The Bossier banner., 1892-05-05

ftary Msneuvers Fresh Data Concern
ting the Tactics and Armament OF
"a the Great Army
r The recent gigantic maneuvers Of the
Russian army on the western boundary
have directed anew the attention of all
Europe to the great Eastern colossus.
The endurance, willingness and iron
discipline of the one hundred and fifty
thousand soldiers who met at Rowno,
the capacity of the officers to handle
great bodies Of troops easily, and espe-
cfally the morale of both officers and
men were so conspicuously displayed
that all Austria and Germany have been
doing good deal of hard thinking and
exhaustive writing concerning the Rus
sian army ever since.
| The exact size of the Russian army in
Europe on war footing, says the Chi
cago Times, is rather problematical.
The active army is estimated by the
best German authorities to contain one
hundred and ninety-two infantry and
hfty-eight cavalry regiments. ffty-one
brigades of field artillery, and one hun
dred and forty-five Cossack regiments;
the reserve troops, one hundred and
five infantry regiments; the mill
tia, two hundred and one infantry regi-
ments. The garrisons include twenty
four infantry regiments and ffty-one
and half artillery battalions. All
these, together with the batteries,
sharpshooters, sappers, miners, etc,
swell the grand total to four million
five hundred thousand men. The Eu-
ropean Russian army has five hum
dred thousand horses and about
four thousand guns. The cost of
this establishment last year was,
reckoned in Russian paper currency,
1886, 600, 900. That meant a tax of about
$500 on every man, woman and child
in European Russia. Since 1874 Russia
has had the universal obligation to
service. The time Of service in the
standing army is Ave years; in the
reserves, which are in camp twelve
weeks every year, thirteen years; in the
militia, till the soldiers fortv-third
year. The buying of substitutes or
exemption is not allowed
The infantry is, armed with breech-
leaders, Berdan II. model ~, with a
caliber of 1857 centimeters, and ball
weighing about an ounce. The field
artillery has guns of 1857 centimeters
caliber for heavy work and others of
81 centimeters caliber for light and
mounted artillery. These latter throw
. grenades and shrapnels. The maxi
mum range Of the 1857 caliber Is $500
meters, and of the 81 caliber 8, 800 meters
for grenades. The range Of the shrap-
mel is between $500 and s, ,750 meters.
What kind of men stand behind these
} arms? The opinions of all who have
seen any of the more recent Russian
maneuvers are uniform. The Russian
] ! soldier, they say, is the most willing,
| obedient and robust in the world. He
can live contentedly from what a
Frenchman or German would starve on.
He can march tremendous distances
, without losing his pluck and under the
most trying hardships needs only a
word from his superior to make him
{ forget all his troubles and rally to any
effort. A German officer, who after his
] recent return from Russia published his
observations in the Cologne Gazette,
says:
"The maneuvers showed that the
4 Russian army is made up of men and
horses that are equal to all exertionE
and all demands. of the modern battle
: field. Heavily built, thoroughly disci
plined, content with little food, and
loyal above all others, the Russian sol
: der is ready and willing in every
emergency"
The strenuousness and the aim Of
Russias exertions to bring her army tt
its present state of efficiency and avail
ability at moments notice are best
illustrated by her railway policy of lats
years.
'"The energy of the Russian Govern
ment in the construction Of military
Il railways during the last decade ha.
been truly wonderful" says Max Lima1
o in the Illustrirte Zeitung. 'Still, thu
distances to be overcome were so tire
mendous that the meshes of her iron
o net are at least twice as great as thoss
in Germany and France. The railway
IS construction in Russia in the last few
years has been pushed most rapidly OF
the western boundary, so that quicl
attack in Germany and Austria nigh
be rendered possible. The Government
was forced to do this by the Panslavs
This party has its advocates in higl
q military places, and through them ha
spread its ideas throughout the army.
'It deserves mention, too, that tn,
, Russian forces are being steadily shifte,
!, to the western boundary. Sixty pc
cent. of all the troops and even three
D. quarters of the whole cavalry are a
D, present in the military departments
Warsaw, wilma, Kew and Odessa, an,
p. almost the entire army is garrisone,
/, along the lines of the stategical rail
= ways. During the last year sixty-tw
battalions, fifty-eight squadrons, an
sixteen batteries have been transferre
to the western departments. Thereb
r, the standing Russian army has been ir
D, creased by fifteen thousand men on tn
2; German border and by thirty-five thou
sand men on the Austro-H Hungarian
r. frontier"
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