Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-11-16
SOLDIERS OF EUROPE.
GENERAL MILES TALKS OF MS TOUR OF
OBSERVATION.

Major General Miles, commAnder.in-
chief OF the army, arrived home from
Europe recently on the st. Louis, ac-
companied by his aid-de-camp, Capt.
Msus.
Since last May the General, acting
under orders OF President Mckinley, has
been making an inspection Of the armed
forces Of Europe.
Gen. Miles was dispatched TO Europe
last May to watch the Greco-Turkish
war. BY the time the general reached
Constantinople active hostilities had
ceased, and his reports In consequence
were confined to detailed accounts Of the
administration Of Turkish and Greek
troops.
Gen. Miles says the ease with which
the Turks mobilixed 600 900 men was a
surprise to the military world. The
Greeks were unprepsred from the start
to fight well-armed equal numbers, let
alone an aggregation of600 900 spleudidly
drilled and well-equipped troops.
IL continued from Turkey" said the
General. ITO view the standing forces Of
the several powers Of Europe. saw the
armies OF nearly all countries with the
exception Of Spain. IL so happened that
q number Of important events took place
during my stay In Europe, all Of which
oonduced to improve my opportunities
for inspection.
"In England GO, 900 imperial and colo
NAL troops were seen during the jubilee
be possible to observe so many British
soldiers together at any other time short
OF war. 10 addition to the land forces
OF England saw something like 1000
men Of the naval establishment.
~ was present at the German man9u-
vres at Hamburg. and had q personal
audience with the Kaiser. The German
troops are about perfect In point Of drill.
IL goe, without saying that they are
well disciplined.
al also attended the mau9uvres OF the
Russian army. WAS greatly impressed
with the Russians. They are fine LOT
Of soldiers. Russia has to-day ss fine an
army ss IL Is possible TO fud in Europe.
"The French soldiers surprised me. ]
was no. expecting to fnd the earnest
and business-like looking lot Of officers
and men that came under my notice. /
was present at the French mapguvres
at ST. Quentin. So far from being the
stricsl In appearance the French army Is
ss near an approach TO ready fighting
basis as anything have seen since leav-
Ing the United States.
"The French army made q profound
impression on me. II Ia stronger than
most people would believe. In small
arms and field artillery the French are 10
the first rank. No charge can be
brought against the French army to-day
that IL is not prepared for war.
Europe is vast camp OF military
forces. Germany Is as dependent on her
army for existence as England Is on her
navy. With Austria, Russia and France
surrounding her, Germany 10 able only
by 4 show Of arms TO maintain her posi-
tion to-day as q power on the continent.
France Il smartlng as much, at this late
date, over the loss Of Alsace and Lor-
raine as in 1874, when Russia is irresisti-
bly, moving her forces toward the 'front.'
Ter, as II impelled by destiny. Under
such conditions armies must be main
tanned, and the point OF interest to be
observed is which one Is best prepared
to fight.
III could not but notice the personnel
of the continental armies. The men are
drilled like machines and have the ma
chine-like intelligence we might expect
OF them. But nowhere did l perceive
the brightness and the alacri,y TO catch
on which seems SO characteristic OF the
American soldier.
81 say now, as have said before, that
there are men in the United States, who
are as competent to talk Of war and the
methods to be pursued In modern war
fare as any In Europe. There are to-
day brigade and division commanders OF
the late war In this country who have
seen as much severe fighting, II not
more, than the majority Of military men
on the continent"
Gen. Miles declared that fighting Is
pretty much the same the world over.
All the drilling and manGuvring that is
now going on In Europe is In the inter-
est Of discipline, and tends TO prepare
the troops for the real ordeal OF battle,
but the actual experience OF action, he
asserts, has been learned to . supefla-
tive degree BY many men Of this country.
When asked II he doubted the outcome
Of q conflict between American troops
and some of the forces he had seen on
the continent, the general declared that
United States soldiers were the equals OF
any In the world. Their staying powers
were too well known to him TO permit OF
his having any doubt on that score.
1--WE lack supply stores, sufficient
quantities Of small arms and the coast
artillery Is not as numerous 10 II might
be-" he said. "Still, we are making
strides in the latter respect, but 1t must
be kept up and pushed vigorously"