The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-27
Strength of Force With Reserves
Estimated at From Seven to
Eight Millions on War
Footing.
SAME SECRECY ABOUT NAVY.
Officers on One Ship Know Moth
ing About Another, and Even
Target-Practice Scores Are
Zealously Guarded by
Department.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Washington, Dec. ga retired Russian
officer says:
THE Russian Empire unquestionably
possesses the biggest fighting machine in
the world in the shape of its army and
| navy, but there is no other military force
Of which the world knows so little.
Even the numerical strength of the
army is largely a matter of conjecture.
As nearly as can be reckoned. the force
| available for carrying on the earlier
stages Of war amounts to nearly 31Ca,-
CO. But in case Of national emergency
this force could be swelled to about 1900
600 lighting men by the calling out of the
territorial reserve and the 'opoltschenie,'
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 mobillzed, Is estimated
to have total of 3,oa6,ooo trained men.
strength of the United States Army was
fixed at lOl.655 men-iess than one-seven-
tteenth of that of the Russian
but hlSsla does not depend upon this
immense army alone. She has one Of the
biggest navies in the world, or rather
tnree distinct navies. each with its separ-
ate organization and separate base One
IS IN the Paciiic, a second in the Baltic
and a third In the Black Sea In many
respects the Russian Army and Navy diff
Ter materially from the forces of other
Powers, and some Of the points of differ
ence are decidedly interesting. Reticence
Is the keynote of the administration of
poth services. The secrets of both army
ana navy are most carefully concealed,
and Sc SO are many things not usually hid
The allowance of ammunition for target
practice In the Russian Navy has been as
large In the past year or two as that in
the american me, Navy. Even this fact is not
generally known. and no outsider can tell
whether the recent extraordinary efforts
to bring the craftsmanship of the gun
crews up to the highest point of efficiency
are not divulged; even the fact that n shin
has gone through a course of target
practice is concealed. The keen rivalry
between ships; SO prevalent in the Ameri-
can Navy. Is thus impossible, and no Rus
sian vessel could ever enjoy the wide fame
OF the Alabama, however much she might
deserve it
Even cases of Individual heroisrn arc
similarly concealed, except in time of war.
The theory of the service is that every
man is equal in all respects to his COM
rade of the same rank. He is as brave,
as efficient and as loyal. 1t is considered
bad for the service to allow the limeiicht
to fail upon any particular man. however
theoretically he may have acted. In due time
Throughout his career his superiors will
remember the deed in his favor; but It
will never become public. Rewards, pro-
motions and distinctions are announced
only in war time or in other cases of very
exceptional merit, and even in those cases
no reference VIVA tever is made to the oc-
scasion of the reward or special commen-
dalton in any published reports or orders.
The recruit for the naval service is usr-
ally received, after passing his physical
examination. at one of the great Russian
naval bases-kronstedt. st. Petersburg
Port Arthur or vladivostock. After a
brief term in barracks there he is sent TO
a training ship and thence promoted to a
battleship, cruiser or other yessel-the
class of ship to which he is sent being
determined by his proficiency. a peculiar
feature of the Russian service. The Rus
sian 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 20 the minutest detail. There is
hardly any difference in the daily routine
of Russian and an English man-of-war
in the duties of men and officers. the
messing arrangements. the stations, the
drills and the regIlations.
Discipline Is administered under articles
OF war formulated by imperial ukase. 1t
Is far stricter than in the British service,
which, again. is far stricter than the
American. All government in Russia is.
OF course. essentially autocratic and the
spirit is nowhere stronger than in the