New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-05
ENGLAND AND RUSSIA.
OF GENERAL SIR JOHN
ADYE.
RECOLLECTIONS OF \ MILITARY LIFE. BY
General Sir John Adye q. [. 49, H. A. iP'
X $50. Macmillan co.

RECoLLEcTIoTs OF 40 MILITARY + RifE P hy
x 49, Macmillan n co.
Sir John Adye belongs to a family which has
been represented in the Royal Artillery since
1862 His own reminis cences of military activity
go back to the time of the Chartists for he was
at that time in command of an artillery detach-
ment in the Tower Of London but relate chiefly
IN the Crimean War; the Indian Mutiny and
subsequent service in India the Afghan war III
1878 and the suppression Of Arabs rebellion IN
Egypt In the intervals the author was in turn
commander of the Royal Artillery in the Madras
Presidency. Adjutant-General of all the artillery
for India Director ofArteryi in England and sur
yevor-General of the Ordnance. his memoirs end
ing with his experience as Governor of Gibra-
tar Aside from the entertaining character OF
his narrative in its lighter parts. he is gravely
| interesting on several topics wherein he differs
strongly from many writer's. He is, for example,
an uncompromising defender of the memory OF
Lord Raglan and by the mere order of his re-
cital of events in the Crmea marks the Injustice
of popular clamor. 4 little incident which he
| tells shows how keenly Lord Raglan felt the
popular censure of his acts The author one day
| EXPRESSED the hope that the CommandeI-!h-
| Chief could soon return 10 England, where ne
| could defend himself. Return home eN-
| claimed Lord Raglan bitterly. Il shall never ie-
turn home. Why. should be stoned to deA'h
| before l could get to Stanhope street. bu' 'he
| controversy over the Crimean War is all mat
| ter of history When 1t comes 10 the relations
| of England and Russia in Asia, Sir John Auyc
| touches a subject which is still cohsideien
vital one. Travellers and romancers nave unite"
| in depictng the terrible things that are to hap
pen when the two empires meet along the lima
lavas The cruelty of the dreadful Russian and
haNa heep
in season and out Of season. Yet the
actuaI phenomena in the Dorderlands between
| India and Asiatic Russia seemed at times To
| warrant the belief that whenever England
| wanted an excuse for correcting bit OF ir"h"e''
Russia kindly stood by 10 give her one me
author Of this volume has no taste Tor SENSATIONS
and no anxiety 10 the future lie f"nhh the
Russian officers the frontier lo he o"h'll"'"'S
men iut he argues nothing from their '"nr-
,esy or kindly feelings. Ills opinion mat h"ss'
is unlikely a. a. ~ war nn the Indian li"h''' 40
long az she can avoid u II derived rom 'h'
| asne,t If The continent as viewed by q military
| man. Enulh IT She ilmhashs ihrtn Va country
zion IA o,ety resource needed fof wat. with easy
| erooes 10 the sra an1 80 th" centre ~ Va" 'in-
nlte IA England The imperial military ioh'y
| hae in his Judgment. been far from prudent
nthorwlsn no nigh, cay that the supply 81 hghi-
,rp mon was as unlimited ns tn" material re-
su,trcas ON the other side ~ the great noun
tains there Ia a scattered population never very
far removed from starvation, ANA hDsolu''y
nothing 70 depend on for tho support oil h'Re
army The Russian railway passes 'hr""tn
country which I'm summer ~ waste "l S"n'
and in winter n waste OF snow. Russian armies
uo,,ld have TO draw all their subsistence from
Russia. unless by some startling success '"''
were able 70 plant themselves In lndia.
Nth I'd
The error in the imperial policy WIN r's'''
~ tho military affairs Of India is held by the
author 10 be the exclusion Of the more inteln-
gent natives from all hope Of advancement In
,ho eorvice He maintains this In spite Of the
oxneriences Of the Mutiny. There was time
when native officers were numerous. but they
arc now comparatively few. The result mas
been a distinct loss .in moral force win the
spread OF education. the enlargement 81
facilities for travel and the prevalence OF prac-
teal English ideas. the desire for self-govern-
mont has increased. His ideal for India is not
that Of a country under perpetual tutciase.
hut NJ a nation rendered homogeneous and
strong and capable Of selfprotecton by Eng
l,sh precept and example. But with things just
as they are and allowing for all the tendencies
which he deprecates. he is not disturbed by
What no calls shadows on the Russian frontier.
For a full century the alarm has been repca ed
. az intervals and the greatest alarm OF all-that
of 1897 in which vast Russian army was
pictured sweeping across the wilds ana deserts
Of Central Asia-gives the sharpest point to MS
= moral. For that legendary army was the eXas'
gerated spectre of a column consisting or Few
I thousand men under Perofsk, which persisted
u utterly of famine and pestience in the SHOWS OF
d the Barsuk Desert If 1t had really been sucf
an army supposed Its fate must nave
d been the same. except that it would probably
| rail y
e can make war easy in a country so barren. More
: over while the Russian boundary IL so far re-
d moved from the source of supplies In men, mu
II nitions and subsistence, II is still hundreds 81
o miles from the actual English frontier and the
"a intervening country is one Of the most Difficult
II In the world for military movements. 1t simply
N swallows up an army In Its mountain defilcs
10 while the valiant tribesmen carry on an irrcgu
p lar but constant fight. after n fashion of thei
n own What would happen to an invading arm.
Is from the North is inferred from the experienc
n of the English In the last war with Afghanis
he tan At the close of that campaign there wer
j. 60 900 troops in Afghanistan or on It's borders
OF tho ImperiaI Government had 800 900 90
ne and the English controlled just the ground the
be stood on and more. The war was bad 4
ne policy and unjust in principle from beginnin
en- TO end" and its result was return to the orig
he nai Of supporting Afghanistan In independ
a. -uce The country Is too poor and the pcopl
in are too proud TO be conquered. II makes tn
de approach Of Russian army toward India froT
MS the northwest difficult Nor. In the opinion
In Sir John Adye. Is the likelihood any greater
KY nm attack by way OF the Pamir plateau. gu
all rounded as Il IL by IA wall OF snowy peaks an
N. devoid OF human life except during the shol
KY summer OF three four months. 1T appear
e. 10 me-" he adds. that there IL no cause (,
,ul war. or. indeed. probability OF IT, between Ru
ed sia and England In that part OF the world: b,
az should such unfortunately arise. the dang'
In | would not lie on our side"
nd Much Of the volume II devoted " criticism