The daily gazette., 1877-07-07
TURKEY Us. RUSSIA.
THE STRENGTH OF THEIR ARMIES.

THE STRENGTH OF THEIR ARMIES.
From Gen. George B. McClellan's Contri-
button in the North American Review.
1t is not easy to ascertain with accura-
| cy the population of the Turkish Empire;
but, emitting Egypt, Tripoli and Tunis,
as not to be depended upon for any con-
siderable assistance, also Roumania, Ser
via and Montenegro, there will remain
not much over 10000, 900 for the availa-
BILE population; and if we further deduct
the Christians and Jews of Turkey in
Europe, there will not remain more than
24.000,000. 1t must also be remembered
that there are some three and half mil
lions of Christians in Asatic Turkey.
! On the other hand, Russia, omitting
Siberia and other Asiatic dependencies,
except the trans Caucasus, has a popula-
tiop of some 100000. ..t
/ The financial condition of Deither coun-
try is good, but Russia is less dependent
1upon foreign countries for supplies, and
therefore better able to bear the strain of
lthe people are in it.
The Turkish regular army consists of
some 100000 men, supported by perhaps
oOLuC @OO3OOO JldiuCu IecuiIo, VI IcStINcS,
and about $4,000 other Redifs whose term
of service in the reserve has expired.
! Habitually the regular army is divided
into five corps, of which one is stationed
at Constantinople ; one In Roumelia,
headquarters at Monastir third in Ana
ltolia, headquarters at Erzeroum the
fourth at Irak, headquarters at Bagdad
the fifth in Arabistan, headquarters at
Damascus. Each corps is commanded
by Mushir, or Marshal. From the ma
ture of the case it is impossible to con-
centrate all the regulars and their reserves
on the Danube and near Erzeroum con-
siderable bodies must be left in Constan-
'tinople, on the frontiers of Greece, Mon
tenegro, and Servia, also in Syria and on
the Persian frontier.
In addition to the regulars and their
reserves, there is always available large
force of rregulars, known by the name
of Baschi-Bazouks, etc. Some of these
men, if well armed, would do good ser
vice in the defence Of fortified positions.
and as light troops covering the move
ments of an army but they cannot be
relied upon in tue open field against reg
ular troops. Within the last few years
the Turks have purchased large quanti-
ties of breech-loading rifles, roetallic
cartridges, and other ordinance supplies,
so that they are we'll provided, for the
Ipresent at least, in these regards. 1t is
understood that they have armed their
field batteries largely with the Krupp
breech-loading steel gun. The Turkish
feet numbers more than twenty respecta-
BILE ironclads, many of which are of
lEnglish construction, besides light draught
vessels for river service. 1t is not prob
!, able that the Turkish army Is in high
: State of efficiency, judged from the Euro
pean point of view but the men are
brave, and will always fight well. In the
; defence of fortresses ndsintrenched posi-
tions they are admirable, and they fight
well enough in the open field until dis
couraged by reverses, when they are apt
to lose confidence, as was the case in the
, latter part Of the campaign of 1929, after
the battle of Kalewtcha.
Under the new organization the armed
force of Russia is to consist of about a
million and three fourths of men; but suf-
ficient time has not yet elapsed to bring
the present system fully into play, so that
the number of instructed men now avail
able must fall considerably short of the
ultimate strength. In 1873 competent
Il German judges were of the opinion that
Il Russia could then bring into the field for
offensive operations, 534 900 infantry,
92, 800 cavalry, and / ,572 guns; leaving
reserve of $500 combatants, exclusive
of the reserve squadrons batteries, and
cadres of the 'instruction troops" of the
garrison troops co., 00infautry and sc, 900
artillery in the Notifications and mi
litia,
Glancing hastily at the new organza-
ton, we may be able to form an approx
nation to the number of troops now
available.
The normal effective peace establish
ment is 100000 men. The infantry por-
ton consists of three divisions of guards,
four of grenadiers, and fifty of the line;
in all, twelve regiments of guards, six
teen of grenadiers, and two hundred of
the line, each regiment having, three ser
vice battaiions of four line and one rifle
company each. The infantry regiment
is little over four thousand men. The
cavalry consists of eighteen divisions,
each having three regiments of regular
cavalry and one regiment of Cossacks.
Cossack regiments are also attached to
the headquarters of the infantry dlvi-
sions. The field artillery consists OF htty-
seven brigades of foot artillery, each
haying five batteries of eight guns each,
and one battery of Gatling guns. The
, field-guns are rified breech-loaders, OF g.
: FOUNDER and 4-pounder caibres. The
eighteen brigades of horse artillery are
AIMED with the 4-ponnder guns.
The normal organization Of the active
army is into eighteen or nineteen army
corps of three divisions each.
All the special services, such as the en-
! gineer troops, hospital corps, railway de-
,, tachments, telegraph corps, ETC., are fully
and admirably organized.
The contingent of conscripts for 1873
was about 10000, and not far from the
same for each year since then. If then
the statement already given, that in 1873
Russia had over $50, 900 men available for
offensive operations be correct, she must
now have more than million of trained
soldiers at her disposal, The infantry
: and cavalry are we'll armed with the Ber-
dan breech-loader. now made in large
J quantities in Russia. The lance has been
taken away from all or most of the cav
airy, and they are to a great extent train
edto fight on foot