Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-07-31
PERsIA's RAGGED soLDIERY.
Queer Makeup of the shah's "Stand.
ing" Army.


and barefoot, is more like a beggar
than warrior. For all this he killed
the recent counter revolution when he
refused to fire upon the parliament.
AS to the size Of Persia's fighting
| hosts, 1t is difficult to arrive at accu-
racy; Officially" the Persian army
numbers 105,500 men, but the actual
standing army" says the London
Globe, consists Of only 24,500 men.
who are quartered in the larger
towns and on the frontiers.
The infantry numbers seventy
eight to eighty battalions, each Of 500
to 1000 men, but the full strength is
never maintained, for only half the
battalion is called up, and then in a
reduced number. The men called up
often receive no pay for six months,
and thus in every town the soldiers
are forced to work at trade or to
become beggars. There are no proper
barracks in most Of the towns and the
men live with their families in private
houses.
There is no systematic drilling, and
there is no practical instruction In RI
fie firing; in fact, many men cannot
handle a rifle at all. The rifles used
mainly are the Werndt gun, which
was rejected by Austria in the SOS
and sold to Persia; but there are also
Peabody and Martini rifles. However.
the men serving use nearly always
guns with percussion caps and ram
rods.
The ages of the soldiers vary very
much; there are undeveloped boys
and toothless men Of so years for the
unfit are not weeded out at the right
time. The lists of men liable to serve
are badly kept, so that on levy 1t Is
found that some Of the men called up
have been dead for several years.
The army Is a source Of revenue to
the governors Of the provinces. On
his appointment a governor announ-
older men and to have a younger
type Of soldier The local people
know what that means; a deputation
waits upon the energetic. new govern
or, he is asked to name a sum which
shall induce him to let things go on as
before. He does so, and everybody is
content
More than twenty regiments are re-
cruited from the Azerbijan province
In Northern Persia, while forty regi-
ments come from the Aratschk-E-
Amin province: the rest are recruit
ed in the Khorassan and Kernshan.
The "blood tax" paid for evading mil
itary service varies; in some provinces
1t is as much as FIG per man, in 9TH
ers 1t is only about "a.
The town populations, certain
khans and the leasers of crown do
mains are free from service, as are
also the Jews, the Armenians and the
Fire Worshippers," but the last
named are made by the governors Of
Kershan to contribute the mainten-
ance Of twenty foot soldiers. A few
provinces, like Yedz and Kashan, fur
nish no men as soldiers, as the pee-
pie of those regions are distinguished
by extraordinary cowardice.
The artillery branch is similar to
the infantry, but the men are much
better trained and clothed, while they
receive their pay more regularly. Al
though this force, on paper consists
of 5000 men, yet only 1000 men are
on service, and they are In batallions,
each of from 200 to $50 men.
The men, horses and guns are all
managed by independent officials;
thus the horses are in the care OF
general who keeps them not near the
guns in the arsenal but In some place
where the forage is cheap. The horses
are not trained to gun firing. The pro-
jectiles are kept in the arsenals and
generally they are not charged. The
powder is made in private powder
mills, and is Of very poor quality.
There are about fifty guns OF the
Uchapius type. and also nearly one
thousand obsolete guns, OF which
scarcely a hundred can be used.
The infantry possesses no properly
organized system Of transport. In case
of need the people are commander
ed" especially the village folk when
they bring their garden stuff and pro-
ducts into the towns Thus when the
word goes round the countryside thar
regiment has to be moved from a
town, then the villagers stay at home
until the soldiers have been moved.
Even the animals conveying cara
vans Of goods are seized, and the own
ers of beasts Of burden will refuse to
convey goods for the time, as they
dread losing their beasts. Every SOL
dier receives a donkey, while camels
are used for carrying the provisions.
If a soldier has an ass Of excellent
quality allotted to him he often runs
away with the animal at the last stop
ping place.
The command Of a battalion is
sold and sometimes for as much as
f2,2OO or $f3,2OO. Everybody wishes
to become an officer, as an officers
pay is continued to his family after
his death, thus there are many de-
tachments of ninety men with twelve
officers.
Persia's cavalry is regular and ire
gular. The former comprises the Is
pahan cavalry regiment Of 500 men.
trained by German instructors, and
the Teheran Cossack brigade, trained
by Russian instructors This Is equip
ped with the Russian cavalry type OF
the Berdan rifle. To the Teheran
Cossack brigade belongs also the divi-
sion of artillery, with eight field guns
of Russian make. This brigade is well
trained. There are also in Teheran
more than 1000 "Gulyami," or horse
men, who are the shah's permanent
bodyguard.
Sometimes they are quartered In
the provinces. The mounted militia
is supplied by the Khans of the var,
ious provinces, but 1t has no special
organization. Its equipment Is varied,
although it can be equipped for war
with the Werndt gun, which Is stored