The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-29

fury were also perfectly drilled machines
yet the 'undisciplineG" hordes of French
revolutionists overran Europe and routed
the veteran that fought under the eyes of
the Great Frederick. History forever re-
peats itself, and the Russians have long
thought that the only way TO counterfeit
the paper strategists of western Europe is
to overwhelm them by brute force.
Brute force, then, will be the prime fac
tor in the next European war. officefs and
men who attended the Russian maneuvers
in late years maintaining that the whole
army drill eliminates in such tactics as
General Dragcmiroff outlined.
The drills of both soldiers and officers is
accompanied by most serious risks nova
handing general was burned in the face by
a hand grenade and several high officers
were seriously wounded. 1t frequently
happens on the drill grounds that officers
and soldiers become so excited by the
realism of the maneuvers that they fall
upon each other in real earnest Nothing
can exceed the roughness and violence of the
warlike game carried on on Russian drill
grounds than actual battle and bloodshed.
1.-THE tactics of deeds which 1 am advo-
masses" said Dragomiroff to me. eff my
plans are persistently carried out there may
be another migration OF nations towards
western Europe"
Under Dragomiroff the Russian soldier is
taught that he represents the strongest set
of men in the world, and that victory de-
pends upon his personal efforts as much as
upon the army leaders.
he fraff and
followers bring the religious element into
play. The soldier is instructed that 1t is
his sacred duty to help exterminate the
foreign heretics" who deny the doc
| trines of the true religion and refuse to do
| reverence to the picture of the blessed Vir-
gin. In all manifestos addressed to the
| Russian army Of late years. the soldiers
are asked to give their life in defense of the
Virgin and the Car. If necessary. This, by
| the way, is the same war cry that Peter the
| Great and his general and minister Menshi-
kof used to infiame the Mujks against the
| Mad man of the North Charles XII.
But Dragomiroff is nothing if not conse-
| PRODUCTION of the magazine rifle in Russia,
| and now that 1t has been adopted, he is do
| ing his utmost to paralyze it's efficiency.
as the long Substance gun, we will be only
equals of the Prussians and Austrians," he
argues. He is convinced that the magazine
rifle makes for cowardice. Let our enc
mics turn their soldiers into cravens," he
says. I'VE will continue to train ours for.
| the hand-to-hand encounter.'
| The Gear once handed Oragomiroff an
article, setting forth that 1t would be a
4 -fxl-
old-fashioned rifles.
| In contradiction the general cited the
| case Of the Americans carrying Winches~
ters and defeating the Spaniards armed
with Mausers 81 submit to your Majesty"
| he continued, that the magazine rifle Is
the most dangerous equipment a soldier can
| be burdened with, for it lanes his initia-
| tive and keeps him from risking an assault.
A soldier should be a man of deeds or moth
ing. and sincerely trust that our Russians
will never be allowed to degenerate into
| machines like the Pruskis' %
| The Cars new war adviser is a fine
looking old fellow, full of splendid courage
and great strategic knowledge, an elegant
horseman and sound to the core. The story
that he retired from Kleff on account Of
! ill-health is pure invention, got up to
| hoodwink the European war cabinets One
of his chief characteristics is hatred of the
"Pruskis." and Dragomiroff admits that he
will not die happy unless he be given OPP
portunity to show the Germans the super
| iority of brute force over drill.
! In the war of 1866 Dragomiroff was the
| only foreign general who expressed disap-
| pointment at the victorious army; he did
| not like the Prussians at all, neither their
| tactics nor their men, and bluntly said So
| 1t will be remembered that Sheridan did
| the same when he came home from the
| Franco-Prussian war in 1871. Perhaps. after
ALL Dragomiroff's tactics will triumph over
| superlative drill sooner or later.
ST. Petersburg, Nov. Is.