In a different way.
One division was formerly under the
command of a General popularly nick
named I'a I'l ("Take the Skin"). Tho
troops received a regular ration of In
ferior grain or flour In addition to
their pay. But out of the latter they
weer made to buy, from their com
manding officer and whenever they
were ordered to do so, practically all
their equipment caps, boots, trousers,
tunics, blankets and many sundries.
Such small part of the pay as was
not absorbed In this way they could
spend on necessaries or luxuries from
outside.
So while ha was In command tha
men were always smart In appearance.
Admlrtng foreign vlaltors would com
ment on tho spruce new uniforms In
which our local troops always par
aded. They didn't know the underly
ing reasons for this spick-and-span
condition.
Poor Pa P"l, no worse than bis neigh
bors, has had bad luck. When I last
beard of him he had been cashiered.
probably less for squeezing than for
not allowing himself to b aqueesea
sufficiently by his superiors.
Now the same division Is commanded
by a General wbo pursues a different
system. Equipment and uniforms are
served out free and with moderate reg
ularity. The full pay of the men I
approximately 12.60 (in American
money) per month. Ninety-six cents
of this, or more than one-third of the
whole, however. Is kept back by the
oflcer to pay for the grain and flour
ration served out daily. No other ar
ticle of food Is given In direct return
for this, but there Is sn arrangement
which allow the men. working by
messes, to cultivate vegetables and
condiment for their own use. These
cost, therefore, only labor. It they
want meat (and can afford It) they
may buy It with the remaining 11.54
per month, from which also they must
emotional neuralgia of the most tortur
ing kind.
The cause of the trouble, as before
stated, was the yacht.. A dirty steam
trader from Marseilles, while coming
to anchor, had taken off the bowsprit
of Vincent's secondary Idol, together
with a slice of her peerless nose. It
was like an accident to a highly es
teemed female cousin. The best medi
cal attention waa Instantly necessary.
Vincent knew the Italians. He knew
that If he did not personally arrange
the contract for repairs at Naples the
contractor who did them would after
wards own the yacht, bring suit against
his personal fortune, and hold hla fam
ily responsible for the balance of the
money. In short, he had to go to Naples
for two days. Mis Belmayne. Strang,
to say. received the new with Joy.
"I'll look after things. I'll send any
thing that s necessary to the Thunder
er," she said.
He stared at her In aoiihment.
"Oh. do let me! Pleaae do! I want
to show you the breadth of my mind."
Eventa were very dull journalistic
ally. And when a beautiful girl wants
to show you the breadth of her mind It
Is not only dangerous to say "no." but
wise to say "yes." that Is, If you are
aa much In love as he was. He finally
consented and she radiated enthusiasm.
"Just read the papers If you do send
anything, and be guided by them." said
he. "But don't er don't send too
much, and nothing that Isn't import
ant." Then he went away to single
combat with the contractor. She
couldn't do him any harm. If what
she sent was bad It wouldn't be printed.
And his consent to the proposal would
certainly do him Infinite good In con
nection with another proposal. Thus be
mused. In love, and In the train to
Naples.
Now, It Is doubtless fully understood
by all adult persons that when an
American girl desires to show the
breadth of her mind ahe Is destined to
show It at all hazards. The respon
sibility of her position weighed heavily
upon Miss Belmayne. Ehe came down
to breakfast next morning with a far
away look In her eyes and two brown
prlma-donna halr-curlera still nestling
In the sort silken hair above her fore
head. Papa Belmayne at first assumed
that this was a new style In breakfast
toilets and said nothing. He could
never keep quite abreast of the fashions
and he had made mistakes before. Then
he conceived that It might possibly be
evidence of strong, disturbing emo
tion, and ventured to Inquire. She
gravely removed the hair-curlers, snd
after striking her hair three skilful
taps put them In her pocket. Then
ahe cautiously whispered to him the
news. She, ehe. was the Acting Rome
Correspondent of the Thunderer. Papa
waa startled. It flashed Instantly upon
his practical Chicago mind that with a
wire like that something might be done
In wheat. But no on second thought
that wouldn't do. Still, be was proud,
very proud, of his daughter. He pro
ceeded to like Vincent amazingly.
"We'll give the old Thunderer a lift,
my dear. If anything happens. I'll
furnish the statesmanship and you look
out for the spelling and punctuation."
said he. Halladay he had never liked.
That gentleman's family tree and Its
luxuriant foliage bad been exhibited
several times In his presence and It an
noyed him. Not having dealt largely
In trees In his career, he didn't believe
In them. So Vincent stock rose above
the hundred mark In the Belmayne
family, and Halladay's fell steadily to
aero, with no offers.
