Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-05
CARS FIGHTING MEN
They're a Better Lot Than is
Generally Supposed.
ARE NOT MERE CLODS
LEARN LESSON OF OBEDIENCE
FROM EARLIEST YOUTH.
And So Do Not Chafe Under Discipline
Are Brave and
Loyal.

| the naval attache of the Russian embassy
at Washington. was informed that the
cruiser Variag had been sunk. instead of
| having been captured. he said:
| ut is better so. for if the report that she
| had been taken by the Japanese was true
| it would mean we had surrendered. We
never surrender"
OF course this was a piece of fiamboyant
| patriotism verging upon boastfulness; but
| it expressed with fair accuracy, the spirit
which dominates the cars soldiers and
sailors. There are towards among the Rus
slams. as there are among all peoples, but
| their number is very small. There are sur
| renders in Russias military history. but
| they are few.
The Russian soldier has been much mis-
| represented in this country. He is supposed
| to be simply a duh, heavy witted peasant.
| devoid of all spirit and patriotism. clod
| who is driven into the ranks peril of the
knout, and kept there by brutal officers who
are nothing better than slave drivers. Thus
| the Russian army figures in the American
mind as a machine-made article destitute
| of intelligence and of that ardent spirit
which Is essential to the winning of vic
tories. however great the disparity of the
opposing forces may be.
I This view is altogether incorrect. Com
parsons are odious. but there can be no
question in the minds of men who know
| both armies, that German discipline bears
much more hardly upon the enlisted men
| than Russian. Russian officers are usually
| beloved by their men; German officers GER
| tainly are not. There is probably no large
army in the world in which the officers are
more popular, as a general Iule than they
| are in the Russian service.
All Learn to Obey.
This will surprise most people but the
reason is plain. All government in Russia
1 iS out Ito
brought up under the system. They learn
ed the lesson of obedience from their
| earliest youth. 1t is the same with the
| nobleman and the general as it is with the
peasant. Everybody in Russia obeys, except
the Garland he has been rigidly trained to
obey his conscience and his God. There
| fore, when the conscripts are drafted into
| the ranks, they do not chafe under the dis
| cipline, strict though 1t may be. They ac-
| cept 1T as part of the natural and right Or
| der of things to which they have always
been accustomed. 1t is impossible for them
| to cherish bitterness against their officers
| as do the soldiers of socialistic Germany
and other democratic countries.
OF course. all this is not true of the con-
scripts who have been affected by the
| teachings of the social revolutionary party
better Known as the nfhilist: but they are
only as a drop in the bucket in the vast
organization of the Russian army.
An immense gulf is supposed to separate
the nobleman and the peasant in Russia
the officer and the private soldier. In a
measure that Is true; but at the same time
there IS keener sympathy, greater COM
radeship between them than there is be-
tWeeE7 similar classes in any other country
In Russia the noblenan gives the beggar
the kiss of Christian fellowship. and the
colonel asks the raw recruit all about his
home and his people, There is no sense of
condescension: it is matter of course.
Officers and Men.
Within, al.
commonly strike up warm friendships,
which often last for life Most of the Off
GERS who go into the army from country
estates are. accompanied by some young
peasant from the ancestral landslide son
of an old family retainer who In his day
served the officers father when the latter
was in the army. The young officer con-
trives to have the peasant enrolled in his
troop or company. and they serve together
throughout their military career Often
they are foster brothers.
General Skobeleff, the greatest hero of
the Russian army, had favorite sergeant
who had been with him in this manner
from the days when he was a sublieuten-
ant This sergeant was killed at the storm
ing of Cock Tepe, when Skobeeff won his
great victory over the Turcomans.
.Skobeleff was ineonsolable" said an
officer who was there at the time. He had
won magnificent victory where other
generals had failed. The Turcomans had
BILE fighting. Yet the victor wept like a
child when the news of the death of his
humble friend was brought to him. He
was melancholy for days. and could take
no interest in anything.
Many people ina CINE that the Russian
soldier is not required to think for him
self, and that any display of initiative or
intelligence is frowned upon, and sometimes
even punished. This is not the fact True
he is not supposed to have his own ideas
regarding politics and military discipline.
but the private soldier who thinks out the
pest way to do his work and shows en-
ergy IN coping with new situations is the
one who gets promoted in the Russian
army-not the one who does absolutely
nothing except obey orders.
Stimulate Intelligence.
Skobeleff used to do all in his power to
stimulate the intelligence of his soldiers
Any man who hit on bright idea during
campaign could take it direct to Skobelefr
and If 1t seemed good to him he would
adopt it. even though it might involve radi-
cal changes in his plans
AT the siege of Geek Tepe Skobeleff
would sit all day long at the mouth of one
or other OF the numerous Mines watching
the progress of the sappers who were tun-
neling underground in the direction OF the
fortress. If he noticed a sapper who work.
ed with intelligence we'll as muscle and
who thought out ways to lessen the tot
and Increase the result. he would kiss ana
caress that sapper. and perhaps treat him
to champagne or vodky. But he would
roundiy abuse the men who worked faith
fully but stupidity.
This is typical of the attitude of the Rus
sian officers toward their men, because
every Russian officer TODAY tries to mode,
himself on Skobeleff
An enlisted man is not expected to obey
all orders blndly when it is manifestly
ABSURD to do so. He is supposed to use his
intelligence and act for himself if the con.
ditions We're misunderstood by the officer
giving the order, or if the conditions have
changed since the order was gwen InitI-
awe .a.i' Is always encouraged and promptly
rewarded in the Russian service. whatever
may be the rank of the man who dis
plays it.
Heroic Deeds.
The courage of the man behind the Rus
sian guns has been amply proved time and