The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-06
ny ARNOLD METzLER.

ST. Peterburg, June s.--The Imperial
Duma has passed the bill for the an
nual contingent. which for this year.
has been hxed at 45s.565 men. Accord
ing to the report OF the proceedings
authorised for publication by the
Minister Of War. the Reporter Of the
Committee on National Defense point
ed out that none Of the reforms re-
commended last year In regard to con-
scription--viz., q more equal distrtbu-
ton OF the military burden over all
parts Of the Empire and the abolition
OF the present system Of utilizing for
non-combatant duties-had been intro
duced.
Some heated debates followed. In
consequence of speeches by members
| of the Extreme Right attacking the
Jews for Wholesale evasion of con-
scription. 1t was said that fifty-nine
per cent OF the total number called
failed to present themselves for SER
vicei and It was urged that. as the
whole Jewish contingents actually sup
piled to the coiors aid not exceed
20. 900 men, It would be in the inte-
rests OF therarmy II the Jewish popula-
tion were liberated from military SER
vice altogether and compelled to pay
a suitable war tax. The declined TO
endorse these arguments. Several
speeches were delivered by members
Oh the ORpOSttlon anu VI TUG NNANFos
contending that the evasion OF military
duty by the Jews could be attributed
to the fact that they were placed on
q footing OF inequality before the laws
Of the Empire. In the resolution which
was passed at the close OF the. pro-
ceedings the Duma reiterated the re-
concentrations made last year. and
added . proposal that Finland should
be called upon 70 make an appropriate
nAntrikntfnta mi
Of the Empire.
According to statistics published by
Ithe military organ, the fRussky Inc
valid" the CONSUMPTION last year took
place In the following circumstances.
The annual contingent had been ,fxed
BY the Duma at 1854 men. Alto
gether l.2si,e55 conscripts were called
up for examination. OF this number
s0.i6B men failed to appear, including
90, sss Jews. out Of total Of e<.oos
Jews conscripted The largest num-
ber Of absenteAs was In the provinces
OF Suwalkf Lamja, Plotazk, and Kovno.
II 10 from these provinces that gem
eral exodus OF Poiisg. lithuanian. and
Jewish youths to America IN notice..
able,
The actual number found to be 1T
for military service in 1908 was lf.-
sas short of the contingent fixed BY
the Duma. This deficiency was COM
posed of 94s Russians, 5.1B4 other
Christians. 10.e77 Jews. l.0S2 Mahofns.
dams and 70 other non-Christians. Tia
recruiting stations noted 4 general
falling on In the physique of the con-
scripts.
The Russian Array.
Some interesting figures concerning
the composition of the Russian army
are supplied by the Ministerial re-
ports addressed &c the Emperor re-
garding the conssriptions OF 1907 and
1908 In regard to nationality, the
Russian army is almost half recruited
from the provinces of Great Russia.
in 1907 the proportion was 100000
Great Russians out of total Of 440, 900
recruits. If little Russians and White
Russians be added the figures rises to
$4,000 out Of a total OF $4,000 re-
cruits. The remaining nationalities in
habiting the Empire gave the follow
ling numbers of recruits in 1907
Poles, 10000; Jews $4,000; various
| Finnish tribes, 10000: Tartars. 5000
Bashkirs 5000; Germans 5000.
| Over seventy-eight per cent of the
Russian army belongs to the creek
Orthodox Faith. In 1908 the non-chris-
tian recruits represented $4,000 Jews
and $4,000 Musulmans. classified ac-
| coFdingly to their social status, the
| rserits In 1907 consisted OF $4,000
! peasants. $4,000 townsinen. 1897 bur-
| gesses, 4S1 merchants, and 1000 mobiles.
The physique Of the men is establish
as follows:--The height OF about 81
per cent. II the recruits was feet
| 6l2 in; 20 per cent 5 feet inches;
IS per cent. feet 8 Ia inches: i6
per cent 5 feet 3 inchesJ less than
| per cent Of feet ] inch There were
| i,245 recruits whose height was feet
liz inches 1913 OF foot IA inches
and 10 OF 6 foot 5 inches. There were
four above feet inches.
As regards education the statistics
are far from satisfactory over
thirty-seven per cent of the recruits
were illiterate. OF 275,00O recruits In
| 1907 who were able to read or write
only about 5000 had passed the med
ium or higher standards Of education,
| $4,000 the lower standard, 10000
could read and write. $4,000 could only
read. 4@
A great deal OF comment has. been
provoked by the announcement that
two of the fortresses in Russian Poland
L