The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-28
TURKEYS STRONG ARMY.
Am Organization That Can Turn Over
1000 900 Men Into the Field.
From the So, Jamcs's Gazette,


From the Sc. Jdmcss Gazette.
! At the time OF writing. when tho Balkan
| peninsula is virtually an armed camp and
| the despatch Of Turkish troops, including
many Asiatic battaions. to guard the from
tiers, continues without cessation, the de-
fensive and offensive capabilities OF the otto
man Empire may titly DO considered. During
the war with Greece in 1897 the Sultan mobll.
lied 600, 900 men without any great effort
but while that campaign brought ont i;.a
rapidity OF mobilization and the devotion
and endurance Of the Turkish soldier, II also
revealed In high commands indecision and
lethargy. and In organization not few weak
points. Since then new laws and sweeping
reforms have been put into operation with
the view to perfecting the organization ac-
cording to the most approved German
methods; while the Sultan has declared
it his resolve to Increase the war footing Of
his armies to a total of one and halt millions
The organization of the Turkish army only
| takes Mussulmans into account. In spite OF
provisions to the contrary laid down IN 1895
Christians are still excluded from the Otto
man military service and are compelled to
the payment OF n substitution tax.
II Is only in the medical corps that non
Mussulman officers. usually Armenians or
Jews. are found. Certain Mussumans. such
us natives of Constantinople, the north of Al
bana Arabin. and 1ripoi, are also exempt
from military service; while large number
| Of tho Asiatic tribes, Kurds and Arabs. rep
resenting population OF over million and
a half, escape regular recruiting either by
legal exemption OF from their own refusal
to submit to 1t.
For Ottoman subjects military service Ia
obligatory for twenty years, VIZ, from the
age OF 20 to 40, and i Is divided a. follows
eight years with the Rcdif, or reserve army,
and six years with the Mnst9flH or Land
sturm. The service with the colors is accord
ing to regulation three years, the remaining
three years of active service being spcut ia the
Nizam reserve but the former period il fro
quenty extended to four, five or even more
wears. The registration list Of recruits shows
that about i2O. 900 men nrc liable TO service
each year, but. as matter Of fact, only about
SO 600 are Incorporated into the army. A
few years back the leakage was considerably
more.
The Nizam troops have a peace strength
Of 2l6.530 and war strength Of aTi.3Uu.
the same-viz.. I,404. The Nizam comprise
32o infantry battalions, 200 sanndrons. 2oi
Ii5 siege and fortress artillery companies,
SO companies of engineers, eight railway
and fiye telegraph companies, "a companies
Of military-trai99 troops and o. companies
battal'oas of Redif infantry and * sGuQdrons
OF Redif cavalry. In, addition there are
battnlions of gendarmerie and 200 sQuadrons
of mounted gendarmes.
Since 1901 cndeavors have been made IN
utilize the most warlike of the Kurd tribes
by forming them into a special militia on
the Cossack model. This militia, called
the Handle, after the reigning Sultan, Their
organizer. comprises 266 sonadrons. Every
man furnishes his own equipment and mount
and is armed with n lance. SO far the Han-
die have only succeeded in earning for Item
selves an unenvlablc notoricty on account
of their outrages in Armenia and they form
a dangerous element in the army at largo,
Lastly, there is--o paper NJ least a larG"
1Nnn
are composed of men. principally AslatlcS.
exempt hitherto from military service. to-
gether with the overflow OF the annual cord
to be Gss battaliOns of live, but in peace
time each battalion consists only Of permA-
nent cadre OF nine officers and twelve non
commissioned officers. The Mustafz have
no organization of any kind except IN tim"
OF war: nevertheless they are far from being
n negligible quantity. for two divisions wcr"
mustered with ease toward the end of the
recent war with Greece
The Nizam are splendid soldiers. their long
term Of service adding greatly to then effect
iveness. and the Redf are almost their equals
Indeed. tho portion most worth of note IN
the Turkish military organization is me
dres, composed Of all the officers necessary
for the mobilization of the units, and Turkish
officers consider i distinction TO be appointed
districts is divided into four divisional areas
these again being partitioned into su bdivisions
Rad Go%n to 20 and nCIadHR the compqny
The Captains reside in the midst Of their
company district, and attend to the training
of the men, who are called out usually TOT
one month every two years.
At the present day the Ottoman Empire
can mobilize nineteen army corps twelve
Of which are Redif. while the total armed
strength, excluding the gendarmerie aud
the Mustafz. is as follows:
OrCers ................... 1000
$40 battaliors OF MAN infantry ... .,.,.. 2A.0M
374 battallons OF Redif infantry. ......... 2sCNN
68B hattaons OF llawe infantry ,...,...,. $4,000
o0O regiments OF MAN and Rcdif cavalry - Uup
225 batteries of horse. neld. mountain and
howItzcr ant llrry ..,.. ..- ..,.-. . ... 2SW'
Ia5 cnmnancs Of siege and fortress artillery ?anUr
Technical troons ........ lOOun
9e8 snuadronS or Handic cavalry .,. .... 5000
Grand total. ........ ........... 1slOOO0