The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-14


very enthusiastic over the prospects of
| Siberia and the trans Siberia railroad,
which will be of great political, COM
merc1al and military Importance to his
| empire. The car is, you know, presi-
dent of the road. He has, think, been
/ over the line himself and he says it will
| develop a wonderful country. 1t goes
through some of the richest soil on the
| globe, and the climate of the lands
through which it passes is much like
that of Minnesota From what he said,
l Judge that it is his majesty's idea to
develop Siberia as rapidly as possible
Where did you go from st. Peters
burg?"
Il did some travelling before I left
Russia" replied Gen. Miles. Il was the
guest of the government and was Civ
en- a special car to go to Moscow.
where l was entertained in the palace
near the Kremlin. Near the palace
grounds there I, saw a long row of
cannon lying against the wall and was
told that those guns were all that
remained of Napoleon's famous army
that invaded Russia. According to
the Russians, Napoleon came into the
country with 100000 men, and when
ne went out his army was reduced to
10000 The Russians burned the mag
nificent city of Moscow to defeat him.
They destroyed all of the provisions
along his line of march and conquered
him more by starvation and cold than
by firearms
GERMANY VS.. FRANCE.
The conversation next turned to Ger
many, and Gen. Miles described for
me the discipline of the German army.
He says that Germany is one great
military camp, and that the soldiers
seem to be of more Importance there
than in any other country. He chat
ted for some time about the young
kaiser, of whom he saw much during
his stay
He next talked of the French SOL
diers, and l could see that he considers
the French fully the equals of the
Germans, and that he evidently be-
lieVes that a war will some time again
break out between the French and
the Germans. The Germans, he says,
have been trying to conciliate the
French ever since the close Of the
Franco-Prussian war, when they fore
ed the French to pay them 81, 0OO, 600
and to give them Alsace-Lorraine
THE French will never forgive that"
said Gen. Miles, land the battle will
have to be fought over again sooner
or later" Gen. Miles was much i'm
pressed with President Faure, whom
he described as one of the most digni-
fled and one of the ablest rulers Of
Europe.
VICTORIA AND HER ARMY.
In talking CT the English troops the gen
eral said he saw 10000 Of them in the ma
neuvers. He described them well-eQuip
ped and we'll differed.
While looking at the maneuyers OF the army
queen Victoria called General Miles to her
carriage and asked him what he thought OF
her troops. The general says that the army
had great admiration for the queen, and that
ne round q strong TOyal sentiment among
the English people. AS the queen appeared
before the soldiers they manifested their de-
yotlon IN every, way. The men put their
hats on their bayonets and swords and
cheered with wild enthusiasm. This so
affected Queen Victoria that tears ran down
her face.
AS the general said this I asked him as
to whether there was much republican senti-
ment in England. He replied:
The English people may want a republic
and think they would like a liberal gov
ernment Ihey are, however devoted to the
queen, and they have right to be proud CT
her wonderful reign during the past sixty
years
Did you see the Prince of Wales, gen
Yes" replied Gen. Miles. 81 had somo
conversation with him: He was very civil,
put but he had a. changed considerably since saw
was, you know, then visiting the United
States"
NEW THINGS IN WARFARE.
Gen. Miles," said I. you have just seen
all the armies Of Europe; suppose there
should be war tomorrow, what would be
some of its new and characteristic features?''
There would be "a greater use of the tee-
graph than ever before replied Gen. Miles
Inc telephone would have part in it and
steam power would be largely used in moving
troops and supplies. There would be MANY
improved arms and long range guns; smoke
les1 powder would be used. While the prin-
clples OF warfare would be the same, there
would oe change in tactics. Battles would
be fought at a longer range. Strategy would
be more important than ever. The great wars
OF the future will probably be of shorter dura-
ton than those Of the past. There will prob
ably be fewer lives lost
OUR ARMY TOO SMALL.
How about the increase of our army, gen
eral? Do you still hold to your opinion that
we should have more troops?"
Yes. l do" replied the general II have
held that opinion for many years. Our army
is too small for our wealth and population
l think the army and navy should grow as
the nation grows"
But are not the European countries load
ed down with soldiers?'
Yes, they have more than they can COM
fortably support. They are at one end of
the extreme; we are at the other. We
should have fixed ratio for the increase
of the army. l think we should have at
the maximum one trained soldier for every
of our population, and as a min
imum one to every two thousand. If we
had one to every thousand this would give
Us an army of about three times the size
kept up the number of troops to be deter
mined by the census to be taken every ten
years.
MILITARY TRIPS TO EUROPE.
''Tel me, general, do you think your trip
has paid?"
Yes, 1 think it has" replied Gen. Miles
there have been number of statements con-
corning it which are not true. 1 did not
cir n n
Europe to examine into the condition of mill
tary matters there. l did not ask to go. The
secretary of war and the president gave the
orders and 1 went. The occasion for sending
me was not altogether the GrecoTurkish war
and the danger Of a general European war,
though that fact fastened my departure.
dition of military, affairs at the present
time. This has been the policy Of the gov
eminent from the beginning. We have now
officers at nearly ali the great courts of
Europe. sent there to report and TO keep
the war and navy departments posted upon
the latest military development. The ma
lions Of Europe do the same thing. You
will find their agents in this country now
abroad to examine into military conditions.
Gen. Winfield Scott was sent there at the
time Of the battle of Waterloo. Mcclellan
was commissioned by the government to
watch the developments of the Crimean war.
Gen. Phil Sheridan spent the year following
in investigating the military conditions Of
Europe. AS to whether the trip has paid,
that will be shown in my reports. AS for
myself, 1 think 1t has been Of considerable
value in the requirement of information
which may result in the improvement of our
army and which might be of great value in
any complications we may have with Europe
in the near future
Frank G. Carpenter.
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