The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-19
AMERICAN EXPERTS EXPRESS
THEIR VIEWS ON THE CARS
SEA FIGHTERS.
Russians, In General, Have an Aver
sion to the Sea-Sailors Are
Conseripts.

| WASHINGTON, D c., Feb. IS
General Miles, on the occasion of his
several other American military men
also have had the privilege of becOm-
ing personally acquainted with Russian
army men and methods by attending
maneuvers, reviews. etc. in the land
of the ear Very few American ma
val officers, however, profess to have
an intimate or expert knowledge of the
! Russian navy. 1t has always been
the policy of Russia to work under
cover. and foreigners have had little
opportunity to acquaint themselves
/ with the details regarding the growth
and development of her navy.
An American naval officer of wide
| experience in his profession has just
returned to Washington after the COM
pletion of a period of duty on the Pa
cific station. which service brought
MN III close contact Will TNuSSidll oilip3
and men and afforded opportunity for
many interesting observations. a re-
| suit of these observations and of {,
knowledge previously gained by
study of the subject is embodied in
| the following interesting statement
! regarding the Russian navy, its foreign
| origin, its officers, seamen and discip-
! line.
IN endeavOring to estimate the
value of the Russian navy on the
personal side, it is We'll to remember
| that it was not Indigenous to the soil.
The cars. from Peter the Great to the
present ruler. have experienced great
difficulty in finding efficient seamen.
The Russians. in general have an
aversion to the sea. and the long win
terS in the Baltic are an additional
impeachment to the learning of the sea-
mems art. In the early history of the
Russian navy the most prominent part
| was played by the English and Scotch
officers-many of them Jacobites who
| took service with the Russians.
Russian officers of the present day.
SO far can be estimated, are of two
classes. Some of them. like Admiral
Mukaroff, are men of science and pro-
| fessOnal discernment, and doubtless OF
efficient qualities. These give a very
favorable impression, and do not III
general differ much from our own Off
GERS. Others are of a more lethargio
class. probably not lacking in cour-
age. but showing little alertness and
much given to vodka drinking H.
such men there must be some strain
of coarseness or even brutality. anG
the fact that every officer. and even
lower rank. and does So may account
for the atmosphere of severity marked
in some Russian ships. Many experts
hold the opinion. That considerable
number of the officers are incompetent
They have the exclusive patriotism of
he Russian and however genial they
may be to foreign VISITORS they never
admit them to any really intimate
friendship, and are reluctant to discuss
service matters. The smartneSs of the
American officer is rarely found il
| them. and some of them are slovenly.
Russian sailors are conscripts.
serving seven years on the active lis,
and three in the reserve, and they are
organized in 'equipag es' in each of
which the company of a battleship is
the nucleus, the men of smaller yes-
sells making additional companies
There is comparatively little sea train
ing, and this organization is an at
tempt to carry on the sea work ashore
The man is senerally-for, of course.
there are eXceptions-of far lower
level than his American or British con-
freres. The tub is little known to him
| IN many ships. squalid dirt is his eIe-
ment, and his room is often more de-
sirable than his company. The Rus
sian navy has made enormous adj
Vances in the last few years, but still
the old influences exist There is still
the despotic power, still the men are
cowed by it's exercise, and still their
personal condition leaves much to be
desired. They are apt to be sluggish,
but there is something Of religious fer
vor in them, and they may be expected
to act and fight with courage and en-
durance, if with little initiative in
handling arms and machinery.
Probably the darkest spot in the
state of the Russian navy is the sever
ity of its punishments. A story is told
that, within comparatively recent
ho