Arizona republican., 1904-06-06
Russl.,s Transportation Problem.

chinese granted that the dispatches are cor , rect which represent that Gen. kuro- 4atkin is urging the natives of Man Churia to plant larger crops than ever before. for the food requirements of the Russian army. Until Russia can re- gain some of her lost sea power, all the supplies for the army must be transported over the Trans-Siberian railroad. and the difficulties which this fnCt involves is attracting renewed at tentlOn in Europe.
 According to the calculations Of that excellent periodical, the France Milf tstre. confirmed by those of an Aus tFthn technical journal, the daily wants of an army of 3OO,OOO men and lso OoS horses represent a daily weight of &. coo tons a day in food alone. There fnvp. if the country could not supply, uot only now but continuously, large rrOportion of this amount. it seems clear that the maximum carrying bower of the railway could not suffice 10 feed the army since 1,6OO tons day represent IT wagons, or seven trains of twenty-five wagons, one in excess of the number of military trains which Prince Khilkoff expects to obtain daily. Ts was. therefore, not at random that inc Japanese staff reckoned that 250,- GO men was the largest army Russia could maintain in the far east by means of the railway; and the only remaining question, as regards supply is how much the country can produce and for how long. and also how much the army stores in the east contain ana when they will be emptied. As to the latter point, there are reports, which seem worthy of credence, that eAe Russian cornmissariat was not per 1nltted to take the necessary steps to complete a large reserve before the war: in any case, this is the reason now adduced for a tardily admitted shortage of this reserve; and although some organs of the Russian press de- clare that supplies exist for 100000 tEaen for another six weeks it is doubt fnl whether the facts are as they rep resent.
 And stories told by the London Times correspondent do not indicate that the Russians will have great sue cess in encouraging the Chinese to . plant crops. According to the Times. the Russians are practically sweeping all southern Manchuria of its sup plies. cattle, food and horses, without payment. An army may clear a whole district of supplies and live upon that and little else for a certain length of time. the period varying with the density of the population, the numbers Os the army and the nature and quan- ilsY of the crops and stock. But that harvest is only reaped once in a dis ttict during a campaign, and famine then fsigns in the land. The system of rapine initiated by the Russian army is generally fatal to discipline, and it NEiM not be at all surprising if the Rus sian forces eventually show the ill ef fscts of the measures to which they seem to have been compelled to resort.
 En view of all these considerations. Whlch are very serious. and become in cPsasingly so as fresh troops are placed ih She field, it would be a sanguine es- tlmate that would henceforward great ly advance the numbers which Russia can despatch per month to the far east. Is is not easy to give a definite figure, but in the Times belief Russia cannot send more than 20,OO0 men month to the east in a condition to take the
 
 with those already on the spot, are to lhe fed, passes the wit of man to imag- fire. Moreover, all these calculations presume absolute security of the rail- way. 1seV- many men has Gen. Kuropatkin ShfeE his command at this time? Two WeekE ago the London Times figured tbAt the numbers of Russian troops already at the seat of war aggregated 550. 0.ea8, and that there were OOO east of Baibal.
 Should events prove that the num- berE have not been underestimated, the inference will be that the calculation of the through traffic of the Trans Siberian and East China railways, made before the war began, has proved to be correct. It was assumed at the outset that the daily average of mili- tary trains running eastward from Bsikal would probably not much ex- cees9 four a day under the conditions then prevailing. and that, given the necessity for the despatch Of stores. Supplies, transport and construction material. the daily arrivals at Harbin . you'd not be more than 800 a day-a g somewhat different figure from the G.