New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-22
HANDICAPS OF Russia.
Where Her Troops Are Inferior
to Those of Her Foe.

War is cold, exact business. writes r. A
Mckenzie. war correspondent OF The London
Mail" The Russian believed that war e. a
courageous impulse This. in brief. is the mis-
take that hurried $4,000 Russians to death and
10000 10 a MANNED future
Brave heart, nerves of steel and strong ur,,be
no more make man a successful campaigner
than they would qualify him to guide a giant
liner across the Atlantic In either case he must
have these qualities, but they are only the be-
ginning Of his equipment MANY Russians
thought that they were the whole.
The old idea, fostered by writer's of romance
that a man can carouse all day, making wine.
women and song fill his life until the hour NJ
battle, and that he can then go forth TO con-
queT. fingered in the minds of the Russian off,
GERS It is now slowly departing, but not before
il has done the greatest harm to their cause.
No more piquant contrast is possible than
these two adversaries The Russian is demon
ztrstive, brilliant, dashiag. If he likes YOU. he
takes YOU to his heart at once in an exuberance
Of good fellowship. At the beginning of the war.
after fierce little fight. it was related with
amusement by the officers in our camp how the
Russians who had come out alive fell on one
another's necks kissed and embraced. and open
ly thanked God.
The japanese is covered with an impenetrable
months, and al the end reflect bitterly to your
self that YOU have never seen below the surface
Of his character. He is plodding rather than
brilliant, master OF details, often a slave to
routine lie is unfailingly polite, and his con-
duct is ever beyond reproach. But sometimes
one would welcome a breakdown Of the courtesy,
II Il would enable you 10 reach the heart Of the.
man.
The Russian Injuries his work by his impetu-
osity. and the japanese gives the outsider an
unjust idea Of himself by his excessive reticence
After time got TO know something below the
surface. and found heart beating there essen
italy the same as ones own. "A portrait came
Tor you by post yesterday" young staff officer
salc 10 me. " as II your wife, Will you let
me see II showed him my picture. Now
see my treasure said he, and he pulled from
his pocket his watch, opened it, and showed a
portrait Of a chubby, pretty little boy pasted in
side. That" said he. proudly that is my son
Then our talk drifted to home. Mine was a
side, led 10 by d hydraulic lift lit by electricity
His WAS q paper screened. one stored building
outside Toxic, led 10 b. jiTriksha, lit by bronze
lamps, with no sound disturbing its calm save
-he ringing Of the temple bells outside For
each his was home, and for each home meant
the same.
The Russian goes into battle with the blara ~
many brass instruments and to the beating Of
many drums. The japanese has nothing but the
shafp calls OF ougles The one eats black bread,
ne other nee The japanese thinks out every
rhtnS ahead. and sometimes finds himself nam
4efed by the elaboration Of his early plans: the
RUSSIAN leaves too much TO the inspiration of the
moment The Russian general goes among his
men, encourages them by his presence, and
sometimes dies in doing so, taking away the
directing brains when they are most readed
1hc japanese general stands on 2 hill safety lie
hlra, where ne can think out his plans cooly
II there is no special need for his interference
he will take nap in the fercest hour of baftIe
The japanese is sanitarian; despite the ex-
ceIence Of the Russian Red Cross preventive
medicine seems unknown in the Russian army
Doctors preceded the first Japanese army de-
Gliding before We arrived where we should he
6Ao@ea 10 stay, what water we might or might
not drink, the drainage of our camps, and many
otner usually neglected things. Our soldiers
We're regularly served with Russian Invasion