Halladay knew this and fumed In
secret. He also guessed at once from 1
o h n ,e-vs fjr-r s sr m -
S2I
pay the barber who shaves their heads
and attends to their queues and for all
luxuries and amusements that the heart
of a aoldier desires.
Sapient foreigners have been found
who declare that the modern Chinese
aoldier Is drawn from a better class
than In the past. The soldiers them
selves do not pretend that this Is the
case. The social status of their offi
cer has been a little Improved, but
not much. The higher ranks are still
filled by men of the old stamp, who
have paid to get their positions, and
who pay to hold them. In time they
may be replaced by the youngsters
now below them, who have had oome
foreign training, but who, at the best,
would be quite unequal to the handling
of large bodies ot men, as the term la
now understood, and who must buy
promotion directly or Indirectly.
The monthly pay of a Captain Is $30.
Men of the class from which they come
must support themselves, their wives
and possibly help their parents, all
out of this sura! Is It surprising that
they "squeeze" their men It the chance
offers?
One of my acquaintance confesses to
being In debt to the extent of 1240
(or eight months' pay) after holding
a Captaincy for two year. He has had
a superior education and Is now look
ing for civil employment.
Officer below this grade do not re
ceive and appear not to expect any
chow of deference from their men, ex
cept when on the parade ground. Even
to any one used to the democratio ways
ot China this absence of respect must
bo striking.
Tou may read that by the end of 111!
China will have completed the organi
sation of J division of 12,600 men
each. A standing army of close on
600.000 men, with plan already made
to Increase It. Well drilled and armed
with up-to-date weapons! A popula
tion ot 400,000,000 from which to re
cruit! What beautiful facts for the sensa
tionalist. The Fat Boy In Pickwick
could think of nothing better calcu
lated to "make your flesh creep" till
you can learn something more about
this "army."
Certainly Chinese troops look well
on parade. They do the goose-step with
a precision which a Prussian guards
man might envy. All drillground
Miss Belmayne' words and questions
the foolish thing that Vincent had done.
He saw In It only a clever move of his
rival, and also saw a chance to spoil
Vincent's chance and win Mis Bel
mayne with a single safe play. He
was devoted but thoughtful all that
afternoon. Then he went away and
meditated.
At 10 o'clock that evening he entered
the Belmayne drawing-room, sharp
pointed. Immaculate, and smiling with
a visible air of conscious triumph.
"Ha. ha, ha! Sorry for Vincent. Pity
he's away." be said.
"Oh! what happened? Tve read all
the evening papers," said the acting
correspondent.
"Can't say. yon know. Must keep a
good thing to myself when I get 1L"
"It Is a very good thing?"
"Very."
"Is It a big thing?" This with fear
and trembling.
"Biggest In months. May cause a re
bellion In Italy. Tou know these
Italians. Hair-trigger sort of people
when anything happens that they don't
quite like."
"Oh, Mr. Halladay! Please tell me."
He proceeded not to tell her, for the
next half hour. In the cleverest way
possible. He dangled the bait before
her and cruelly enjoyed her attempts to
seize it. He saw with concealed fury,
however, that her anxiety was the ten
der anxiety that he most greatly feared.
This armed him In his resolve, and hav
ing excited her curiosity till It was
painful, he went downstairs.
"What la It. my dear?" said Bel
mayne. Miss Belmayne was dumb with dis
appointment. She loved Vincent she
knew It In that moment and he would
be dreadfully beaten, without excuse,
and perhaps lose his position. Becauso
of their compact he had even failed to
notify the Thunderer of his absence.
"I've ralseed the greatest news of
the year," she said sharply. "Do go
down to the smoking-room. They're
sure to be talking about It. Follow
Halladay and see to whom he speaks.
We must get something about it."
Papa Belmayne was stout, vigorous.
65. and came from Chicago. His hair
was curly and showed only a few white
lines. Spurred by parental love and a
deelre for something to do that was
lowly undermining his constitution, he
followed Halladay like the species of
hound which Is called sleuth. His eyes
twinkled and his blood was up. He had
always known that anybody can be a
newspaper correspondent, and he en
Joyed trying It- He quickly found Hal
laday In the smoking-room and kept
his eye on him. Halladay observed this
and was deeply glad. It was as he had
hoped. Belmayne had fallen heels over
head Into his trap.
