The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10
THE CARS WAR HORSES
ASTONISHING PREPONDERANCE OF
CAVALRY IN RUSSIAN ARMY.
Explains Why Germany In Indifferent
to the Russian Activity I'm
Chinese Territory.

war horses and 100000 more that France
can furnish hold Europe in check, permit
ting the Russian bear to do as he likes in
China-there is no use Disgusting the fact.
One million one hundred thousand
horses, each eating some thirty
pounds of fodder per day-what would
become of the dual-alliance's neighbors,
Germany and Austria, If they were let
loose upon them? Neither of these coun-
tries produces sufficient food for their own
cattle: think. then. of the avalanche of
hungry hordes overrunning provinces
where, even in prosperous times, the aver
age man and beast lives three-quarters
or one-half the rations American workmen
and farmers allow themselves.
According to the latest inside information
Russia can throw $4,000 horses on to Ger
man soil a day, against $500 at the disposal
of the German war lord. France holds if
ty-six sQuadrons of cavalry in readiness to
cross the Kaisers frontier the moment war
is declared, while Germany has only thir-
ty-six troops to oppose this overwhelming
mass
Here follow the official Russian figures
concerning her mounted frontier guard:
1.-The enemy does well to multiply them by
two to get at the right numbers:
In Russia's first aggressive zone, four
teen cavalry divisions, one frontier brigade
and sixty-eight extra squadrons Of troop
ers; all told, 416 squadrons. In the second
zone, two cavalry divisions. one brigade
and two frontier brigades. making sixty
eight squadrons. In the third zone seven
cavalry divisions, one brigade. ten frontier
brigades and two extra formations of
troopers, PSI squadrons all told.
Four hundred and sixteen squadrons to
be dispatched at moments notice and
Germany has only forty-four squadrons to
face them, while Austria Hungary may put
a hundred sQuadrons in the feld-after
some delay.
Forty-four thousand Russian horses will
turn their faces toward the Austrian Hun
garian frontier the moment war is declared.
while $4,000 will trot into Prussia; that
means, within twenty-four hours the Ger
man provinces nearest the frontier will be
called upon to feed 1900 extra horses and
men. Atilla had only half as many when
he crushed the olden empires Seventy-two
thousand horses eating thirty pounds Of
fodder each day! What the men devour
it would be hard to compute in figures, but
1t is safe to assume that they will eat and
drink up everything within sight.
GERMANY DULY CAUTIOUS.
Do you still wonder why Germany and
Austria refused to get excited about
Muscovite expansion in China? War with
Russia, nowadays. does not mean war with
a military power it means war with organ
lied appetite. it means furnishing 100000
pounds of food day, not counting the
men.
If it should come to a war between the
powers of the triple alliance and the duel
alliance. Italy seemingly has the advantage
over France with IA cavalry squadrons
against eighty the enemy can mobilize
against her. The first Italian military
zone can send fifty squadrons against twen-
ty-eight French: the second forty
eight squadrons against twenty French,
and the third forty-six squadrons against
thirty-two French. Thus it is on paper, so
the military conventions read, but Italy
can hardly be expected to leave the defense
of her railways and coast line to the re-
serves only, while dispatching her crack
regiments over the Western frontier. If
it comes to fighting, 1 wager that France
will produce 80 per cent. more horses for
actual field service than the peninsula can
muster.
Taking all In all, then, Germany and
Austria-Hungary have excellent reasons
for keeping out Of an Asiatic imbroglio,
seeing that opposition to Russia might
flood their lowlands with the most ravenous
enemy ever let loose A million war horses!
Napoleon opiped that the cavalry should
be one-quarter of the entire strength of an
army, but things have changed since
Waterloo. Nowadays where 100000 of
war horses appear at the horizon, strategy
must take a back seat.
Let us now look at the Russian army in
detail. Not to admit any of the traditional
Russian army tactics, the Cars minister
of war has placed nearest to the Austrian
and German frontiers ten thousand of the
widest Asiatic cavalry hordes. whose spe-
cialty is burning villages, sacking towns
and striking terror into the hearts Of women
and children.
The Cossacks fulfill their duty well; they
are experts in their line. OF the three hun
dred thousand Cossacks, only about thirty
thousand from the Caucasus rank as SOL
diers; the rest are simply marauders, cut
threats, thieves and incendiaries. incapa-
BILE of meeting the regular cavalry of Prus-
STA, or AuSIrla, ana even 1dr below the
Russian line dragons in respect to fighting
qualities. If it be the intention of the Car
to fight the people rather than the armies
of Germany and Austria, his Cossacks will
do as we'll as hangers-on to his forces.
Otherwise they are only fit to pursue an
enemy entirely demoralized. 1t is strange
that the Cossacks should still be considered
a formidable force after their utter defeat
by the Tcherkessian Turks in the last war.
Russian officers, in general, dread their CO.
operation in the field because the Cossacks
regard war simply an excuse for indulgence
in their evil passions. recognizing no au-
thority and having no respect either for
truth or duty. Their expert horsemanship
should make them valuable for reconnoit-
ering purposes. but officers will hesitate
to accept any Cossack report, in nine
out of ten cases it will prove unreliable
AS circus riders, 50 to speak, the Cossacks
have very few equals. They pride them
selves on their shooting while at a gallop
Shooting is one thing and hitting another.
though.
NEAR PRUSSIAN FRONTIER.
All told three-fourths of the Cars army
are now Quartered near the Prussian-Aus-
TRAN frontier in regular field formations,
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