The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-02-05
SOLDIERS OF THE CAR
Present Conditions Give I'M
portanCe to Russian Army
WHAT MANNER OF MEN
Former BriIIiancy of Uniform
No Longer Exists.

The Boston Transcript says: With the
troopship on the sea. with trouble in the
wind dear gray soldiers OF the Car
spring ali at once into supreme import
ance The history Of our own times is
being searched for evidence of what man
ner of lighting men they may be. The
..erayness'' of the Russian soldier belongs
to his long, loose army graycoat. The
army hue is not gray, but green, dark
green, the Russian national color. 1t was
Alexander III who plunged the whole
Russian force into sombre garb. Save
for the spectacular uniforms of the
Guards there is scarcely trace left of
what was once the brilliancy Of the Cars
army. Gray trousers for the cavalry,
and patches of color on shoulder, collar
or captured 10 mark regiments or rank
these are the only breaks in the vast
sea of dun green. 1t is a sombreness un-
relieved by the glitter of brass buttons.
The Russian tunic fastens with concealed
hooks. Buttons have been abolished as
nuisance. They have to be cleaned they
fray the uniform, they catch the eye of
the enemy; away gith buttons! The
Russian is the simplest neid uniform in
Europe, and one of the most adaptable.
In winter a sheepskin coat goes on be-
meath the gray one. In summer, or dur
ing campaigns in hot climates, the Rus
slams, like the Japs fight in white dress.
The critics who say that this renders
them needlessly conspicuous they reply
that it is better than khaki; for a man
dressed in earth color imagines himself
III r,~ylfr frc,fx- 10
gets shot; whereas the man who knows
he can be seen keeps under cover and
comes of with a whole skin
The Russian campaigner marches some
what heavily laden. He has his kt-bag
with clothing slung over one shoulder, his
haversack with two days rations OF bis
cult and salt slung over the other, his
great coat strapped under one arm. In
Guiding his water bottle, arms, and am
munition, a section Of tenc, and the uni
form he stands in, he carries something
over sixty-six pounds. The advantage
which Offsets the burden is that at a
pinch the Russian foot soldier is practi-
cally Independent of a baggage train. He
can transport his modest necessities-
comforts he has none-upon his own back
= -a't-4-s
with corn sacks. and blankets and great
coats and wallets. and saddlebags, and
things that, as somebody says, he puts
one in mind Of the much-encumbered
White knight in Alice in Wonderland.
Altogether his impedimenta weigh 11s
pounds
Fortunately, what would oppress anoth-
er soldier to the point of exhaustion. is
no burden to the Russian. He is sturdi-
ness itself. Big. solid, impressive looking
troops they are, these stole soldiers of
the Gar; troops made up of big, heavy,
neshy men. Says George Lynch: Thick
set, oeep-chested. they look like healthy
farm laborers shOuldering rifles in place
of spades" And they have the endur-
anee OF farm laborers. On the march to
Pellin. when even the Japanese soldiers
Were falling out by the roadside to re-
cover from the effects of the awful heat.
It is not recorded that single Russian
left the line Russian foot soldiers have
been known to march thirty miles with
out rest and then go Directly into an
Engagement. The coarsest food and pre-
cious little Of it is to be had Russian
troops are accomplishing. When their
boots are rotten. their greatcoats made
of shoddy when they are overmarched
and underfed. bitten by cold or scorched
by the sun. they merely think regretfully
that it is Il pity the Great White Father
does ont know; if he did, he would put all
right
That Russian troops viii put up with
privations does not imply that they are
needlessly subjected To them. On the
contrary, those who saw them in China
record that the officers are in every way
careful for their men. They chose the
cool of the morning for beginning march
es, and encouraged the soldiers TO protect
themselves from sunstroke by stuffing
their caps with green things. and by
hoisting conhscated Chinese parasols. The /
rations were not sumptuous, but in one
respect their commisariat was better /
than that of other allies. \ kitchen-cart. 4
q great cauldron on wheels followed the (
camp, and whenever the men came to 4
rest il disgoreed unlimited quantities of /
hot and savory stew. The cheerful steam (
ing of the litchen-carts added a home /
like touch to the Ioncsomest Russian +
camp.
Severity is accounted the prime factor 4
Of Russian military discipline And il is (
true that Russian officers are severe. 1t /
IS not unheard-Of for q dTillmaSter TO /
strike man in the ranks. and corporal /
punishment has not gone by for persis- I
tent ill-doerS. But something better than !
severity goes to make soldiers of Rus /
sian peasants. aud that something is a .
powerful spirit Of camaraderie \ high /
with his men rs if with his equals When
the commanding officer meets his troops
for the first time that day he calls out /
Good morning. 10 which the .
men reply with a peculiar long rafting
Shout. "Zdravie zhelaiem vass imrerator-
sky Vweesachestvoc," Your good health.
your exeeuency," Is manoeuvre exc
cuted to the commanders satisfaction, he .
shouts congratulations 70 the men, and
they respond all together. We are glad
you liked il" or words 70 the same ef-
feet. \ Russian officer told Poulney Bis
Glow that soldiers are like children; they
need a good deal of patting on the head.
And on that policy the whole army IS
II is perhaps due to the genial rela-
tons between officers and men that the
Russian army has SO strong an esprit De
corps. Men II fifteen separate national
ties fight side by side and Yet so per-
fectly are they welded into one that you
see but a single type-the Russian sol
iier. Russian military authorities know
Sen the difference between the clever.
-esourceful Polish officer and his clumsy
Russian brethren. and make the most OF +.
Polish brains. But among the rank and
lie nationality is all but merged