Halladay was in earnest, low-toned
conversation with Sir George Perley
bore, a tall, thin, white-haired, per
fectly groomed baronet, of any age
above 65. the kind of lay figure met
everywhere In the best hotels of the
south of Europe during Winter. Sir
George was astonished. Papa Belmayne
saw this plainly, and lay low like Brer
Rabbit. Halladay finally 'went away.
Papa then greeted Sir George carelessly
and proposed a whisky and soda. Also
cigars. Sir George said: "Most extraor
dinary! Wouldn't have believed 't..
Whst'H these beggars do next!" Papa
swelled with repressed eagerness. Then
It all came out. He got it every word
ot It and chuckled at his own diplo
macy. Then he flew to the elevator.
"Now I know what I'm talking about,
my dear," he said, when her burst of
joy was over. "I understand these j
things and you don't. I haven't been '
I 'r 111 'i- fjla Mil
11 j-ssi lUir- tb rr
m I - . v k' s i 11.;-.. ir is g e rjzrr vr
V ' 7X3 W q IP
lr !! - .Ml 0 Hi
exercises are splendidly carried out.
'Tve never seen guns more smartly
handled," a foreign military officer
aid to me.
We were at a review, and no Chi
nese being within earshot, my compan
ion obviously could not be trying to
give a little indirect taffy."
"'Major Wang," he called, "how long
have the men been practicing with this
type of weapon? Six weeks, you sayT
Marvelous!"
So It was, but . The Chinese Is a
born actor, and when at drill he throws
himself Into his allotted part, Just as
he would behind the footlights. His
dramatic Instinct Is aroused and ha
sees himself for the moment as a hero
of romance. I don't mean to say that
he cannot be made into a real soldier;
he can be. But It is not being done.
Drill he can, shoot be can't.
Watch him at scouting exercise, and
you will see that it Is an automaton
that has been set to work, not a rea-
a State Senator two terms for nothing.
Tou sit down and take your pen and
I'll dictate."
Papa expanded like a balloon, walked
the floor, and dictated. He measured
every word by cubic measurement- He
dictated the short despatch four times
and half of another time In all. She
wrote and scratched out and turned the
dictionary pages feverishly, and
thought how clearly Edward would see
the breadth of her 'mind.
And neither Edward nor the Thun
derer knew the doom that was impend
ing. When the despatch was finally com
pleted she knew that she could have
expressed It much more egantly, but
papa was inexorable.' He d tell the
story In America, by Jimlny, and he
wanted to read his own despatch in the
London Thunderer. So she copied It In
a bold, round hand, signed Vincent's
cipher, gave It to Vincent's commission
aire, who called at 11, and both she and
papa went to bed feelling very well
Indeed.
At 10 o'clock the next morning
Roman time the face of Europe wore
a fearful geographical frown. Conster
nation, perplexity and uncertainty ruled
In five empires. From Downing street
the news went under the Channel to
the Paris Elvsee and overland to the
' Winter palaces of Berlin. Vienna and
St. Petersburg. In tier nonest attempt,
to way nations, the dear girl had suc
ceeded. The thrones sent messages to
the foreign offices; the foreign offices
wired the ambassadors, and neither
wire nor cable could work half fast
enough to please the respective senders.
When the stock exchanges opened, Ital
ian Rentes fell six points, and their
allies weakened in proportion. The
smash had come. Italy was bankrupt
and the Triple Alliance would fall to
pieces. It all arose from a despatch
and an editorial In the columns of the
London Thunderer, those columns which
were held to be Infallible as the multi
plication table itself. This was the de
spatch: ITALY.
(From our own correspondent.)
I sw Slgnor Crespo this evening and
learned from him that th new and Im
portant Item In th budget, the new source
of revenue which has been promised snd
upon which great hopes have been based,
will take the form of a national tax upon
moustaches. In his bill, which b will In
troduce In the Chamber tomorrow. It will
b provided that every citizen of Italy wear
ing a moustache shall pay a sumptuary tax
thereupon of on lira yearly. In th ordi
nary coursa this tax will yield th 20.000.000
llr per annum which ar so greatly needed
and whose source us to now It hss been
Impossible to discover. Of course, a certain
amount of opposition from the Left 1 con
fidently to be expected. The tax on mous
taches will undoubtedly afford an oppor
tunity to the Foeialiet to champion Individ
ual rlfrhts and protest against interference
therewith; but. on the other hand, the cler
ical wing are certain to view the Innova
tion with favor. The peculiar acceptance of
the measure Is. however, difficult to fore
cast. This was probably the most nonsen
sical dispatch that has ever appeared
In any newspaper, great or small. The
editor had looked at it. Incredulous.
