The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-17

and navy, and there is no other mill
tary force of which the world knows
so little
Even the numerical strength Of the
army is largely q matter Of conjecture
AS nearly as can be reckoned, the force
available for carrying on the earlier
stages Of a war amounts to nearly g.
100000. But in case Of national emer-
gency this force could be swelled 10
about 100000 fighting men by the
calling out Of the territorial reserve
and the opolchenie, or militia.
This vast army is more than twice
IS large as the population Of New York
City, more than twice as large as the
German army. which, when modified,
IS estimated to have a total Of 3036,0G0
trained men. Under the order of Oct.
q, 1902, the strength Of the United
States army was fixed at 107, S55-less
than One-seVenth Of that Of the Rus
sian
But Russia does not depend upon this
immense army alone. She has one of
the biggest navies in the world, or,
rather, three distinct navies. each with
its separate organization and separate
base. One is in the Pacific, "a second
IL the Baltic and a third in the Black
sea.
In many respects the Russian army
and navy differ materially from the
forces Of other powers. Reticence is
the keynote Of the administration Of
army and the navy are carefully con-
cealed, and so arc many things not
usually hidden by other nations.
For example. the allowance of am
munitiOn for target practice in the
Russian navy has been as large in the
past year or two as that in the Amer
lean navy. Even this fact is not gen
orally known, and no outsider can tell
whether the recent extraordinary ef-
forts TO bring the craftsmanship OF
the gun crews up TO the highest point
OF efficiency have Keen successful.
The scores are lot divulged; even
the fact that a ship has gone through
course of target practice is con-
cealed. The keen rivalry between
ships, so prevalent in the American
navy. is thus Impossible, and no Rus
sian vessel could ever enjoy the wide
fame of the Alabama, however much
she might deserve il. Absolute Sc
crecy IS maintained concerning all ma
val and military msneuveTs.
Even cases Of individual heTOism are
similarly concealed. except in time Of
war. The theory of the service is that
every man is equal in all respects to
az brave, as efficient and as loyal
It is considered bad FOR the service
80 allow the limelight to fall upon par
ticUlar men, however herOically they
may have acted. And il is considered
to be bad for the men. too-in which
belief the Russian administrators show
pretty good knowledge OF human ma
ture.
A sailor may jump overheard and
"a n IN
ahark-infested waters, or a stOker may
dare appalling danger to save the life
Of a cOmrade in an engine room acct
dent. In due course he win be re-
Warded and promoted. and throughout
his career his sUperi0rs win remember
the deed in his favor. but it viii never
become public.
Rewards, promotions and distinctions
are announced only in war time or in
cases Of very exceptional merit, and
even in those cases no reference what
ever IS made to the occasion of the
reward or special COMMUNICATION in
any published reports or orders.
No criticism of anything connected
with the army or navy is allowed, even
though it be of q cOmmendatOry ma
ture. No officer or enlisted man is
permitted TO criticise a brother officer
on enlisted man, except in the strict
est line OF duty Breaches Of this rule
are most strictly punished. and to il
are largely due the harmony and good
fellowship Of the Russian service.
Any public criticism of the service,
or even Of any minor department Of its
administration, is sternly prohibited
and heavily punished. This rule pre-
vail, Of course. in other services. but is
often more hOnored in the breach than
IN the observance. In Russia it is most
faithfully observed. The Sampson
Schley quarrel and the Butler coniro-
Versy would be equally impossible
there
The Russian naval and military serv-
ices are compulsory, the rule being
Jhat every male &C sound physique
shall enter one or the other at the age
of 20 years. But the recruit is allowed
TO choose which service he VIII enter.
It might be supposed that this
would lead TO difficulty, as there might
be more men choosing one service than
were needed, and fewer choosing the
other. But it is not so. The system
works Wen and helps to make the men
cOntented.
Enlistment is for three years. with
the privilege OF re-enlistment only
upon condition that the candidate has
been promoted during his term. In this
respect the Russian service differs from
most other services.
This peculiar provision has the merit
Of insuring that ~ the veterans are
picked men, while soldiers and sailors
Of only averase quality are eliminated
IN due course
The recruit for the naval service is
usually received. after passing his
physical examination, at one of the
great Russian naval bases-Krons tadt,
st. Petersburg. Port Arthur or Vladi-
yostock. After a brief term there he
IS sent 70 a training ship and thence
promoted TO a bsttleship cruiser or
other Tessel-the class Of ship 10 which
he is sent being determined by his pro
ficiency, q peculiar feature Of the Rus
sian service.
The Russian navy is modelled very
closely upon that of England. The
Russian army is modelled on the Ger
man In both cases the examples cho-
sen as the best have been copied 10 the
minutest detail.
There is hardly any difference in the
days routine on a Russian and an
English man-Of-war. The duties of
men and officers, the messing arrange
ments, the stations. the drills the regu-
lati0ns-aH are practically the same.
Discipline IS administered under ar
ticles Of war formulated By imperial
Ukase. It is FAR stTicter than in the
British service. which. again, is far
stricter than the American.
All government IN Russia is. of
course. essentially autoeraCic. and the
spirit is nowhere stronger than in the
naval and military services. Yet there
Is no discomfort in the Russian army
snd navy, however much there may
be among some grades OF Russian cf-
Villains.
The reason is that the man in the
enlisted ranks lives better. dresses bet
fer and has more money to spend than