Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-26
THE RUSSIAN NOTE TO CHINA

meal character. The duma voted for
the army in 1905 !, 80 million marks. In
1909. 1902 million marks. In 1910. 1,:.S
million marks. and Notwithstanding these
duma will vote very soon an cxtraordi-
nary credit OF 100 million marks for
the defense OF the coast and the sea-"
This manifestation Of Russian patriot
Ism. to which We have been unaccus-
toned for a long time. dis tho German,
writer with admiration. Russia shows
how defeats are repaired. The Rus
sian army" declared the German. 10
stronger and more redoubtable for Ger
many than before tho Russo-Japaness
war"
An article In La France Militaire OF
February ), entitled THE Reorganiza-
ton OF the Russian Army" has created
Widespread surprise and interest. the
more so because Of the rumor that Rus
sia had withdrawn her troops from the
Polish frontier without consulting France.
1t Is stated. on the contrary. that con-
centration on the present basis was car
ried out after consultation with the
general staff OF the French army. which
has been regularly informed Of every
movement For a fact, the Russians
have adopted the French system OF re-
gional recruitment. and have adapted tno
French scheme of mobilization to their
own requirements. The result Oh TINS
organization will be that ii will become
possible for the Russian army to mo-
bilize within q week. instead OF. as here
tofore, a month or more.
+
The reorganization of the Russian
army was undertaken under the counsel
and continual collabora-
French ton Of the French STAFF
Gen. Laffont de Lade-
AuVAce. bat, the present chief or
staff OF the French. has rendered tho
Russians the same service which far
merly Cen de Boisdeffe performed.
1t will be recalled in military ana
journalistic circles In France how the
slow Russian mobili cation was criticised.
More than a month" ii was said. Ito
put the Russians on the frontier. and for
a fact five or six weeks the only troops
to oppose an invasion would be those OF
the first line. whollys without reserve:
Now all that is changed: eight days only
are required to place the entire army on
the frontier.
The Temps devotes an article to the
subject OF the new formations in the
Russian army in which there Is note
OF supreme confidence In the remarkable
evolution Of that army.
Gen. Toufhomlin"f. who has had pos
session Of the portfolio OF war for two
years. had achieved important organic
reforms. He had reformed the admins
trations. Suppressed committees. reduced
the personnel and employees OF the bu-
reaus Of the stan and given necessary
impulsion to all the departments OF war
from the staff to the soldier. All these
changes had been authorized and the
large budgets voted by the duma with
cheerfulness.
The Military Review OF FOREIGN Armies
has thus reviewed the new situation crea-
ated I'm the Russian army In Europe:
,l~l.- d~C% %nlR N
the subject Of the reserves and those In
fortreSses. The former system OF using
these to form new upities In time OF war
was abandoned. The battle of Lao fanC.
where the division OF reserves. command
ed by Gen. Orloff. had given away. was
lost, due in large part to the system or
recruitment and consequent lack of ex-
perience of the reserves.
The system had been radically change0.
One hundred and seventyfour battalions
Of active troops had been
Radical gained to the effective army
by the suppression OF :5.
ChAAse' battaIions of troops OF
fortress and reserves. Artillery reserves
had been modified also in like manner
and furnished new batteries for active
brigades Of artillery and the creation OF
new groups Of three active batteries dss-
tined to serve the new field howitzers
adopted by the Russian army.
The new unities when formed into divi-
sions gave birth to three army corps, the
oath. 18th in Russia In Europe and the
Sd Circassian corps.
The installation Of two new European
corps presented an interesting problem
to the Russian staff. Two ideas were In
presence, either to reinforce the frontier
- eIxnk ie M
weston to create in the central provinces
a new depot. The fact had produced Q
progressive contraction In Lithuapta, Po-
land, Volhynie, Podolie and Little Rus
STA. The second now In force DIVIDES
these uniformly in giving to the center q
part Of these troops. One reason Tor this
was that since the destruction OF the
Russian fleet in the Baltic the German
was master Of the strategic side. Gen
Bob onski said in the duma that 1T was
necessary to defend not only the strategic
fronts of the west and southwest. but
also the north on the Finland frontier
and hence the defense OF st. Petersburg.
Obliged to cover herself on all points by
land and sea on European fronts. Rus
STA should possess In the center prov
inces a group of forces which could be
deployed at will against one or other OF
the threatened fronts.
Such are some of the many reasons
ascribed for the recent repartition OF
troops. There was no military move TO
the rear in the sense attributed 1t by .
hostile press.
4
A dispatch to the Temps from st.
Petersburg announces that the Russian
government Is considerinS
Naval just now the rcorgantZa-
ton of "A fleet and that
1EOJeet. three projects had been
discussed by the council Of minister
The first project was presented by Anie7-
can capitalists, represented by Mr.. Nixon.
naval engineer: the second by the Italian
Gen. Caniberti, the third by two German
firms, krupp and Blohm & Noss. This
report had provoked much comment in
Russia and in Europe. where It was
deemed very strange that Russian indus
try was not being favored.
In connection with the present situation
it is most interesting to refer to Gen.
Kuropatkin's opinions expressed In his
book, 1.-The Russian Army and the Japa-
nese War;.
.Within the past two centuries.'> writes
the general. Russia has had peace for
and for