Western cyclone. [volume] (Nicodemus, Kan.) 1886-1887, 1886-09-09
THE RUSSIAN ARMY.
Two Million of Soldiers Waiting for the
March ConstantinOple.

Two Million of Soldiers Waiting for the
Mach COnstantinOple.
st. Louis Republican.
The crisis in the east has give pecu-
liar interest to the Russian military
power and the question now uppermost
in every mind is what can the car do in
the event of war.
In no country in the world is secrecy
about military information so stringent
~ enforced as in Russia. The year
books credit the empire with an army
which might be brought up to 100000
men, but this is mere conjecture, which
may or may not be the truth. 1t is GER
tain that the Russian reports claim that
strength, but it is to be doubted whether
any such figure could be reached in an
emergency. The latest returns (1886)
ascribe to Russia territory of 8,459, $50
square niles, one sixth of the land sur
face of the globe and population of
1O2,983,124. OF this Russia in Europe
has 100000 square miles and $1,000
OOO,people. The empire is deeply in debt,
the interest bearing portion alone
amounting to $2,O82, 100000. The non-
interest bearing debt is very heavy, but
no statistics as to its amount are acces-
sible. Out of these figures it is not diff
ficult to understand that Russia might
be able to mobilize and send forward g.
100000 combatants. Germany with 49,
100000 inhabitants has an army 1,500,-
900 strong on war footing, and France
with 100000 of people claims an
army OF 3,750,000. Thus it appears
that the Russian claim is not necessarily
Incredible, and it will be interesting to
go through the latest scientific report
upon the Russian army, that made by
Lieut.. F. V. Greene of the Uuited States
engineers who was military attache to
the legation at St. Petersburg during
the Turco- Russian war in 1877-78. It
is from Lieut.. Greenes report to the
government upon his observation with
the Russian army that the facts given
below are chiefly drawn.
The Russian army has been reorgan-
lied since the war with Turkey, but the
reorganization has been chiefly along the
lines laid down by the ukase of January
!, 1874. After the demonstration of the
success OF the German system in the
French war, all Europe began the work
Of readjusting its armies to the modern
models. Russia, it may easily be be-
heved, was one of the most radical be-
levers In the new militarism. Proceed
ing upon the theory that every Russian
subject owes military service to the state,
the new laws we're framed in order to
make large proportion of this debt of
servitude payable. Every youth who ar
rives at the age of twenty years must
present himself to the proper authorities
and submit himself to the lottery which
will decide if he must be soldier or not.
In October, 1874, the first drawing under
the new law was held. The number of
men annually attaining the age of 20
years in Russia is 100000. The contin-
gent called for was 100000, or three out
OF every fourteen. The results are inter
eSting. The men liable for service were
693, 1856; 1854 were exempt under the
law. OF this number 24,450 did not
present themselves for the drawing, 49,
452 were discharged for physical in
capacity, 1904 were allowed to postpone
their service to complete their education,
1888 were suspected of feigning sick
ness and were held for further examina-
ton, and IA, 934 men were Incorporated
into the army. In 1876 the ukase called
for 10000 men; in 1875, $4,000 men,
and since that year 218,000 men annual.
y. These figures wholly exclude the
Cossacks and the forces of the Trans
Caucasus who are subject to different
laws.