The evening times., 1900-07-17
DESIRES CHINESE SERVICE.
General Miles Would Like to Take
Personal Command of Troops.

Gen Nelson A Miles desires TO go TO
China and take personal command Of the
American forces in the operations against
Pekin. but be will not 60 unless his de-
sire receives the appreciation OF the Presi-
dent and the Secretary Of War.
There is no rule which preseribes that
the Lieutenant General, when he wishes TO
take personal command Of his troops. shall
ask the consent Of the President, but it has
been authoritatiyeIy announced that Cen
eral Miles Will not go to China without
consulting President Mckinley. 1t is said
az the War Department that the conflict in
China promises 10 be the mightiest and
the bloodiest that the world has ever seen
If 20.O00 allies cannot safely hold Ten
tsin," said distinguished officer. the talk
OF marching through the enemy's country
and taking the capital with 100000 men is
nonsense"
The belief at the War Department is
that the Governments which viii play the
leading part in the overthrow Of the Chi
nese Empire, viii be Russia and Japan
Their armies are strong and mobile.
Since the restoration or Japsuese Impe-
rial authority ard the consequent abolition
Of the feudal system. the army OF the En-
pire has been organized on a uniform sys-
ten, on the basis Of CONSUMPTION. Accord
ing TO the present law all male japanese
subjects OF the ages Of and between seven
teen and forty are liable 10 the military
service. The army is composed OF the In
perial Guard, the twelve divisions, Taiman
garrison, gendarmerie, the reserves, and
the landwhe-. The following was the
strength Of the Imperial Army in 1885,
Arsenal and departmental stat l.647 Of
% 81
fcers 6 f2l men: twelve divis ions, 3 ,502
officers. Il SCI men; Tairan garrison, 3S3
officers. To- 2l9 men; gendarmerie, l4l off,
GERS, 4,524 men With certain unclassifed
commands the strength OF the japanese
regular or active" Army is 12j. .342 The
number enrolled in the reserve. landwher,
and the first and second depots. is 4C7 S63.
In Russia. since January l3. 1874. militia
~ service has been rendered obligatory
for all men from their twenty-frst year
With the notifications introduced in that
law on October 90. 1876. and June %. 1855
military service is organized as fellows
Out OF about S7o,000 young men reaching
every year their twenty-frst birthday,
about rs COO are taken into the active
army and feet. and the remainder are
Inscribed partly IN the reserve and partly
in the second reserve or ~Zapas" The pc
riCd Of service IS. in European Russia i've
years with active army. thirteen years IN
the reserve and five years in the Zspas;
seven years in the active army and six
years in the reserve in Asiatic Russia and
three years IN the active army and fifteen
years IN the reserve in Caucasia. The
army consists Of twenty-five army corps,
Cne corps OF guard. one corps Of grenadisTs.
two cOTns Of the Caucasus. two corps o. the
TurkescCu, two corps Of cavalry
The corps OF the guard Gas three infan-
t-y divisions and two cavalry divisions
The corps OF grenadiers has three iufsn-
try aEd one cavalry division Seven army
corps consists each Of two infantry divi-
s;CIs- Twelve army corps consists each
OF two infantry and one cavalry divi-
sions, one army corps consists Of two in
fantry ard TWO COssack cavalry divisions;
che army corps consists Of two infantry
and one Cossack cavalry division. two
army corps have each Two infantry divi-
sioas and one separate brigade Of cavalry
All army corps have artillery and a corps
of engineers consisting q enc company Of
sappers. enc telegraph company. one sec
JiGn of field engineers. and half a poEtoon
battalion. one battalion Of train and a sec
tiCn OF the reserve horse depot Tne
peace strength of the Russian Army is
Is. .Cg5 officers and S60.eG0 men. It's war
strength is 5.5Cc 0C0 oficers and men