The sun., 1903-12-27

6Rhting machine IN the World III 'iie oHape
OF it's army and navy, and there is no other
military force of which the world KNOWS
so little,
Even the numerical strength of the army
IL Ia rgely a mattcr of conjecture. As nearly
as can be reckoned. the force available Tor
CARRYING on the earlier stages OF war
amounts to nearly 8, 100000 But in case OF
national emergency this force could be
swelled to about 100000 fighting men by
the calling out of the Territorial Reserve
and the Opolchenie, or militia
This vast army is more than twice as
large as the population of New York city
more than twice as large as the German
Army, which, when mobilized. is estimated
TO have a total of 100000 trained men.
Under the order of Oct "a. 1902 the strength
Of the United States Army was hxed at
1o7 .s55 men-less than one-seventieth OF
that of the Russian,
But Russia does not depend upon this
immense army alone. She has one OF the
biggest navies in the world, or, rather,
three distinct navies. each with its separate
organization and separate base. One is IN
the Pacific, a second in the Baltic and a
third in the Black Sea
In many respects the Russian Army and
Navy differ materially from the forces OF
other Powers. Reticence is the keyrote
of the administration of both services.
The secrets of both the army and the navy
are carefully concealed, and so are many
things not usually hidden by other nations.
For example, the allowance Of ammuni-
ton for target practice IN the RUSSIAN
Navy has been as large in the past year or
two as that in the American Navy. Even
this fact is not generally known, and no
outsider can tell whether the recent extraor-
dinary efforts to bring the craftsmanship
of the gun crews up to the highest point
of efficiency have been successful.
The scores are not divulged, even the
fact that a ship has gone through course
Of target practice is concealed The keen
rivalry between ships. so prevalent in the
American Navy, is thus impossible. and no
Russian vessel could ever enjoy tho wide
fame of the Alabama, however much she
might deserve it. Absolute secrecy is
mainta aimed concerning all naval and mill
tary manGuvres. ..,j-.
Even cases of individual heroism are
similarly concealed. except in time of war,
The theory of the service is that every man
is equal in all respects to his comrade OF
the same rank He is as brave, as efficient.
and as loyal,
It is considered bad for the service to
allow the limelight to fall upon particular
men, however heroically they may have
acted. And it is considered to be bad for
the men, too-in which belief the Russian
adminstra rators show a pretty good knowl-
edge Of human nature.
A sailor may jump overheard and rescue
his Captain from death in shark infested
waters. or stoker may dare appalling
danger to save the life of a comrade in an
engine room accident In due course, he
will be rewarded and promoted. and
throughout his career his superiors will
remember the deed in his favor, but it will
never become public.
Rewards, promotions and distinctions are
announced only in war time or in cases Of
very except ional merit. and even in those
cases no reference whatever is made to the
occasion of the reward or special COM
msndation in any published reports or
orders.
No crit ticism Of anything connected
with the army or navy is allowed, even
though it bs of commendatory nature,
No officer or enlisted man is permitted to
crlticise brother officer or enlisted man,
except in the strictest line of duty.
Breaches of this rule are most strictly
punished and TO it are largely due the har-
monv and good fellowship of the Russian
services.
Any public criticism of the service or
even of any minor department Of its ad
ministration, is sternly prohibited and heav-
lily punished. This rule prevails, Of course,
in OF her services. but is often more honored
In the breach than in the observance. In
Russia it is most faithfully observed. The
Sampson Schley quarrel and the Butler
con, roversy would be equally impossible
there.
The Russian naval and military services
are compulsory, the rule being that every
male of sound physique shall enter one
service or the other at the age Of ~
years. But the recruit is allowed to choose
which service he will enter.
1t might be supposed that this would lead
to difficulty. as there might be more men
choosing one service than were needed.
and fewer choosing the other. But it is not
60 The system works well, and helps to
make the men contented.
Enlist ment is for three years, with the
privilege OF TeeHlIS' Illeil Ollly upon CoHdl-
ton that the candidate has been promoted
during his term. In this respect the Russian
service differs from most other services.
This peculiar provision has the merit Of
insur:ng that all the veterans are picked
men, while soldiers and sailors Of only
age quality are eliminated in due
course.
The recruit for the naval service is usually
received, after passing his physical exami-
nat ION, at one OF the great Russian naval
es-kronst adt, st. Petersburg. Port
Arthur or Vladisvostok. After brief term
in barracks there he is sent to training
ship, and thence promoted to battleship,
cruiser or other vessel-the class Of ship
to which he is sent being determined by his
profc ency a peculiar feature of the Russian
service.
The Russian Navy is modelled very closely
upon that of England. The Russian Army
is modelled on the German. In both cases
the examples chosen as the best have been
copied to the minutest detail.
There is hardly any difference in the days
routine on Russian and an English man-of-
war. The duties of men and officers, the
messing arrangements, the stations, the
drills. the regulations are practically
the same.
Discipline is administered under Articles
of War formulated by imperial ukase.