The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-08
The SULTAN'S ARMY.
Corruption Plays Havoc With the
Turks Military System-Whole
Towns Bought off-By the Pay
ment of Lump Sum the Resi-
dents Escape Conscription-Obso-
lete Equipments of the Savage
Irregulars.

Should the disturbances of Europe re
suit in regular Greco-Turkish war the
world will have an opportunity of observ
| ing the depths of weakness to which {
powerful nation can be reduced by {
wholesale application of official corrup
! ton.
The military strength of Turkey is g
problem. Judged by the official records
1t would seem to possess most formida bic
army, numbering in round figures 1000, O0l
| lighting men. Actually its total strength
| is considerably less; how much less will
| never be known until a call TO arms is
made. Then the potency of Turkish cor
| ruption will display itself most wildly
| and the supposed million of drilled fighting
men will dwindle to a surprisingly small
| figure.
| The Ottoman empire has a population
| OF 40. 10000 something more than one
malt the population of the United States.
rely upon 100000 of men capable OF
| bearing arms should the necessity arise
but the. proportion of fighting men in
Turkey is considerably less, owing to the
mixed population.
| The Moslems number about q, 000 900,
while the Christians number about Is, 900,
! 600. Only Moslems are called upon to
| bear arms, the Christians naturally not
being relied upon to fight Loyalty for the
government, which virtually enslaves
them. They are regarded as aliens, and
escape conscription by paying an exemp-
4
! Every male Mohammedan in the do
minion of the sultan is theoretically d
| soldier ready to serve at the call of his
| master. After the Turco-Russian war the
military system of the Ottoman empire
was thoroughly reorganized, German
army officers being employed for the pur-
pose. These military hirelings naturally
| adopted the plan prevailing in their own
country, and were it not for the love of
corruption which lies so deep in the
Turkish heart. the army today would be
a vast power, great enough to crush
Greece at one onslaught.
THE SYSTEM IN THEORY.
Theoretically the military system is as
| follows: The regular army is composed of
seven complete army corps and a strong
division. Six of these are formed on the
territorial system, battalions being sta
toned in times of peace in the districts
wherein they are raised. Consumption is
universal everywhere in Turkey save in
ConStantinople itself. The natives of the
Turkish capital have the privilege of ex-
emDtion.
Every other male subject as soon as he
arrives "a the age. of 81 must present
himself at the military center of the dis
trict wherein he resides, and draw for
the ballot.
The men who draw lucky numbers pass
at once into the Iktihat, or class of i'm
mediate reserves; the others only reach
this dignity after four years preliminary
service in the regiment. Six years is the
total period of service in the Nizam, or
lam ettiu AiAS VI LIZ my
THE SECOND AND7THIRD RESERVES.
At the end of those six years the re-
servisct becomes a Redif for eight years.
full period of his life during which he is
capable of bearing arms.
The Redifs and the Mustafiz hold them
selves ready to be called upon for mill
tary duty in times of war.
1t is not in the peace establishment of
the regular army that the military
strength of Turkey resides. but in the
enormous expansion of which it is capa-
BILE at short notice through the mObiliza-
ton of the Redifs and the Mustafiz. The
men are all in the country and can be
got together with the greatest ease, for
the Mussulman population is not shift
ing one. Every Redif's name stands on
The register. ana the force is controlled by
the system of muster and inspection
which takes place every four months.
F:-e thousand officers are distributed
among the recruiting districts solely for
this purpose. The actual standing army
of 1S0.0G0 men could be increased to near
IL 100000 at short notice. provided, of
course, that there were sufficient funds in
the treasury.
THE POWER OF MONEY.
This is the way the matter stands on
paper, but literally it is another affair
altogether. AS a matter of fact, there
are very few districts where the system
has been put in running order, and none
where the conscriptS of the year do not
buy exemption from service whenever
they are able to do So In one case IN a
military district near Smyrna the pOpu-
lation made a contract with the enrolling
officers that in consideration of lump
SUN. paid. down in cash, the district
should be exempt. The money was palo
and the conscripting officers returned nc
titious rolls, and went back rich and con-
tented to Constantinople. In another, the
officer was prevailed on 10
enroll the population of the prisons; in a
stricken wretches TO be found in the as
t-.et were enrolled as conscripts, "hlie
the able-bodied men escaped.
Ow.ng to the many talSlned returns !
made by the conscripting officers in the
fa--off country districts, il can reaully
be seen that the actual strength OF the !
regular army is largely oVerrateu Dy the
official statements.
A GREAT HOST OF IRREGULARS-
Tho irregular troops of the sultan are |
supposed TO amount to 100000 men, ana |
tbs estimate is probably not 1ar from
the truth. 1t is these troops VINO can pe
upon to make any war Whlcn |
turkey may engage In a H PSI niu tSen
saVages, ignoring all the humane ruies
Of modern warfare and. believing only In
slaughter.
They are tremendous fighters, ana were
they properly armed and efficiently gen
e-cled they would constitute ngntlng
force which could be made almost IN
particularly in a war aea atinT
Christians. Bodily fear is the exception
arnong them. All Mohammedans are
fataiists, and these irregulars carry the
belief 10 an extravagant degree. they
believe that death is TO come 10 them at
4 certain time and at a certain point, ana
n consequence they expose themselves 10
LANCER with a reckiessness almost peyohd
belief The same trait has Deen observer
,nlong the regular troops of the sultan,
I'd their utter disregard for death has
ed many European generals 10 say lhat
: properly handled they could pc maze
ne finest human fighting machines on
earth.
ME irregulars are composed of Turks
rom Anatolia, Kurds from Armenia
4 his from the Red sea coast, Druses
om the mountains of Syria and Pales-
inc, and CircaSsians and Georgians VINO
led from Russian territory 10 escape the
';gors of Russian military service
They are generally well-mounted, put
heir arms are next TO worthless When
with modern military equip
nenrs Most of them carry long, smooth
,c-e muskets and pistols, which con-
sure several minutes to load with pow
Ter and shot. Each man carries three or
cur of these weapons stuck in waist
ash; also couple of daggers and a big
aber.
This gives them most ferocious as
epeating rifle could do more deadly work
han a dozen of these picturesque saw
geS This was proven in the Turco-RuS-
ian war, when one Russian regiment of
90 men almost annihilated a body of 5000
# these irregular troopers, although the
after fought with the most brilliant
courage.
Waxed Eloquent.