The record-union., 1897-10-03


the world. Though her Government
has been autocratic and her people far
behind the age in enlightenment, only
eight per cent of the population being
able to read, the rays of intellectual en-
lightenment are penetrating that vast
region, and there is a great future for
Russia What the headlight Of the To-
comotive has done for our western
country in the last generation is now
to some extent being done for that
country through the construction of the
railroad across Siberia. one of the
greatest enterprises of modern times
Remarkably enough, it is being built
under the direction Of a self-made Rus
sian prince, who served his apprentice
ship in the machine shops of Philadel-
phia, but, like Peter the Great. has be-
come master of his trade and is now
contributing immensely to the mate
rial welfare of Russia. The Russian
army is composed of strong, hardy
men, and its officers are highly educat-
ed and skillful officials.
Germany is one vast military camp.
1t is geographically in such a position
that 1t is compelled to maintain a great
military force. On one side is Austria,
that they have overrun, and France,
that has been conquered, and a part
of her territory taken away by fighting
her when she was at a great disadvan-
tage. on the other side stands the
great Russian bear, and between these
two Germany finds it necessary to keep
her powder dry The German army is
kept under rigid discipline, is well
drilled, makes the finest appearance on
parade, but its fighting qualities are no
better than the English, Russian or
French armies.
Il saw part of the French maneuvers
near San Quentin. The French army
is not spectacular in appearance, yet
it has solidity and earnestness of pur-
pose which indicate that it is Well
equipped for war. It's uniforms are not
so handsome as those of the German
army, but are serviceable, while it's Of
ficers are skillful and intensely in earn
est. There were seventy thousand well
equipped, we'll disciplined troops, and
the review by the President was one
of the finest displays l have ever wit
messed. The army of 10000 passed the
reviewing stand in little more than
two hours time and the entire body
of cavalry, 10000 strong, charged
across the field in one solid mass, and
halted but few yards from the Presi-
dent in splendid ORDER
The correspondent suggested that Eu-
ropean military men held that officers
of the United States army were at
disadvantage in being without oppor-
tunities to drill large armies.
"Yet great field maneuvers simply
simulate war;" was the comment of
General Miles. THE Hamburg ma
neuvers were practically a great drill
They looked very grand, but there is
no school of war except war. What
might seem to be practical in maneu-
vers might be wholly impracticable in
a condition of actual hostilities. There
are hundreds, if not thousands, of men
in the United States who have been en-
gagged in the same maneuvers with br1-
gades, divisions, corps or armies in
practical drill nearly every day for
four years, and at the same time have
been in more desperate, hard-fought
battles than any man in Europe. Still,
field maneuvers are useful, and teach
bodies Of soldiers to move together"
To the question as to whether the
United States under its military policy
would be able to cope with European
power. General Miles replied:
I'm any population it is estimated
that one man out of five is capable of
bearing arms. That would give US an
army of twelve millions. Our people
are strong physically, and generally in
telligent and well informed. Besides
that each citizen is a sovereign, and
personally interested in the welfare OF
his Government, and serves volunta-
rily, without being forced into service
bv military despotism. We have
many thousands of men still living who
have see nmore war and participated IN
more battles than any man in Europe
But It is another thing to equip an
army with modern appliances for the
defense of a coast where we would
have to use high-power guns and mod
ern projectiles which it takes years to
construct. Modern rifles are different
from the squirrel guns with which our
Revolutionary fathers went to war. The
range of a modern arms is very great,
and projectiles weighing 700 pounds to
a ton of steel are used. The rapidity
of the rapid firing machine guns, the
Maxim and Gatling, is four hundred to
six hundreds shots a minute. Although
these are American inventions, they
are largely used in the European ser
xico