Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-28
Russia As IL L..


] he expected arrival of the Grand Duke
Alex 5, and the fact announced in our telegraphie
column yesterday that Russia is reOrganizing
her army end placing it on a complete war foot
ing, has awakened public interest here in regard
- nat / 1wclfrl nat on. Persons who form
their estimate of the country from the school
biographies and gazetteers % twenty or thirty
years ago, are apt to have very erroneous i'm
pre- SION OF the great Russian Empire as it now
exists. Since that time its geographical limits
have been materially extended, and its increase
in population and wealth has been steady and
enormous. The al clifton of serfdom proved a
national blct:ing, over two thirds OF the former
l0t; J,NC boncmen having become landed pro-
prietors. The former serfs are devoted to the
Car. and since their freedom have added
greatly to he strength o. tie government.
Another import mt re o-m which has increased
the popularity of the Gar is the abolition of the
hercd tary leyiiical character o. the Russo
Greek p .es,hood. To show the rapid progress
of Russia of late years in internal improve
ments it way be stated thai before the CIimean
war, she had but /, t37 miles of railroad: row She
has nearly 5000 miles, and plans railroad con-
neciioDs with every populated part of the En-
pire. Over goo miles of "strategical" roads are
built every year, by imperial decree, and about
25,1tS miles of telegraph lines were in operation
in 1869.
According TO the census returns of 1864, her
territory is distributed as follows: In Europe
1885, 431 square miles; in Finland 1881; in the
Caucasus, 169 GIL; in Siberia and Central Asia
$50, 611-t0taI s, 0S2, $40 .quare mles-a region
more than twice as large as the United States
The population OF this enormous tract in the
same year was rs, S31 c32. or over double that of
the United States at the last census. o. the
total population the Russians proper number
63470C00; the Poles only f. 50 900; the Tartars
4,7s0,OOO; the Firms, 100000; the Germans
$4,000. C0ssacks, some p; ople suppose, make
large proportion OF The FUrsian subjects, but
their number is Only about $4,000. Among this
population religious sects are divided about nc
follows: Orthodox Greek church, 51.1I7 81.
Roman Catholics, 2,slO,7O3; Protestants
2,Os3, 152, and MOhammedaDs, 2,G91, $751; But
it is in her military and naval strength that
Russia looms far above all the ra;ions OF the
earth. Since the Crimean war it has materially
increased, her army numbering, ace rding ID a
cable dispatch from st. Petersburg, printed in
yesterdays STAR, 1,e90,CJO men, not including
sixty six regiments of Cos7acks, which would
swell the aggregate ID nearly I,7C0,OCC. The
order calling 10 arms all The adult male popu-
latlon is virtually mObilizng the en.iIe military
strength OF the nation. The Cars feet now
consists of go iron steamers, with 2295 guns,
and % sailing vessels, with 65 guns. the whole
manned by 6o,23O sailors and marines, COM
manded by 1891 officers. 1t will thus be seen
that the other nations of Europe have good
cause to be apprehensive, in view of Russia's
formidable preparations for war. single ma
ton, even Prussia, could hardly expect, under
ordinary circumstances, to overcome her, alone
and unaided, in deadly conflict, and even the
most powerful combinations might reasonably
entertain doubt as to their ability to success
fully cope with so gigantic an antagonist