Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-01-11
The Military Strength of Russia.

In the event of an outbreak of hostilities
in Europe, which must be reckoned
among the possibilities of the near future,
everything relating to the military strength
and material resources of the combatants
| becomes a matter of great interest. The
immense population of Russia-ranging,
according to different estimates, from S2,-
100000 to 94,000,000, gives her a tre-
mendOus advantage in recruiting for her
army. Germany has but Al 600, 900; Aus
tria and France each 36, ,000,0 and
Great Britain 80 900, 900. The Russians
are hardy people also, and have been for
some years past under so rigorous disci-
pline that they may be regarded as a ma
tion of soldiers. Russia has learned the
necessity of intelligence and good disci-
pline in an army, and has spared no pains
to educate her officers of every grade, and
to give her soldiers the best of training.
Every Russian over twenty-one years of
age is liable to military duty, though
there are some local exceptions to these
provisions, and some classes of the pOpu-
lation are exempt. The term of service
in European Russia is fifteen years six
years under the flag and nine in the re-
serve. In Asia the term is only ten years,
of which seven are passed in active duty.
From 1868 to 1874 an annual draft of
100000 men was made, leaving reserve
force of about 100000. The first en-
rolment under the new law, call
ng in IL for o,t,5n f5n 600 of 9n 9ao1 took place
ond, calling for 10000, in the autumn
of 1876; and the contingent for this
year is 100000. Last year the strength of
the army was announced officially as fol-
lows: Regular army on the peace footing,
457 ,S72; on the war footing, S08, ,670 ar
my of the first reserve ON the peace foot
ing, $50, 740; on the war footing, 227, ,923;
army of second reserve on the peace foot
ing, 207 ,S12; on the war footing, 276, 664
This would give as the total Of the Rus
sian army proper, on the war footing,
1918, ,257 men. But in addition to these
there are in military service 129, 900 Cos
sacks of the Don, 900 Cossacks of the
Orenburg and Siberian lines, and a small
contingent which Finland is required to
furnish, making altogether an army of
1 100000 men.
Russia is well supplied with horsrs, the
number being computed in 1871 at 49,
266, 900, or 225 to every 1, 900 of the pOpu-
lation, whereas Austria has only ninety
nine, Germany ninety-two, and France
eighty. The infantry is to use the Ber-
dan rife, but is only partially supplied
with it, the remainder of the troops hav-
ing old muskcts altered into breech-load
ers. The artillery is supplied with four
to nine FOUNDER breech-loading steel and
bronze cannon. The army budget has
increased from 50,000,000 rubles in 1882
to 179 900 900 rubles in 1875, or about thir-
ty-fve per cent. of the entire expenses of
the Empire, and the amount appropriated
for the navy in the latter year was 20 ,000,-
900 rubles.
The Russian navy is in two principal
divisions, the fieet.of the Baltic and that
the Black Seas: and there are smaller
fleets in the Caspian, Aral, Siberian and
White Sea waters. The total comprises
108 men -of-war, 1 AIT officers and 1911
seamen. The iron clad fleet of war com
prises the powerful turret-ship Peter the
Great, eight frigates, three corvettes,
fourteen turret monitors and three floating
batteries. The entire fleet now consists of
225 steam vessels, with 521 guns, and
total tonnage of 172, sol. AS to the direc-
ton which the Russian military move
ments will take, the following statement is
probably nearly correct: The main
strength of this vast military force will
be concentrated at two points. The first
army is already gathering about Kichiney,
in the vicinity of the Pruth, which divides
Bessarabia from Roumania. Across the
river her forces will sweep down through
Roumania into Bulgaria, threatening Con-
stantinople on the left To meet this
force the Turks are about concentrating
2G0, 600 men in Bulgaria. They are also
Strengthening Widdin and other Danubian
fortresses and reinforcing the fleet on that
river. The second army will have Ti1is
as its base, on the trans Caucasian side,
and operate in Armenia, which is friendly
to Russia, Trebizond and silva, threaten
ing Constantinople on the right. A pow
erful army is already concentrated at
Tifis, with no corresponding Turkish
fighting, if war should be declared, would
be in European Turkey. .''-B0ston Jour-
nal.