Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-08
RUSSIAN MOBILIZATION.
An Enormous Fighting Force Ready at q Few
/ Days NOtice--A Great Change.

An Enormous Fighting Force Ready at Few
Days NOtice--A Great Change.
From the New " ORR Sun.
During the past two years the German and
English papers have frequently asserted that
in case of war the mobilization of the Russia n
army would be slow, and that France could
be crushed by the triple alliance before Russia
could come to her assistance. According to
the st. Petersburg Correspondent of the
Figaro, however well founded this as
sertion might be some years ago. it is far from
being solid today. Russia has been working
silently. but with feverish activity. to perfect
her means of mobilization. and in a Compare
lively short period she has made enormous
progress in this direction. A perfect network
of railroads is spread over fourteen military
regions The order of mobilization. sent by
telegraph, will be communicated through the
police administration. Three hours after the
reception of the order estafets on horseback
will notify the reserves of each district
Twentv-tour hours after this notification the
reservists must report at the appointed place
For the transport of troops by railway every
thing is in readiness, and in twelve days after
the reception of the order the entire regular
army could be modified, and four DAYS later
the reserves would be III line.
On the first day of the mobilization eight
ulNlSioliS VI Win UluctN-SN guns,
could be on the German frontier. The mis-
sion of these troops would be to hamper as
much as possible the Germans, by cutting COM
munications and destroying railroads at all
points within reach This. of course is on the
superstition that they could overcome the diff
culties of their task, which is by no means GER
tain. But at all events it is believed that, even
if defeated in this effort. they could hold their
own long enough to enable the work of their
comrades behind to be completed At the end
OF the second day it is estimated that sixteen
divisions of infantry with their artillery would
arrive. Consequently, two days after the re-
ception of the order of mobilization 30S. 500
Russians would be the German frontier
Just what the Germans would be able to do
with them is question that could only be
answered after trial On the second day.
also. 242 900 Russian soldiers with ga guns
wouid reach the Austrian frontier.
On the twenty-second day after declaration
of war. four Russian armies, numbering all
told. 623 1S4 men and 1860 guns. would be on
the German and Austrian frontiers. The Rus
sian fighting forces would number 500, l43 men
and .416 guns. At the end of the sixth week
these armies would be reinforced by sixteen di-
visions of infantry and ten divisions of Cos
sacks. the whole presenting u force Of l, 504 427
men and 2.776 guns.
Eight weeks after the declaration of war Rus
STA, with the facilities which she now possesses.
could have in the field another army composed
of twenty divisions of infantry and eleven d.
visions of cavalry; that is to saw. 1885, $50 men
and ~ guns In addition to all this she has
in the provinces. near the frontiers another
army of reserves composed of SOC. 900 men. and
behind this again. in the provinces of the inte-
rlor. arrangements are provided for the
opoltchenie, or popular levy. which can furnish
from two to three millions of men.
These figures appear TO be startling enough
in themselves but when we must add to them
the figures of the triple alliance and of the
French forces. we may well wonder what Eu-
rope is coming to.