Rock Island Argus., 1904-11-05
RUSSIAN NAVY OFFICERS
~
An Estimate of Their Abilitu
and characteristics.
RECRUITS FROM THE ARIsTooRACY

4 War Correspondent Says the RUS
sian Naval Omcer Regards Hts
Army Brother As His Inferior In
Every Respect-DOes Not COnsider
1t His Duty to DO Any FiEhtfnE1
From an intimate knowledge OF tha
| Russian naval officer, whom he has
| studied in the Baltic. the Black and
| the Yellow seas. at Vladivostok and
| elsewhere, W. Greener. Il war CORE
| spOndent of the London Times, who
has recently been in the far east
writes as follows:
The Russian naval officer considers
himself no end OF n fellow. The navy
| is the petted service, its personnel Is
| recruited from the cream of aristo-
cratic society, and no one without blue
| blood in his veins or influential con-
| nections ut court can aspire to the
quarter deck OF the czar's navy.
The army officer is envious of tha
partiality royalty has shown for the
navy, and the naval officer regards his
army brother as his inferior an every
respect and as a mujik in comparison
! with leader of the fighting men OF
the sea. The result is that the two
| services have never co-operated, have
| never worked together harmotliOusly
and never will.
The army officer has to taket his pro-
fession more or less seriously, The ma
val officer never does. He is in ths
navy merely because IT Is the correct
thing for n young aristocrat to be
there and affords opportunities for
travel over strange seas and fur hav-
ing rollicking good time in every
port of the world where there is any.
society at all.
The Russian naval officer models his
conduct and demeanor for social func-
tionS in accordance with the example
set by the British navy. HJ, does it
with fair success and is inv ariubly
generous, hOspitable and delightful
host and almost always ~ charming,
frank and amusing guest
The good points end with the man as
society unit. AS leader OF fighting
men, as trained expert h the art OF
war, any Cossack commander is his
superior. He does not regard. 1t as ~
part of his business TO 10 any lighting.
At Port Arthur the officers who will
fully neglected their duty Were so nu-
merous that 1t were feasier to count the
exceptions. Men who were ordered to
command the naval gunners in the
forts again and again WERE absent
from their posts. An officer absolutely
refused to take command OF the tor
pedo boat destroyer to witch be had
been appointed because he dreaded the
risk the duty entailed.
To walk the deck of an irOnclad was
one thing, to stick in the coming tow
er or remain in the turrets during am
engagement quite another, Il Iluty tho
naval officer regarded as scaiksely part
of his contract.
/ have been told by naval officers
since the war commenced, thatHn their
opinion ii was the duty of the army to-
defend the country and that they, the
naval officers. ought not to he expected
to risk their ships and their lives in
such unequal encounters as the Japa-
nese have forced upon them
Before the war commenced n navnf
officer on board one of the finest battle
ships I'm the world Informed me that if
there should be war betwe cen RUSSIA
and Japan the Russian navy would not
fight Ten days later his Ship was tor
pedocd at Port Arthup but neither
then nor at any other time has she
shown any fight.
The naval officer when his passions
are inflamed by Wine or vodka is. apt to-
become quarrelSome. and when in the
company of his interiors I'm rank he
bullies unmercffully. A naval officer
struck an American citizen at Port
Arthur merely because the Ira was a
civilian and an American.
The Russian naval officer Will knock
down walters, smash tablesI and crock
cry in restaurants with. drawn side
arms and cooked revC6Grs. terrorize
chorus girls at cafe chaIdau and SO
enjoy himself Bu1 In that direction
he knows his limitations Hs rarely so
far forgets hiInself as TO strike one
his equal in rank aud never hits,a man
whom he knows il able to hit back.
The engineer officers are tfifferenh
sort and belong TO quite another caste.
For the most p&rt they are plain liv-
ing Baltic Russians. men OF quiet de-
meanor and genial temperament, but
pusillanimOus ia the extreme.
The Russian Jack Tar is the Russian
peasant sent 10 sea. Unless Finn
he is just drilled mujik. made 60
food for powder and SACRIFICED without
compUnctiOn. With such ii nisyy Rus
sia Is no more able to drive Japan
from the Yellow sea Ulan she is to
coerce Great Britain or intimiEEate the
United States Of America 10y a.display
OF powder.