Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-19

ed at every corner to compel vehicles to
take certain direction, but you see two
long lines of small supply wagons gradually
approaching each other until they become
damned and blocked in the middle of the
town. Several hours or even day or more
are occupied in unloading half mile of
wagons and dragging them out backward
in order to reopen the communication. These
are things which do not occur only during
the first days or weeks. but throughout a
whole campaign of months.
! These defects are, however, largely Off
set by the patient endurance of the Rus
sian soldier, born of his doglike loyalty to
the car. The American military attache
at Plevna was impressed by that quality.
Loyalty to the Gear.
when his battles result in defeats, when
his biscuits are full of maggots, when his
clothes are shabby. when his boots drop
to pieces, the Russian soldier he said
reasons it all out slowly and can only
come to the conclusion, SO pathetic in it's
simple faith, 'Ah, if the car only knew
Every one within his reach he freely dis
cusses, criticises and blames; he half sus
poets that his generals may be fools, and
he Is sure that his commissaries are ras-
Gals, but no thought of censure ever crosses
his mind against the car"
1t is hardly necessary to point out the
value OF this mental attitude as a military
asset.
The Russian soldiers appear, as a gem
themselves in matters of transport and
comnssariat If their elaborate system
of baggage trains breaks down, as it may
we'll do under the strain OF a hard cam
! paisn, they utterly at loss-unlass
| they are Cossacks, Kalmucks or TuIco-
mans accustomed from boyhood to pick
! ing up their meals wherever and whenever
they 4 find them.
Japs Are Resourceful.
! The Japanese. on the contrary, showed
| during their war with China a remark
| able ability TO create their transport and
| commissariat apparently out of nothing as
| they went along. They did not trouble
much about baggage trains; they had them.
| 10 be sure, well supplied and well organ
| ized but the troops moved so quickly that
! they were out OF touch with their wagons
/ half the time. They Travelled in the lightest
] possible order. and picked up any old ma
tive carts mules or coolies they CHANGED
20 meet. making them serve the necessities
| Of the moment, and then letting them go
I and getting others further on.
The only drawback of this system was
! that, the campaign advanced. the armies
became ciogged by large numbers of coolies
and other camp followers, who created a
| great deal of trouble and committed ex-
| ceSses which were wrongfuliy charged to
| the regular troops Some of the Japanese
| commanders adopted a short way with
these O. 7oxious persons. driving them out
1 of the rrny on pain of death soon as
| their services were over. After the war
| IT was pretty generally agreed that no
| similar nuisance should be tolerated in an
/ other campaign.
| At the Relief of Picking.
During the advance to the relief of the
| besieged legations at Picking the japanese
! commissary was, by common agreement or
! the foreign officers, better than that of any
| of the European troops; and the japanese
| soldiers showed genius for foraging and
| accommodating their appetites to the food
J available in the country.
| Instead of using heavy wagons liable to
be begged or to tire out the horses, the
| carts-lnuch like the push carts of the Ital-
| ,ans in New York and other American
| cities. These carts were drawn by coolies
| or by the soldiers themselves, and they
! were so lightly laden that they interfe,ed
| little, il at ALL with the mobility of the
| force. The horse and mule carts were OF
the smallest type and lightly built. Spare
| animals were made to carry their own
| fodder and that of the other animals as
| we'll.
\ These measures Were rendered necessary
| by the smailness and weakness of the jana
| nese horses, which are about the scrawnfest
| animals of their kind. The Russians, on
| the contrary. are well supplied with large,
T, strong. well-bred horses. Horse breeding
on an immense scale was brought to a high
| pitch of success in Russia by the late Count
Orion. and the type of horse used in the
/ Russian army today is mainly that which
is known as the "Orlor horse"
Russian Horses.
l The newly broken horses Of the steppes