Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-06-01


eight y ears has achi we'd results no one
would have formerly anticipated. In the
good Old times we were always trusting
to luck. always falling back on our ''let
rs chance it, never mind, there will
be plenty of time 10 prepare yet" Blu,
At last we have realized that underesti
nation OF ones adversary is the first step
on the road Of defeat. and therefore We
are now getung ready in earnest-in a
scientific manner. Our aim is a far reach
ing one: it consists of Eothing short OF
enabling ourselves to resist the onslaught
OF the whole League Of the Peace, even
If II were TO be reinforced by England
ana Turkey-to conduct war simultane-
ously in Europe and Asia,
In consideration of such an emergency
we make the following calculation Of
military forces: In the front line Ger.
many and Austria confined can bring
out about 1900 600 against us; then,
Judging from her present attitude,
France Will either restrict herself to that
number, or else reinforce her army bv
another !, 900, 600 men. Bearing this in
mud, We are preparing Ia lace the
enemy with 2,000 600 men on he first
line, and 70 be able &c reinforce these on
tue q cond line by 1000, 900 Laore men,
independently Of such military forces ss
would Dc te"'y for action on tue side OF
Caucasus TurVestsna and Siberia.
Such q calculation ot military forces
affords acme toun6 4tion 10 napa for sue
Ce5-, at he sdjHe tnl,, yer, we
h.ge ta AUmit from the start ihat the
m a.s.D4.of EH.sjan forces On The Western
eat ~ tac war would be mlca slower
than taat 81 the Hetmau N There
tOtc IL has become indispensable for Us TO
tase speCial measures th4t would enable
us 10 resist the first pressure Of The enor
nous messed forces Of the enemy. since
owing TO the higher perfection Of their
railroad net and lesser distances over
which their army would have to be
mobill2ed, the enemy will be ready
ooncr than we could be.
THE THRAE SEATS OF WAR.
We are prepared To zee the first en-
counter result comparatively 10 our dis.
In order not TO be beaten in
first trying period We have been for
the last eight years eLergetically prrpar-
ing three seats of war adjoining the three
military districts-those Of Wilma, War
and kief. Even at the present time
in each one Of these districts a separate
army can be modified in nearly the
same lapse of time az would take for the
mobilization of the G~erman-and Ger.
iainly as fast as would be modified the
Austrian army.
We calculate, and not without founda-
ton, that, were we TO assume a purely
defensive position IN our own lines, our
stationed in tue three frontier dis
Lricts would be amply sufii lent to with
the first shock of the enemy until
endorsements should come from the in !
terror military districts. Our western
Iines-forti6ed as they are at present by
I y, 600 heavy cannons-could be held
against forces double the size Of ours,
and, IN places difficult Of access, even
against a force OF thrice our own. Sub
3equent(y, as achievements would
us. we would be able 10 assume
the offensive on such points as would be
most fitting, considering the plans
and the developments of the war.
There can be no doubt about the final
result. No matter at what cost, no mat |
ter how many years the war should last, |
we would fight the enemy at every step, |
and peace would be concluded only then
when there would NOT remain q single
man Of the enemy on Russian soil"
In case luck should be against us in
he beginning, we would not be afraid
to fall back, burning down every city,
and village, not only up 10 Mos
COW Moscow included-but even "a far
Is Ka2an, and Kazan included. Were
driven 70 il, We would burn every.
hing yet further east, IN our firm con.
that the enemy would certainty
be beaten in the end retreating, would
lurrly be annihilsted.
There isnoneed 80 enlarge on the quail !
les of Our Infantry. Sufficient 20 recall
&c expression of NAPOLEON the First:
1t is enough 10 kill a Russian soldier
you have ct TO nail him down 10 the
ground"
SO Jar as numbers, material conditions
Instructions 20, our artillery would
lot yield u point 10 the German.
INEXHAUsTIBLE CossACK RESERVES.
As TO the cavalry, u supplies in that
direction are almost ~inexhaustible. We
an bring forward such enormous cav
airy masses as could not be duplicated by |
he united efforts If the whole OF Eu
'ope. In the first line we have. ali
iGdty, htdfit NCp, WV BDOb anu 1p5
sacks; in the second line we can muster
.arge masses of (unprepared yet in a reg.
llar way Tsherkesses, Bashkirs, Kirg-
leez snd Turcomans. Al Of those are
for action, and if the govern
nent does not proceed right now to or.
them into regular fighting units it
solely because Of the fear that they
turn QUITE be an additional burden
times Of peace. These nationalities, |
added 20 our Cossack reserves, would
If need be, 200, 600 more mounted
men. Were a cavalry Of uch q descrip-
ton let loose o n the enemy's land it
would not only refuse to spare telegraph
poles and railroad Lines, but literally
would sweep all before it in those
places through which 1t would pass.
IN round numbers we have now from
300, 600 TO 350, 600 soldiers on our western
and southwestern frontier, and within
ten days those could be 80 reinforced as
TO number half a million men-a force
sufficient for Offering the first repulse to
the enemy in the districts of Warsaw,
Wilma and Kief. Having shaken of ali
entanglirg alliances and adopted the
Of free hands, we can now
make our minds easy concerning the
whose ends we have been serving
20 their own disadvantage. We can and
must wait, wait and wait, without mind
ing such as praise us, nor such as, on the