The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10

anu austrian brethren. Inc me CdNdl ,
are especially good at bridge building, the
passing of rivers. etc.
The Russian infantryman is very able
with his rife. He possesses a great deal Of
courage, and, under certain conditions is
even willing to die for his country On the
other hand. he is liable to be panic-stricken
at any moment when luck deserts his divi-
sion. The last Turkish war affords malay
striking examples OF this just as the events
of the Franco-German war proved the So
periority Of the German soldier in that re-
spect. Minor deficiencies of the Russian
soldier are his drunken and thievish hao-
its. The noncommissioned officers differ an
no way from the privates. and the latter
treat them with contempt. Respect for
the superior begins with the lieutenant
The officers are. in a great measure, TO
blame for this unhealthy state of things.
Each division, company, battalion and
regiment has it's distinct and separate
saint, five and eighty per regiment Of ia
fantry. seventy-three to seventy-five in the
corresponding cavalry and artillery organ
izations. And each saint has day set
apart for him on the calendar. the ami
versary of his death, which is feast dsy
for ALL The name-day celebrations always
hands dress in parade uniform. the regi-
mental priest or pope" makes his appear
ance in cloth of silver and furs, his lorg
beard and hair shiny with scented oils. He
holds divine service In the barracks mess
room and then throws holy water over the
whole assemblage, over the flags, the vict-
uals and even the hunks of the men. Then lie
dispenses with his holy garments, dons an
ordinary coat and collects his fee. Ne2t
comes the commander of the section, talks
the pope's arm and conducts him TO table.
in the midst of which stands a weighty
pail filled to the brim with vodki. The pore
is given a glass, which he quickly fills. 60
drink the health of 1.-The little father" 1.-THE
Car" and 1.-The little mother"-the Czarina.
Great enthusiasm; each officer must follow
suit; no self-respecting private would dig
pense with that holy duty. They shout their
hurrahs for Car and Czarina until tie
whole lot of them is under the table.
STATUS OF OFFICERS.
The chief fault of the Russian officers
corps is that it has no esprit du corps
The scion of Russian high aristocracy wil
not tolerate the social aspirations of the
small-fray Polish landholders The latte".
again, considers the son of a priest or
merchant as beneath contempt, and as 60
the Caucasian and Tartar, they ale
thought less of than negroes If it comes 10
sitting down with them at table. Besides,
there is a great material difference between
officers of the guards and the line and be-
tween officers of the line and those of the
Cossacks.
To complete the wretchedness Of the lire
officer. his pay is ridiculously small and
inadequate, especially that of the infantry
officer, the lieutenant receiving no more
than $500 per year all told. The captain has
little over $500, the major $3.50. The most
abject poverty prevails among them, and
only a few of the younger officers own
more than one uniform, which must do
service in ordinary and on parade alike.
The infantry private of the line receives in
money 1915 per year, including the Cars
and other presents.
The officers of the Russian general staff
are all highly educated, pushing men. ana
that is the very reason why a certain cold
ness exists between them and the officers
in the ranks, the latter regarding their con-
freres somewhat after the style of pupils
afraid of the schoolmaster Instead OF
working together, each corps tries to OUT
wit the other.
1.-The officers corps of the guards is
composed almost exclusively of rich men.
aristocratic and plutocrats, who form 6.
caste among themselves. A guard officer
never loses his distinctive character as such,
and even if transferred to the line for
some misdemeanor other, takes pre-
cedence over all other officers of equal rank.
Gambling and high living are tolerated as
matter of course. Dishonesty at the card
table and in dealings with moneyed parties
are taken no notice of by the superior of
ficers. Officers of the different arms arc
detailed to the various regiments princi.
pally with view to their outward appear.
ance. Their especial fitness Is a matter o.
secondary consideration, each regiment
is Of a distinctive type, which must pre-
dominate in officers. men and horses alike.
Thus the biggest fellows are detailed for
duty in the bodyguard regiment "Preobra-
jinskij' founded by Peter the Great which
was originally composed of that monarch's
personal friends. all giants in their way.
Then there is the Iamailovsky Regiment,
where only blondes are toearted, and the
well-known Pauliff guards all of whom
must have retrousse noses. The regulations
of the Guard Chausseurs. on the other
hand, admit only dark-haired men,
LAS explained, the Cars army is not
perfect by any means, but IL 1t were ten
times more deficient in certain respects
than it is, that is unimportant compared
to the great overwhelming fact that Rus
STA may unload on her neighbors one mil
lion of war horses at the rate of thirty
thousand heads per day. The nations of the
triple alliance are facing a condition that
Americans will be the gamers. for we shall
have to buy their horses. and the sooner it
is done the better.
Won PELET-NARBONNE
General Clusters Widow.