The leader writer said. "H'm. it's neck
or nothing with Crespo." Only Vin
cent's cipher and the condition of Italy
made belief possible: but it was be
lieved. This was the editorial:
The extraordinary course which has been
adopted by the Prime Minister of Italy la
order to replenish th national treasury Is
so radical an extension of the general prin
ciple of taxation that neither its wisdom
nor Its result can yet b declared with any
detrree of certainty. Statistic do not, un
fortunately, furnish us with th number of
Italian citizens who at the period of the
last census vera wearing mustaches. It .Is
a well-known fact, however, that the cus
tom of cultivating hair In an ornamental
sonlng being. The Fifth Division (one
of the first to be organized) is still
without any rifle range.
A mass of men, even if properly
trained. Is not an Army till it is or
ganized, and such organization Is sadly
lacking in China. What can one say
of a medical service corps which gives
one foreiirn-taught surgeon to a di
vision? The majority of Chinese sol
diers have no faith In foreign drugs, or
the medical staff would be hopelessly
overworked even In time of peace.
Sensationalists tell us that the lega
tions of the powers In Pekln are
watching with misgiving China's rising
military power and are closely follow
ing every advance that Is made.
To do this last is only the plain duty
of a military attache. Let me point out
what cause the foreigner may have for
misgiving. China beyond question dis
likes the foreign devil, collectively at
least. This Is particularly true of the
younger men, educated abroad, whobe-
Uxceptjonal Tale
form upon the upper lip is perhaps more
firmly established as a national habit 1n
Italy than In any other country of the world
at the present time. Th first lesson of
this proposed legislation la its certain In
dication of the extreme if not hopeless fi
nancial straits Into which the monarchy has
fallen. Th second is the very doubtful
character of the tax Itself as a rellabls
source of revenue, when viewed from the
standpoints of expediency and of successful
enforcement. It will be necessary for leg
islation to establish with perfect clearness
not only what a mustache legally Is, but
also at what age, both of the wearer and
of the mustache Itself, 1t become taxable:
and In these two directions, to ay nothing
of th popular acceptance or rejection of
the measure, the visible difficulties are both
many and great.
On that very afternoon a man in a
yachting suit went over the side of a
yacht at Naples and was rowed to the
pier. He was happy and buoyant with
the buoyant happiness of the man who
loves and is loved. Upon reaching the
pier he bought the second edition of
the Corriere dl Napoll and glanced at
the telegraph columns. The Thunderer
dispatch had been cabled back to
Naples, and under sensational head
lines was the first to meet his eye.
His first thought was that he was
losing his mind and Inventing the
telegram. Then something flashed up
on him, and his heart seemed to stop
beating. He staggered to the curb of
the pier, sat down and shut his eyes.
He was never sure afterwards whether
he fainted or not. For five minutes
he knew only the silent whirl of
agonized thoughts. He grasped at
once what had happened. It was
Halladay's work, and Halladay had
ruined him. The Thunderer was the
laughing stock of Europe, and he, as
the responsible sender of that dispatch,
was Journalistically done for. Ambi
tion spoke first, and the pain was of
the bitterest- Love spoke next, but
with all his rage and despair he could
not find the power to be harsh to Miss
Belmayne. "The dear girl!" he said.
"She did her best, and that scoundrel
fooled her completely. Oh, oh, oh!"
And he squeezed his head with his
hands as if to shut out the thought
of his position and the Inevitable con
sequences that he must face.
A little knot of loungers had gath
ered, his evident pain exciting their
sympathy.' This recalled him to him
self, and he took a cab and drove away.
Little knots of men stood in front of
all the cafes, excitedly discussing the
new tax. Half of them were clean
shaven for the first time in their lives
and the rest were about to be. There
was a run on every hairdresser's shop
In Naples. The Italian is poor, the
taxes are killing, and the art of dodg
ing them is the first thing taught to
children. Vincent still held the paper
and now read its comments on the tax.
They combined a scream of sarcastic
laughter with a howl of furious rage.
Italy , had been touched on the spot
that was tenderest. But and here was
a gleam of hope the reputation of the
Thunderer was so high that the dis
patch had been taken seriously. The
"sell" had not yet been exposed. If
only Crespo would save him but no!
Crespo's position, already imperiled by
a crisis, was worse than his own.
Crespo would want to shoot him on the
spot.
He caught the 2:40 train and rode to
Rome in a state of numbness. What
he would do to Halladay he did not
dare to think. He was a man In a
rage, a hungry, thirsty rage, that
threatened to overpower him. Nor did
be dare to go to his apartment. There
lay the telegram dismissing him in
derision and contempt. In his sorrow
his heart turned to love for consola
tion. Arrived at Rome, he drove to
the hotel, entered Miss Belmayne's j
lieve that they have an army already
almost strong enough to enforce their
will, turn all foreigners out of the
country bag and baggage and slam the
doors shut after them. If such men
were to have their way, China would
again soon declare war on the world.
