CANTON
units, to evolve a navy capable of dealing with domestic as well as foreign quarrels. It also planned to increase the efficiency of the navy by sending cadets abroad—especially to the United States and England—for the purpose of training them in the methods of modern naval warfare.
"The number of the personnel of the Navy," says the Statesman's Yearbook, "can not he stated exactly. Experience proves that the Chinese bluejackets, with training and discipline, can rank with any bluejackets in the world." In 1916, according to the China Yearbook, there were 20 gunboats, ranging from 300 to 1,500 tons, in the Chinese fleet; and also 11 torpedo boats, ranging from 26 to 50 tons, and 2 transports of 700 and 1,700 tons, respectively.
The Chinese Navy is now mainly under the control of the Peking Government—although some of the ships give their loyalty to the Government at Canton—and very frequently travelers on the Chukiang River are given the novel privilege of viewing a Chinese war vessel, manned by Chinese sailors, and commanded by Chinese officers, sailing up a Chinese river.
Frequently the warships cruise up and down the stream in search of pirates, and after a taste or two of Chinese shell—
Forty-Nine
