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Story
January 5, 1901
Wauwatosa News
Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
What is this article about?
Opinion piece from McClure's Magazine argues that Chinese ('John Chinaman') could be ideal soldiers due to their lack of fear of death and ability to endure hardship, if led by competent officers, countering their historical reputation as poor fighters.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
John Chinaman an Ideal Soldier
It is a natural supposition that people who have no fear of death should make good soldiers. Yet the Chinaman has so far been a hopelessly-bad soldier. That is not because he is a coward or because he is afraid of death or wounds; yet, after all, however lightly a man may hold his life, no one sacrifices it unless it be for some ideal or other. It is but fair to add that it is the military man darin or officers who generally give the signal for a stampede. Possibly if commanded by capable officers the Chinese, with their wonderful power of enduring privation and their callousness toward death, would eventually form an admirable army.—McClure's Magazine.
It is a natural supposition that people who have no fear of death should make good soldiers. Yet the Chinaman has so far been a hopelessly-bad soldier. That is not because he is a coward or because he is afraid of death or wounds; yet, after all, however lightly a man may hold his life, no one sacrifices it unless it be for some ideal or other. It is but fair to add that it is the military man darin or officers who generally give the signal for a stampede. Possibly if commanded by capable officers the Chinese, with their wonderful power of enduring privation and their callousness toward death, would eventually form an admirable army.—McClure's Magazine.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Historical Event
What themes does it cover?
Bravery Heroism
What keywords are associated?
Chinese Soldiers
Ideal Soldier
Fearlessness
Endurance
Military Potential
What entities or persons were involved?
John Chinaman
Story Details
Key Persons
John Chinaman
Story Details
The article posits that Chinese people, unafraid of death and capable of enduring privation, could form an admirable army if commanded by capable officers, despite past poor performance as soldiers.