New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-09

IN THE ARMY-AN ENGLsHMAN's POOR
OPINION OF THE PEASANT LEyIEs
From The Saturday Review.
The men who held back the attack OF the Turks
slopes strewn with their dead, are said 10 have
been EvzonL These Teg.meEts; VINO wear me Al.
Greek national costume, correspond TO our Hisa.
Ianders They are splendid get OF men-not ali
Of great stature though some exceed the average
in this respect also they all carry themselves
well: they have springy STRIDE ana martial
II It were affectaton and PRIDE are very near TO-
gether IT. such matters, and are rot 10 be despised
troops and know themselves 10 be so. but their
'swagger' In the streets OF Athsns has Deen borne
Uniform could not be better designed 10 set Oh
their trim figures and their sPrighuy bearing They
wear a red felt cap with long tassei. OF a more
picturesque and Irregular shape than me Turkish
iez; white felt vest and Jacket covered With
dark embroidery. and enlivened Win req fdcings
and a white shirt that hangs loose through the
swinging sleeves attached 10 the vest Their white
eciipses the horrors Of tight-lacing on their legs
they have white wooen ugnfs, ana NOR req shoes
are turned up the toes and end N scarlet iassels
Nothing can excel IN brliancy the appearance
Of regiment OF these Evzoni, IN the oIigat Greek
sunshine: IL must be seen TO be realized Inc men
themselves are the pick Of The Greek troops. They
are. many Of them. the desGehdahts % nose
Klephts VINO never subdued beneath the Turk
fish yoke and who formed the backbone or the in
sureent forces in the Greek Revolution Like their
guerilla warfare. and the successes o. the Creeks
In this direction are only what might have been
expected No country could wish for a Aner set OF
troops TO guard its moyntain passes against the
inroads of marauding bands. or to suppress brig.
inaccessibie distriet Such are the purposes Tor
which the Greek army is really required. md me
the requirements The pity is that Greece has no!
contented Itself with keeping up these picked
troops. the descendants OF warrior caste Dut mas
added to its military strength or paper by a con-
scrpton enforced upon al classes OF me popua
ton The numbers thus enlisted are no' wanted
for any purpose OF defence or ponce. loI Greece
could under no conceivable circumstances nave
been threatened with the INVASION OF a regular
army unless the aggressive position 81 ner own
army had provoked the attack And moreover the
unnecessary numbers. while they drain ne re-
sources Of the country. are not a proporuonats
Increase of its real military strength even Tor the
purposes for which they are presumably kept up.
IL is perhaps premature 10 say anything yet o.
the fighting value OF the Greek regiments q the
the same people that have been clamoriug for
war, and their enthusiasm may have led them
10 do some thing to Justify their clamor But Il
must be admitted that no one who has seen them
souchng about the country or ioitering IN the
towns would be disposed to expect s!edI tn.ngs o.
them OF their shabby and il-nitlng uni
forms-blue black coats and nondescript oue-gray
OF the killed regiments but tho uniform only seems
part Of the men, and quite IN accorosnGe Win
In the Acropos Museum al Athens ~ night, and
was captured by the guard; and ! snail never tor:
man who TO the door fed when ne saw from
the. state Of the door that some one had been
trying TO force il from inside, or TIE Ions ana
timid delays before any one dared 10 open the
taken for ghost or FOR band Of brssnds. ba,
the alarming indications hardly sufhced 10 justify
ether Apprehension ana one coHld no. nsp "e "a:
face OF real danger II is thousand pities 20 take
the peasant from his olives and MS vines ana rs
stead of enriching it, especially when he does not
Those who have lived in Greece probably sur.
prised at the little service that has been done by
impression than the infantry, and il s,ppied with
the most intelligent both OF the officers and Of the
most or. being there did not do its work we'll rs
inferorty 20 the Turkish on vital occasions seems
officer express surprise at the intelligence Of The
men. and the rapidty with which recruits picked
UP n drill that our gunners take much longer 70
learn. Can 1t be that what is too quickly learned
is too quickly lost in the moment OF danger? We
cavalry either. but it is certainly not showy and
does not look as If il were capable OF any orillian,
deal of endurance. and can go FAR on mountain
tracks; one would be sorry TO see them face Turk.
But it is perhaps in discipline more than in any.
thing else that the Greek soldier is lacking. Even
the mountains would probably feel this defect IN
q regular campaign. II is no uncommon thing e
on the parade ground or on the march; II prob
ably would be the same on the battlefield. The
10 admit the notion of unreasoning obedience
to any superior; and. moreover. it is serious DIM
from whom enough officers be drawn. Some
rise from the ranks and no Greek can ever re.
gard his companion as superior to himself Their,
Is practically middle class in Greece. In the
country all are equal, except the village magnates
who would not think OF entering the army, and I!
they did. would nor retain their purely local pres.
tige. In Athens there are indeed plenty Of rch
and distinguished families and from some OF them
the best officers OF Greece have come. But tho
number Of them Is naturally limited in small 4
country. Too many of the officers merely
loungers In boueyards and cafes who probably
despise their men. and for whom their men have
no respect. OF course there many exceptions
but here also the whole system is wrong; the only
really satisfactory arrangement for Greece would
be 10 array its highlanders under the descendant:
Of those who ed them as Klephts and as insur
gents. This Is doubtless done TO some extent. but
here again the largeness of the army destroys Il,
efficiency. II Is also to be regretted that the or
GERS OF the regiments that wear the white kilt and
embroidered coat do not wear the dresi
themselves in richer materials IT is net merely Z
question Of dress but OF feelings and traditions
How can the descendants OF the Klephts preserve
their respect under leader who wears a darn
cloth tunic and trousers? Ohio did better IN this
matter; he wore the national dress himself and 81
did his Court and his officers.
II the bravery OF the best OF the Greek troop
has won our admiration, IL Is pitable 10 think o!
the mass OF the army. carried 10 the frontier ny
genuine. II misguided. enthusiasm, ard set 10 face
a real warfare so different from the vision OF the
| journalist and the orator. A heavy responsib.li,y
rests on those who rashly urged on the people u
! their fate.