The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-07
RUSSIAN SOLDIER POORLY PAID.
" ages About 1 Cent q Day, and III
Has to Work Hard for That.

The wages of q common soldier in |
tire regular, army of Russia DO not
amount to more than / cent a day,
though his food, clothing and equip |
ment are provided by the Government |
His regular allowance for spending
money for all purposes Is just little
more than a ruble a year. but extras
of various kinds bring the grand total
up to a little less than 81. This sum
| Is supposed to cover his expenditures
| for tobacco, spirits and luxuries of ev-
cry kind. The enlisted men in the
IrEited States army are paid more than
three times that amount per month, or
about forty times as much per year.
When 1t is considered how little the
Russian private has to spend 1t Is easy
to see why he should be eager and quick
''op the loot"
The Russian officers are paid a little
| better, but not so much as to cause any
particular gasping for breath. A Rus
| sian lieutenant gets about $500 year,
a captain about $500 and a major $3.50.
l. will be seen. therefore, that suchN of
tho Russian officers as have not private
means or do not receive financial as
sistance from some outside source are
forced to live in a condition not far
removed from actual poverty. new
uniform to a man who depends on his
pay Is quite impossible. AS q matter
of fact. almost all the higher officers
4
lies and If they marry they are sup
posed to select only rich girls as
wives.
The most astonishing strength of the
Russian army is in its cavalry branch.
The estimates that in all the world
there are about 100000 horses, The
Russian Empire alone has $4,000, 900
horses, or nearly half of the grand
total. In the regular army of the Car
there are no less than half a million
horses, and this number In time of war
might be easily doubled How valu-
able this vast cavalry force may be in
the Far East may be questioned. for
allowing to each horse a daily ration
of IS pounds of fodder and taking 1t
for granted that Manchuria and the ad-
. Jacent provinces raise little that might
b. used for horse food. 1t is hard to
sec how any large number of horses
car be permanently maintained at the
far end of a single track railroad more
; than 5000 miles long.
In the Russian cavalry, of course, the
most picturesque corps is that of the
Cossacks. The Cossacks are really
professional soldiers. They almost live
on horseback, and are the only horse
men in the world who equal the rough
riders of the far Western states In
, feats of horsemanship. They come
: from about the Black Sea, and out OF
total population of 100000 furnish
r $50 900 men for the Imperial army
The horses and uniforiaG of the Cos.
sacks are furnished by the various Cos,
sack tribal communities, ana in camp
y the curious tribal signs hang over the
entrances to the quarters of each reg
I iment. In active service the Cossacks
are the eyes and ears of the Russian
= army They are the scouts, the path.
finders, the couriers and orderlies wher
: desperate and dangerous work Is tc
DO done. They are much more indie
pendent than the common soldier OF
tho. army, and are also treated with
much more consideration by the mill.
tary authorities
n The Cossacks are armed with rife.
without bayonets, with swords without
t guards. and the men In the front rank;
in each company also carry lances
They take great care of their horses
and are esteemed as among the mos
daring, tireless and relentless soldier:
In the world.
The predominant and characteristic
II cclor In the uniforms Of the Russian
army Is dark green. The infantry weal
double breasted blouses and knicker'
a bcckers of that color. The footguard:
q end grenadiers have bright eolored pip
Is iugs and facings on their green coats
Scme of the lancers wear blue, and Thu
Z Caar's hussars are brilliant in scarlet
5, The Cossacks wear mostly dark blue
It or green. But the general effect, TIL,
y Prevailing tone. is dark green, excep
q in the hot months, when white Is tht
1t leading note.
l. AS to equipment a Russian infantry
h man carries thirty pounds of ammuni'
l. tion in his belt, thirty more rounds II
5, a bandolier hung over his left shoulder
5. underneath his great coat. which is car
% ried there done up in a roll. and a ma
reserve supply of ammunition. consist;
% inS of thirty rounds carried in a pouct
l. which hangs from a strap running ovei
l. the left shoulder and attached to tht
belt From the right shoulder Is sus.
= pended his waterproof kit bag, and or
IS top of the kit bag is an aluminium wa.
y ter bottle holding a pint and a half To
1t the great coat is strapped a pair oil
1t boots and an aluminium mess dish. Be.
l. sides this every six men carry amonR
n them the materials for a tent which
l. will properly shelter them, so that 1
may easily be seen that the Russian
% soldier is considerable of a weight car
v, rier.
Ia The medical and surgical depart
, ments of the Russian army are hnel,
= developed. There are six large an(
IA more than 800 smaller hospitals regu
Is larly connected with the army. besides
Is much larger number of smaller lag
N alettos. There are more than 500
= surgeons in the army on a peace foot
81 ing and most of them are men of ad
vsnced training and high standing ii
q their profession. The hospitals an,
% surgeons in charge are supplied by tn,
of state with the latest and most improV
r ed apparatus for carrying on thei
r work in the best possible manner dur
he ing the necessary Inconvenience an,
Il, hardships OF an active campaign. Tn
of drugs for medical use are prepared 70
ie the army medical department in tn
D. form of tabloids with the active prin
le ciples accurately dosed and put up b.
III the latest machinery, and the bandaEe
OF and dressings are prepared and sen
n out in sterilized bundles from the Stat
T. factories, which are the admiration O
E. all the medical men who have see
ne them.
I'd The present Russian army as an or
to ganization is only about thirty year
err old 1t was established by the imperia
he ukase of January, 1874, by which tn
I'D whole male population of the empir,
al with the exception of certain outlyin
IN districts. is made liable to military ser
vice. from this beginning of the TWEEN
of ty-..rst to the end of the forty-thir
ms year. OF this time the first five wear
are spent in the standing army and tn
remainder in the militia In ever
year there are more than 1000, 900 re
cruits reach the age of military sci
q. vice, The law makes many exception
among those who are liable to serviC
Ell and in ordinary years not more than
cs quarter of a million, and. perhaps, ne
~ that many, actually join the colors, tn
% rest going directly into the militi
"a Education Is one Of the qualities whic