Page:A Pocket Guide to China (1943).pdf/43

 son from some small town or village and he was drafted for military service. He travels light, can march incredible distances with full pack, and sleeps on the ground in the faded uniform he wears. He may look a bit ragged, but as Gen. Cheng Ting Che, one of the Chinese commanders in Burma, said: "You find the best-dressed soldiers behind the lines." Already a fine soldier, all he needs is better weapons and more of them and adequate training to be a match for the Japs.

Base pay for the Chinese sol­dier is about 6 Chinese dollars a month (approximately 30 cents in our money). His daily rations, in camp, consist of two meals of rice or noodles and vegeta­bles. On the march, his iron ration is fried rice carried in a cylindrical canvas bag, slung over 39