The San Francisco call., 1904-04-10

- EhfsM MBERlNG NapoleonS s IA
l. mons saying that IAN army
craNls on its stomach" the Rus
sian and Japanese leaders are
6evounc the greater part OF their time
and thought TO the great problem OF
how they are TO feed their forces as
they move them over an immense and
comparatively barren terrain.
Theoretically the transport and COM
missariat arrangements Of both the
Russian and the japanese armies are
well nigh perfect They have won the
enthusiastic admiration of military ex-
perts Of many nationalities, and none
have admired them more than United
States officers. But the theory of
peace time is vastly different from the
stern practice Of war. Theoretically,
the Greek transport and conlmissariat
were all that they should have been in
the Thessaly campaign, while the
Turkish services were all that they
should not have been. But the world
knows how the Greek organization
broke down nliserably. and how the
Turkish commanders managed some
how 10 feed their men and move them
across the country from one victorious
feld TO another. The present war Will
test conclusively the value Of the Rus
sian and japanese theories. but some
light is thrown upon them by previous
campaigns in which their armies have
engaged.
The vast extent OF the Russian en-
pire and the comparative scarcity OF
large towns and villages in Asiatic
Russia make it necessary for the gen
eral staff 10 assume that, in a cam
paign. the troops VIII usually have
10 bivouac, and Will rarely be billeted
upon the civic population. According
", the baggage trains attached TO Rus
sian forces are larger than in most
armies. An army corps Of $500 men
Is officially supposed to be accompan-
TED bv 24OO wagons. but the number
varies. Of course, with the local con-
ditions and the eXigencies Of the situa-
tion. 1t is usually more, for it is
difficult to reduce it if each unit of the
force is TO be properly supplied.
The unit Of transport is the pol
l1ovye Obozy," or regimental baggage
train Each regiment has two such
trains. called the first and the second
echelons. The first train, which keeps
op with the regiment or goes ahead Of
it. carries ammunition. medical sup
plies. food. the indispensable part Of
the officers baggage, and other neces-
sary articles likely to be Immediately
required The second echelon carries
supplies not so Immediately necessary,
which can be left behind well in the
rear whenever the tactics of the COM
manding officer require. These sup
plies include harness, reserves of food,
technical material, movable kitchens,
religious emblems, etc.
The regimental trains are supple
nented by a divisional train, attached
TO each division of cavalry or infan-
try. Its business is to replace the regi-
mental stores as they are lost or con-
sumed and TO transport articles of sec
onoary importance not likely TO be
often or urgently required. Large
numbers of spare horses are attached
20 this divisional train, as is also a
hospital section, which is subdivided
into a divisional ambulance and two
field hospitals.
When campaigning the Russian SOL
dier is supposed to carry two days ra-
tions on his person. The regimental
trains carry ratiOns for each man for
two days longer. and the divisional
trains for from two TO four days, ac-
cording TO the arm Of the service to
which they are attached. less being car
ried for the artillery and infantry than
for the cavalry. 1t is reckoned that
fresh supplies should always be obtain
able from the surrounding country or
along the line of communications with
in the six or eight days allowed.
The system is a good one, but II is
impossible to forget that the transport
and commissariat broke down miser-