The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-05-18

great many things got into the news
papers about the movements OF our
armies and the like to the very re-
verse Of the truth. So, in view OF
the uncertainty of the whole situa-
ton, the World and every one else
will have to excuse my giving Il posi-
tive opinion. You know that | am
rather conservative and not inclined
to decide matters too quickly"
r. c. Drum, the Adjutant-General
of the Army, spent two months in
England last summer. He is an en-
thusiastic admirer of English troops,
and believes that England and Russia
will get to fighting before long. He
says that Russia has been quietly
working down towards the Fast India
possessions of England, and that
conflict in future is inevitable. "The
English soldier" said Gen. Drum,
''is the finest in the world. l make
no exception. A regiment of English
men is the finest body of soldiers
ever gotten together"
"You will not even except our
volunteer troops of the last WARP"
"No," said Gen. Drum; 1--WE had
no regiments of the purely American
type. They were mixed with the
foreign element always
(which nation do you think would
win in a tight-England or Russian
81 do not believe that the English
troops can be beaten by any nation.
They love fighting. They are men
of high intelligence and their Off
GERS are plucky fellows. The weak
feature of the English army at pre-
sent is the absence of any staff sys-
TEN. They have no regular staff as
we have in our army. No officer is
trained to hold an executive position.
Officers in the British army are too
apt to be placed in responsible posi-
tions through favor or influence.
This is the great fault of the SER
vice. The Scotch make wonderful
soldiers. They are the only troops
that have made a reputation in mill
tary history for a capacity to rally
under fire. Unite them with the
English and handle them well, and
you have an invincible army
Gen. Hazen was sent abroad during
the Turco-Russian war as a military
observer, and had his headquarters
at Vienna. He was with the Rus
sian troops for some time, and was
with Gen. Skobeleff for several
days. General Hazen says that
Russia came very near hay
ing a war with England at the
close of her war with Turkey.
If she had been fully prepared for
it there would have certainly been a
war between the two nations at that
time. "I had a good many talks
with Russian officers he said.
"They are all preparing themselves
with one idea, that is to some day
test their strength with the English.
l saw a great many of their regi-
ments on parade. The unceasing
question that was asked me was,
How do our men compare with the
English? The Russian soldiers are
very fine body of men. They have
a greater personal devotion to their
officers and to the Emperor, their
chief, than is known in any army.
Russia has been preparing for wal
with England for long time.
suppose that the Emperor will be
very largely guided by the desire Of
the Russian people. He has very
large debt, it is true, but it may be
easier for him to 60 ahead and have
war to divert the attention Of the
revolutionists at home. The Russians
have been moving south for some
time. 1t is inevitable that the Russian
Empire, great as it is, will some
time control the outlet through the
Dardanelles to the Mediterranean
1t is necessary to the prosperity ant
future growth of this great Empire. ,
Gen. Hazen has as high an opinion
of the English troops as has Gen
Drum. He thinks that they are tht
finest soldiers in the world. England
does not believe in maintaining large
standing armies, but her reserves
represent the very best possible ma
terial. The Germans and the Aus
trians are perhaps better machine
soldiers. They are more Inclined tt
| develop the professional soldier thai
the English. The latter are demo
cratic in their ideas, very much lik'
4 the people of this country. If th'
l war comes it will be a severe an(
+ protracted one. Gen Hazen did no
r think that other nations woult
interfere, although certain alliance
8 might be made. He thought j
possible that Russia was more in
clined to fight at the present tim
L rlnt,