Therefore it behooves the legations to
watch as they are doing. 1
It is this very hatred of the foreign
er, combined with growing self-conceit
on tho part of China, that Is weaken
ing their army. Before the Boxer
trouble. German Instructors had been
freely used and their advice taken. The
artillery was wonderfully efficient, and
a fair proportion of men understood
how to use their rifles.
We are told much today about Jap
anese advisers to the army of China,
but on the spot they are remarkably
hard to find. Where they do exist it
is at least certain that, like all other
advisers to Chinese officialdom, they
will not be listened to.
Yet for China to become a serious
military power by her own unaided ef
forts is impossible. If, with organiza
tion imperfect, officers still filling
their pockets at the expense of the
men, men still Ignorant of the use of
their arms and thoroughly disaffected
toward the ruling dynasty, she makes
war on even a single foreign nation,
she can only meet with another disas
ter to add to the list of those from
which she is as yet so reluctant to
learn.
Were the men loyal, which they
mostly are not, China's army would
today be almost strong enough to pre
serve order within the borders of her
own empire. There Is some hope that
It may come to do so much, but there
is danger that it may attempt to do
more. In that case it will fail, and its
failure may be a disaster to other na
tions besides China,
drawing-room with a white, sad face,
and sat In the shadow.
The -acting correspondent cams In
radiant, beaming with pride and pleas
ure over her shrewdness and success.
"Have you seen It? It's in the
Roman papers. You didn't get beaten.
Oh, I was so worried and so happy
when I knew you were safe!"
She stopped, mystified at his silence.
Then she saw his pallor and his ex
pression. "Are you ill? What Is it? Wljat's
the matter?"
He tried to spare her; tried to pass
the matter over lightly. But the mo
ment she knew that the dispatch had
caused his trouble all subterfuges were
useless. Her face, too, grew white, and
she kept on asking him question alter
question till she fully understood the
effect of what he had done. His ruin
was certain, but his replies were gen
tle, quiet and full of sympathy. Then
the society girl known as Miss Bel
mayne disappeared - and the woman in
her came out His career was ended,
and through his love for her. His big,
beautiful girl stood up, tried to say
she was sorry,- but couldn't- Her lips
only quivered and wouldn't work. Then
she sat down, bolt upright, on the sofa,
and the tears came first creeping and
then tumbling down from her eyelashes
as she cried, broken hearted, without a
word or a handkerchief. He tried to
soothe her, to say it was nothing. "Oh,
Edward!" was all she said.
In spite of his grief, ho observed the
word "Edward."
Upon this interesting and unconven
tional social tableau bustled in Papa
Belmayne; of Chicago, millionaire and
newspaper correspondent. He saw a
white young man and a young person
bathed in tears.
"Wha what's the matter?" said he,
starting and peering over his eye
glasses. "I'm done for, but it's all my own
fault," said the young man.
Papa inquired and was told. He sat
down suddenly in e, state of collapse.
"If that sneak comes here again I'll
cowhide him," he said, exploding. "I'll
thrash him, anyhow. Anyhow!" he
roared with the rage of an honest man
who has been beaten at his own game.
Then several minutes of sad, solemn
silence ensued, each trying to find a
ray of light in the gloom.
"Why don't you see Crespo? He's a
friend of yours, isn't he?" said Bel
mayne. 'He has been."
"Then come on. Laura, you come with
us. We did it- We're responsible, and
we'll take the blame. Crespo is the
only man that can save you. Here I
Order m a carriage!" he shouted to
the maid.
The combative financier who had
faced and won a hundred battles that
were real battles was not to be daunted
by a prime minister and a newspaper
and a little thing like this. His cour
age, of course, infected his daughter.
With father at the helm everything
would, of course, be all right. It must
be all right. So she hoped once more
and darted away for hatpins. While
wanting for her and the hatpins at the
elevator another thing occurred. Bel
mayne put his hand in a friendly way
on Vincent's ' shoulder and said:
"Young man, don't you worry. If you
have to give up Journalism, you may
possibly do much better than that. I
know you and I like you." Vincent
nodded quietly. The implied promise
was well meant, but it did not appeal
to him Just then. They drove to the
Quirinal Hill in silence. The acting
correspondent merely asked her father
if her hat was on straight. She se-
(Concluded on Pax L)