, 1889-01-13
The TURKISH ARMY.
Soldiers Who Can Fight but Who Don't
Know Right from Left

Soldiers Who Can Fight but Who Don't
Know Right from Left
Turkish soldiers are recruited from
the half starved peasants, whose lives
of perpetual privation have trained
them for just the kind of soldiers Tur-
key wants-men who can live on next
10 nothing, who care little what they
wear, and who, never having had any
money, don't expect it simply for
fighting. Sometimes they are not
paid for months at a time, and their
food is poor and insufficient. 1t is al
ways a puzzle how they are equipped.
The system by which military serv-
ice in Turkey is recruited is this:
There are about 1000, 900 or 5000, 900
Mussulmans who are eligible for mill
tary service between the ages of 20
and 40. The law mentions Mussul-
mans only, but Christians, if Turkish
subjects, must also serve, though the
latter a buy themselves out of the
land service on paying about $3.50 of
u money.
There are four classes in the regular
army-the acting or standing army,
called Nizams; the Ichtyat, or reserve
of the Nizams; the first army of the
Redifs or reserve, the second army of
the Redifs and the Mustaphiz or terri
torial army.
On entering the army as a recruit
the new arrival stays from one to three
years in the standing army, the next
four in the Ichtyat, then seven with
the Redifs and six with the territorial
army. If n recruit has a horse of Ais
own and keeps it at his own expense
he gets promoted at once TO the first
class of Redif cavalry, without active
service.
The Turkish empire is divided into
sever military districts, and each of
these is divided again into eight re-
cruitirg districts, these districts COM
prising the whole dominion of Turkey
in Asia, Europe and Africa.
There are nineteen army corps, di-
vided into brigades, regiments, bat
talions and companies, all full with
cavalry and artillery and engineers.
While peace exists the Nizams alone
are kept, the rest being disbanded TO
return TO their usual avocations.
The troops arc armed with rifles of
modern make, many of them from
America, and the artillery is also of
the best.
The Turks make good soldiers-obe-
dent and courageous. Promotion is
once in n long while the result of per-
sonal merit, but more often it is OBJ
tanned by intrigue or actual purchase.
All the generals and staff officers are
appointed by the sultan himself on the
recommendation of the minister of
war, but that functionary, no matter
who he may be, is never above the
reach of proper arguments, and nd
vancements are obtained nine times
out of ten by the influence of women.
There is a military school which
was founded by a French gentleman,
who also introduced percussion caps
n Turkey, under the reign of Sultan
Mahmoud, modelled after that of Saint
Cyr, in France. Now ut least N
officer in n hundred can read and
write, but the rank and file are in the
densest ignorance, and absolutely do
not know their right hand from their
left. There is also a school of artillery,
and those schools have done much to
raise the standard of the army.
In civil government the sultan Is
chief, and his power is absolute until
his enemies want a change and he is
induced to resign, or, in other words,
is put to death. But while he lives his
power is limited only by the laws of
nature. Next TO the sultan in national
Importance is the grand vizier; after
him is the seraskir pacha, or minister
OF war; then the minister of public
works; then the captain pacha, or
minister of marine, and after him the
minister Of justice.-Cor New York
Herald.