The times., 1898-09-11
General Miles, Book.

Ing. 1t is a fascinating book in itself,
well written and treating of interesting
things, and at present the public is very
much interested, both in the subject of
the book and its author. There are fifty
six illustrations, which add very much
10 the value OF the work
The chapters are but three, With the
Turkish and Greek Armies In Time of
War, The Military and Naval Glory Of
England, and Military Maneuvers.
General Miles first observations were
made at Constantinople, to which city he
went directly from Washington. He found
some thirty thousand troops in and about
the city, and thus had an excellent
chance TO study the construction and dis
cipline of the Turkish army. He reports
that the army is entirely modern in its
methods, and adds this interesting bit of
information:
This organization Is not new; It was under
saken as long ago seventy years by Mahmud
H. When, about 1927, he decided to begin the
reconstruction of his army, he obliged TO
turn his cannon on the Janizaries, and not to
stop until the last of that body was dead
% hostile were they to any change in the meth
DDS Of the Turkish army. After the Janizaries
Were out of the way Mahmud ii began to remodel
his force. Ten years after this he had Won
Noltke and other Prussian officers aiding him.
now the Turkish military forces are completely
modernized- monument erected on the site
where he formerly lived on the Bosphorous re-
minds alike Turk and stranger OF the high esteem
with which Won Moltke's services in this work
OF reorganization are regarded
Gen. Miles then goes on to say:
The army is completely Moslem, no Christians
or non-Moslems being admitted. Although ex-
empted from duty, the latter not exempted
from military taxes. All young MosleIns who
have reached twenty-one years of age expect
ed to enter the army for twenty years service,
unless they can show some good reasons why
they should not be called upon, such phys
3cal unftness or family obligations. The regis
tration list shows that about 2o,000 are
liable to service each year, but, as a matter of
fact, only about 5000 are incorporated into
the army.
According to the latest figures, the army num-
being officers Its war footing amounts TO fully
800 COO II viii be remembered that when the
war with Greece broke out in the spring of 1887
Che Sultan modified 600,00o men without any
great effort.
What ] saw Of the Turkish soldiers In Cns.an
tinople convinced me that they are among the
most effective in the world There are many
reasons for this fact. In the first place, the
Turks are strong race accustomed 70 hard Ia
Dor. and consequently easily nodded into
enduring soldiers They all Moslems, and
their religion has three elements which contrib
81 teaches them 10 believe in an absolute des-
potism; second, il enforces simplicity of life and
strict Temperance. and, third, II promises them
unending pleasures in heaven as reward Tor
their endurance earth The long term or
service required of the Turks adds, of course,
To their effectiveness II should not be for
gotten too that this service has much OF IL
been active In the last hundred years Turkey
has had greater war record than any other
nation in Europe From the beginning OF the
century up to January j, 1897, she spent thirty
seven wears in actual warfare The cost of hand
ling this tremendous army was not great, when
compared with what other nations spend on their
armies. According 10 the official returns the
year OF 1s97-9s cost S25,250,ooo. II Is not the
common soldier, however, who gets this money
His pay amounts 10 q little less than dollar a
month and often the government is many months
In arrears in paying the troops
Gen. Miles declares that the military
genius of Turkey is undoubtedly Osman
Pasha, and says that this man reminded
him of Gen. Grant more than any other
man he saw on that side of the Atlantic
He is man Of few words, and once made
the remark that persistency is the great
secret of success In war
One Of the things which surprised and
amused Gen. Miles on his visit to Con-
stantinople was the music Of the regi-
mental bands in which Sousa's marches,
1.-THE High School Cadets and "El Cap
ian," often figured. After an exhaustive
survey of the Turkish and Greek forces,
he comes 10 the conclusion that the Turk
IS a very real power in the life of Eu-
rope and that the Greek is living large
ly on his past.
The next chapter tells of General Miles
experiences at the Queens Jubilee, where
he went from Constantinople. There Is
not much information in this paper which
was not printed at the time Of the jubi-
lee in the various correspondence to
American newspapers. but Ii will be
worth something to most readers TO have
IL all together and in order, where they
can lay their hands on it. The illustra-
tions, also, are valuable. One of the
smaller pictures, showing types of SOL
diers In the British army, is wonderfully
well done for so tiny a thing. and the diff
ferent racial characteristics are clearly
brought out The types represented are
the Sikh. New South Wales hussar and
lancer, Victoria rifieman. New South
Wales lancer. Hongkong policeman, West
India infantryman, and a member of the
North Borneo police. All the races on the
face of the earth, except the American
Indian, and several different nationali-
ties. are thus shown as Incorporated into
the English army.
In the chapter on Military Maneuv-
ers," General Miles describes the mill
fary evolutions which took place at Kras-
noe-Selo, near ST. Petersburg those in
Germany, and a part of those in the
north of France. He says Of the Russian
army:
Every man in Russia is liable to military serv-
Ace from his twerlty-frst year. Nearly 900, coo
reach this age every year in the empire, and
Of these about 5000 are taken into the active
army. and the rest placed in the reserve,
which is OF three classes Those in the active
army serve FIVE years, and those in the reserve
one. three and five, according TO the class.
These latter drill six weeks twice year. These
gre the periods in European Russia; they differ
somewhat in Asia and Caucssia. The total peace
footing Of the armies Of '.all the Russias," that
IS, Russia in Europe, Siberia, Turkestan, and
Finland amounts according TO the latest figures
10 80 52e ofieers 1885, ls3 men, and 155, 47s horses
The actual footing is more difficult to know,
but according to the most conservative estimate,
81 is probable that Russia could, in case of war,
de an army Of at least 1,S55,000 men, with o
reserve OF about ], 100 600; that is, she would have
Mt her command a force OF 2,455, 900, with per.
haps 5000 officers and 100000 horses. II one
considers the efficiency of the troops and the
officers, something Of the military strength oi
the empire is realized.
The Russian army is. think. capable of great.
er endurance in the field than any other in Eu
rope. The infantry and artillery are composed
OF strong. hardy men, and the cavalry are unsx
celled The Cossacks constitute perhaps The best
of the mounted troops. The horses are strong,
hardy and well fitted for the hardships and fa
tigues that campaigns require. In fact, the Rus
sian horses, ! believe, are the best in the world
The Russian people take better care OF theil
horses than any other people have ever known
They are strong well fed and full Of spirit, anc
not mutilated in the cruel manner in which we
find them in our own country and other countrie:
Of Europe. In fact, In Russia il is considered
bad form for a driver to carry whip, and
saw during my stay horse that appeared
20 k.a f4l-rrn lA II