El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-29
WILL ARMY Of
GAR Be EQUAL
To WAR s TEST?
No One Knows Real Fight
ing Value Of Gigantic
Slav Machine.
ALL EUROPE'S EYES
TURNED TOWARD 1T

r ONDON, Eng aug -S--4s the
Russian army dangerous7 VIII it
- withstand the shock Of German
tmachine troops? VIII its enormous
paper strength materialize2 These ques-
tons so commonly asked called forth
today the following comment from
well known correspondent who is
military expert:
"AlI ewes in Europe are turned to
ward the army Of the car II IS me
most gigantic military machlne IN lhe
world. and 10 one really knows It's
fighting value On its peace strength II
dispose. of a million OF men between
the German and Austrian frontiers IN
F.1roDe and the seaboard Of NladtvOs-
fo1 in NTanchurfa. II modified in its
entirety il would quadruple the as
founding number Of its peace Strength
we are not, however, concerned with
this vast military machine IN its en-
tfrety The European army corps OF
Russia from the point Of numbers are
considerably enough to give pause to
both Germany and Austria II their ef-
ficiency is equal to their ponderous
numbers
Has Experience OF Recent War.
Russian military efficiency has al
ways presented an enigma TO the stu
dents Of contemporary lltary history
By all the laws Of production, the Rus
sian army in Europe should be as for
midable as any trained force IN the
hOElu- II mas the u wv llAlA= 1tlk eAA4Le4esH
Of experience in modern war 1t is ac-
cepted by military students that after a
protracted campaign which has not
been decided by exhaustion the beaten
army emerges from the struggle with a
knowledge and experience that is al
most superior TO that of its successful
enemy.
temperament Of such a quality that ii I
would profit by the lessons learned so I
bitterly in the far east2 This Is one OF 4
the questions to which the students /
have never vet been able TO give a con- !
fident answer. Again, is the army, re- 1
cruited as il is from nearly a dozen /
races, many Of which are secretly hos !
tile to the central government, trust /
worthy Instrument Again the students I
are at fault
Depends on Its Numbers.
THE historical record Of the Russian 4
army does not give great hope that the
Auscov1te. with all its numbers. viii I
sver be able successfully to initiate a
against an enemy with whom
overwhelming numbers are not the
,hief essential to success. Russia may
mobilize her armies in their millions,
)ut has she the staff accommodation to
manipulate them2 Judging BY the story l
# her failure against the Japanese in
Ianchuria, none would say that the
russian officer Of today is little better /
han he was a generation ago
The Slav mind, quick though it may
e to make plans and estimates. is slow
n interpreting them into action and
movement This seems TO be a con- l
rental fault and it discounts much Of
ne experience which the rude shocks
Il Llau- Yang, the S52ho and Mukden
IrOught to an army which al thar time
military students believed to be capable
4 all requirements
IvanOff, an Animal Pawn.
The main asset of the Russian army I
5 Ivan Ivanoff. the Russian soldier. !
imaginative, uneducated, docile by I
he circumstances Of his lot, he is the /
a-~ ~aH nsaH "a e..
he soldier that has to die in heaps in I
he world Unimaginative, he is
and fearless uneducated. he is I
evOid of class ambitions and sensitive /
ess: docile, he may be herded TO death Z
r led to victory with equal lack of in !
crest in the event in which he is but an { I
nlmal pawn We speak, Of course. Of I I
be Russian mOujik and not Of the . !
oles and Jews that are serving agafnst-I :
heir wills II is not likely that the )
VIII experiment with Polish
oops in Galacia or East Prussia
IneSe distinctions, however, do not
ID TO the simplicity of the labors ~ 7
ne general staff, nor do they make for !
he efficiency Of the railway services !
pom Wnlen VIII depend any success !
lat Russia could hope for operating 6
ga1nSr her German enemies
Lack Directing Minds. {
In material the Russians are v-eTI !
{ulpped- though material Of war goes J I
long way yet II is not the last weight ; L
the balance Of success or failure in ! G
ar. In Manchuria the Russians had the | I
stter material in the way of artillerv
lvalry and engineering equipment If
as not the material nor the men he
nd the material that failed II vas
lie directing mind Nothing viii make
-e writer believe that the Russian Of I
GERS. taken en- masse are good Tboso
no have graduated through the war
hools are often brilliant theorists hut
tile more Those who have not gradJI-
.eo-and TINS IS the huge majority Z
I'VE, It is true. a little more .educafion
an the men they command. but about / J
e same limit Of imagination. II is ,
-se OF the blind leading the blind"
IL n