The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-06-26
THE PERsrAN ARMY.
The Help 1t Could Give England In . war
with Russia.

The Help 1t Could Give England In Wss
with Russia.
have of late been surprised ~ at the
orderly regularity of their camps; (2)
at the fair show of discipline and neat
ness of dress when on duty; go at the
cleanliness of their rifles, which in the
regular army are all breech-loaders'
though not of the best and latest pat
terms; az at the intelligence and smart
ness of some of their officers. There is
now military college at Teheran' at
which the superior class of officers are
instructed in branches of military edu-
cation similar to those taught at most
European military academies. The m
ferior class of officers is drawn in the
main from the middle or lower grades
of the Persian people, and is as a rule by
no means highly educated. Many OF
them, however, are capable ana lnteii-
gent; though others, and, l fear, the
majority, are the very reverse. ms
class never, or hardly ever, rises above
the grade of Yawar or Major. There
are SO battalions of Persian infantry,
each nominally 1000 strong. Perhaps
we NAV be not far wrong il we assume
the actual average strength OF each to
be 500, thus making total OF 10000.
| The Shah has only three regiments OF
regular cavalry, drilled and disciplined
by Russian officers on the Cossack sys-
tenn, He has at Teheran several Dat
teries of artillery (guns OF modern
make) also under European officers,
while scattered over his kingdom are q
collection of antiquated pieces OF ord
nance worked by artillerymen more
or less proficient in the duties they are
called on to perform. To the above
NAV be added an almost unlimited
number of irregular cavalry, but very
| indifferently armed. Their arms are
their weak point. They are good
horsemen. well mounted on horses
capable of enduring much hard work.
and are entirely independent OF trans
port and commissariat. Amore mobile
| force could not be found, and, COM
posed as it is of Kurds, Turks, Bakhti-
arts. Hazaras, Jamshidis, and all the
best and bravest fighting element o.
Persia, one not to be despised. But II
must be better armed in time OF war
That portion of the Persian army which
is under the Zill-us-Sultan at lsfahar
has a good name for drill, discipline
and general efficiency. All considered
then, we should be justified in placing
somewhat greater faith in the efficacy
of Persian military resources than mos
recent writer's have displayed. lwoult
, not argue that Russian corps d arme'
marching on Teheran would be hkei.
to find the Persian forces more than
, match for it; but in the event OF wa
between England and Russia it woui'
, be a great advantage to the former
, the latter were obliged to detach
! corps d'armee, whether to watch tn
! Persian frontier or to repel a Persial
attack. Moreover, with hostile Persial
! on her right flank, the operations
: Russia from the Caspian via Askaba
: and Sarakhs against Herat would DC
: if not paralyzed, at least seriously ham
! | pered. Let not, then, England despis
! : Persian alliance But, be it remem
bered, that alliance will be conditions
|, upon the successful debarkation OF
!. British army in the Caucasus-whic
! means Turkish cooperation = an
. probably, also on the presence OF
. powerful force from India at Herat.-
National ReUte1C