Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-18

ing the reserves they are passed into the
landwehr for six years and are considered
available material for prolonged cam
paigns. A recent estimate by an Aus
trian authority, which seems to be verified
by actual conditions, gives the number of
men serving with the colors and on the
reserve as $50, 600. There are about GO,OO0
Of the landwehr. but in time of peace they
are without any military organization.
Liability to military service in Turkey
extends over twenty-five years. The con-
script is taken at the age of q to serve
for three years in the active army, then
for six years in the reserve of the active
army.
At the expiration of that time he passes
for nine years into the reserve army and
finally for five years into the landsturm.
About 10000 young men are taken an
nually for color service of the 10000 or
more young Moslems who come up for
CONSUMPTION. The German officers who
have been drilling the Turkish troops make
the number of available fighting men under
this system of service as follows: Active
army, 100000; reserve Of active army, 120,-
900; reserve army, $4,000; landsturm, $1,000;
total, 100000.
Bulgarian Mobilization Easy.
The mobilization of the Bulgarian army
can be accomplished much more easily and
speedily than the Turkish. The Bulgarian
territory is divided into nine districts,
with headquarters at strategical points.
Each division has two brigades of in
fantry and one artillery regiment of nine
batteries. A cavalry regiment is included
in the quota of the first six divisions.
All the d{v{aiong hava q fnII oopnpIapnaat
of administrative. clerical and medical
staffs. The war strength OF each division
is placed at 10000, making a total of $4,000,
with 1900 cavalry and $50 guns.
Then besides there are a separate cav
airy division and certain corps troops,
which would bring the mobilized strength
of the Bulgarian army in the field to 2lO.-
coo. with 1000 cavalry and 500 guns. There
would still remain 10000 fully trained re-
servists and the 0O,OOO landwehr men avail
able to fill casualties and to form supple
mentary forces The Bulgarian officers
declare that this force can be concentrated
upon any point Of the frontier within ten
days of the mobilization order.
In Turkey the conscripts are brought to
Europe to serve their time with the colors
and then return to their homes as re-
serves. When the time for mobilization
comes II would be necessary to transfer
them to Europe in order to get the fun
war strength.
Mobilization in any country OF the eX-
tent of the Turkish empire would under
such conditions be difficult, but it is made
particularly hard by the insufficient
methods of communication between the
Asiatic and European portions Of the en-
pire. a typical instance of what this
would mean is cited by an authority as
follows:
The reservists of the siXty-ninth Infantry
regiment, quartered at Metrovitza. would
have to come from Adm, "A distance OF $50
miles as the crow flies. The route taken
would be on foot to Smyrna, thence by sea
to Rodosto. from there by nrarvh route
To MouratIi and thence by rain to Metro
vita.
Turkish Machinery slow.
1t Is calculated that six weeks would
be required before the Turkish army IN
Europe could be even partially modified
by bringing the peace unit up to war
strength. At the beginning of a campaign
Turkey would consequently have to de-
pend entirely on its peace army. This ae-
counts for the fact that SO large a force,
about $4,000. is kept under arms in Europe