Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-04-08

casus region. Beyond the Ural, in
Siberia. in Turkestan and the Amour
region. and, at present, in Manchuria,
the organization is variable and de-
| pends upon circumstances.
| The corps of Russian officers is in
great part recruited from the lower
military schools. of which there are
seven for the infantry. those of ka-
zan. Odessa, st. Petersburg. Tchoug-
ouiev. Tiflis. wilma and Irkoutsk;
two for the cavalry, Elisabethgrad and
Tver; two for the cossacks. Novoch-
erkask and Orenburg. The remain
der OF the officers come from the body
OF pages of the emperor and the mill
| tary schools. These latter schools
| are open, In principle, to young men of
all classes of society, including the
| under officers and private soldiers:
they are located at st. Petersburg and
| MOSCOW. The preparatory instruc-
| ton for these schools is obtained at
"A cadet schools and three prepara-
tory schools. For the higher mill
tary instruction four military acad
emies are established the NICOLAS
| academy of the Etat Major. the Mi
chel Artillery academy, the Nicolas
Engineering academy, and the acad-
emy of Military Law. The Russian
army on war footing III composed
OF five contingents of the active army,
thirteen contingents or reserve and
four of militia of the first class; all
these troops have received the neces-
sary instruction and have been group
ed by the officers of the active army
and the officers of reserve. The mill
tie OF the second class has received no
military instruction. The cossack
troops. which form unique feature
OF the Russian army. are recruited in a
special manner, and are clothed
equipped and mounted at their own ex-
pense, the state furnishes only the
arms and ammunition. The effective
ness OF the cossack troops on war
footing would exceed 100000 cavalry
AS to the Russian marine, it may be
remarked at the outset, that Russia |
has but small coast development, |
and it is easy to defend by means OF
coasting cruisers and line of torpe- !
does. without counting the Ice. which |
forms during several months an i'm. !
passaDble barrier around the Baltic |
ports. The entry to the Hack sea |
would be stopped by the fleet OF mod. |
eIn battleships constructed on the |
docks of Nicolaier and Sebastopol |
For some years since the efforts OF |
russia have baan directed toward the |
extreme Orient. and the vessels which |
are being constructed are designed |
TO reinforce the Pacific feet, being |
thus upon the open sea; the ports OF |
Vladivost0ck and Port Arthur are con-
stantly developing. apG new vessels |
are being constantly sent there.
The emperor is the supreme chief of
the marine. but he deiegates his pow
ers to one OF ths members of the roy
al family, this being In this present
case the Grand Duke Alexis. The
admiral-general, who presides over the
admiralty council. has under his or
ders the minister Of marine. At the
present time the Russian navy has
seven tirst-ciaeS battleships. with dis
placements from $500 10 1900 tons;
three coast defense cruisers, of 1000
tons; eight armOred cruisers. of 5000
to l2,!OD tons; three protected cruis-
ers or 5000 to 5000 tons. All these
vessels are at least twenty years old;
to them must be added those which
form part of the Black sea fleet. in
cluding seven battleships of 5000 to
l2,5OO tons and one cruiser of 5000
tons. Besides, a fleet of 20 destroy
ers, etc, and rs torpedo boats Is dis
triDuted between the northern and
southern coasts and those of eastern
Siberia. The personnel for these dit
ferent vessels is made up of sailors
coming from the recruitment. WIN re-
main seven years in the service.
These men are in general embarked |
upon the same vessels; they are sent |
to special naval schools where they |
complete their instruction, The under
officers come from the ranks and can
not become officers; they do not form |
very compact body, and generally |
prefer to leave the ssrpice at the end |
OF the seven years. The number OF |
under officers and marines is about |
ll,OO0. The afticers must belong to |
the nobility or be the sons OF nfIicsrs |
OF the marine; they come from two |
sources, those who pass the cadet |
school OF the marine and those who an.
gage as volunteers and after eighteen |
months OF ambarkment pass sails |
factory examination. The Gade, |
school at ST. Petersburg is establish
ed on land and has besides numerous
vessels for practical exercises; the
course lasts six years. after which the
eadets become midshipmen. AS to
the officers of the marine, these in
clude 55 rear-admirals, ~ captains of
the first class. zia VI tbs SECOND class.
ga lieutenants and 3BB midshipmeh
A number of special naval schools en-
able these to complete their instruc-
ton some Of these are of a theoret-
ical nature, a. th9 Nicolas academy.
devoted to astronomy. naval arciiltGc-
ture. etc, and others practical as the
schools OF marine artillery. diving.
torped0ee. etc.