The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-20
RUSSIA'S GREAT ARMY,
1t Has Been Doubled Since the Last
Turkish War.
From the London Standard.

From the London Standard
The Russian army has been almost
doubled since the last Turkish war, while
the general staff has been increased by
more than two-thirds The three western
frontier districts. Wilma, Kief and War
saw, now have 5S4 battalions, 1896 squad
rons and 2S2 batteries with 200 guns, all
on war footing or about six-seventeenths
of all the infantry and five-sixths of all
the cavalry and infantry which Germany
keeps up in time of peace.
Russia is attaching more and more value
to cavalry and has already twenty-five di-
visions whereas Germany only has one
cavalry division of the guards in peace
time. At the end of the last year the cavaI-
ry divisions quartered round Warsaw were
united to form an army corps, and the war
office means to extend the system. In its
opinion, the value of vast bodies of caVal-
ry, such as were used in the American war
is very great and 12O squadrons take part
in the maneuvers. The Germans, how
ever, appear to be giving up the employ
ment of large masses of cavalry. The
Russian cavalry is equipped and drilled ac-
cordingly.
Except the Two CdAflIy ulNISOuS OI the
guards which still have cuirassiers, Uh-
laus and hussars. il consists almost entire
ly of Cossack and dragons, who receive
an excellent training as infantry as well,
to enable them to advance as rapidly, in
dependently, and vigorously as possible.
Some of them have even been supplied with
bayonets, as an experiment. l may add
that the Russian Frontier Guard of 10000
men included 10000 horse soldiers. Both
men and horses are excellent and admira-
bly, trained. On the other hand it is a
distinct disadvantage that the Cossacks
and some of the other cavalry regiments
can only ride al a quick trot, which would
entail heavy losses in long distance attacks
on modern artillery and infantry. This
disadvantage will be considerably intensi-
fed nv the proposed union of Cossacks and
other cavalry in one division, for the lat
ter can ride the field gallop" of $50 PAGES
a minute.
The Russian navy budget for 1898 allots
GIL 100000 rubles for general expenses, 1885,
OOOOO0-including the 90,000,0OO recently as
signed-for new ships, Il, 10000 for putting
ships into commission, and 100000 for the
Improvement of the harbor of Libau. The
considerable outlay on the widening or
the naval harbor at Sebastopol and for
building or improving other harbors is not
included The Pacific squadron is to have
nine cruisers, two torpedo cruisers ana
seven sea-going gunboats; the Mediterra-
mean squadron three large ironclads, one
torpedo cruiser, two sea going gun
boats and two torpedo boats; the
Black sea squadron six large IRON
clads, one cruiser, three torpedo cruis-
ers. six torpedo boats, three training ships
ard three Transports the Baltic squadron
four large and eight coast ironclads, six
cruisers, three gunboats and forty-seven
torpedo boats. The Cars yacht and sew
eral other vessels for special purposes are
not included. The new Russian ironclad
type is a compromise between an ironclad
and an armor-Dlated cruiser.
The length will be 1861 feet, beam nv
and draught 26. The vessel will have triple
screws, 1880 horse power and speed of
IS knots 10-inch and II 6-inch guns, l6
9. inch guns and % smaller quick-hrers.
Thirty-two new torpedo boats for the Bal
tic and Pacific fleets are building in Rus
sia The Arctic division of the Baltic
fleet will no longer winter in the Baltic
norris. but in the ice-free harbor of Ekat-
erina on the Thurman coast OF the penin-
sula of Koa The bay on which Ekater-
ina lies is about 21a kilometers long, 30
meters broad and 40 deep. 1t has good an
chorage, and, owing to the Gulf Stream,
seldom freezes, except for a few days in
February. The harbor was begun in 1896.
and stone pier $50 meters long, a rail-
way of about 1870 meters and lighthouse
were finished al the end of last summer.
Al the same time a town was planned IN
the sheltered valley, and now has public
buildings and schools, a telegraph and
telephones. and is connected with the har-
Dor by the railway. The seat of the admin
istration has been transferred thither from
Kola, and the place IS certain to grow
quickly when the railway to st. Peters,
burg, which has just been begun. is fin
ishcd. It is already connected by tele-
graph with St. Petersburg, Archangei and
Norway.