Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-09-10
Military Experts Wondering It 1t
Will Withstand Shock OF
Germany's Machine.
ITS EXPERIENCE VALUABLE
Handicapped, However, BY the slav
Temperament, and tho Numerous
Races, Some of Which Are
Very Hostile to the
Government.
international News Service.)


These questions so commonly asked
called forth the following comment
from well known correspondent who
is military expert:
''All eyes in Europe are turned to-
ward the army of the car. 1t Is the
most gigantic military machine In the
world, and no one really knows Its
fighting value. On its peace strength
it disposes of a million Of men be-
tween the German and Austrian from
tiers in Europe and the seaboard OF
Vladivostok in Manchuria. Modified
in its entirety, it quadruples the as
founding numbers Of its peace
strength.
We are not, however, concerned
with this vast military machine in Its
entirety. The European army corps
OF Russia from the point of numbers
are considerably enough to give pause
to both Germany and Austria II their
efficiency is equal to their ponderous
numbers.
Has Had Valuable Experience.
Russian military efficiency has al
ways presented an enigma to the stu
dents Of contemporary military his
tory. BY all the laws Of production.
the Russian army in Europe should
be as formidable as any trained force
In the world. 1t has the GROWING
advantage Of experience In modern
war. 1t Is accepted by military stu
dents that after protracted campaign
which has not been decided by ex-
haustion, the beaten army energies
from the struggle with a knowledge
and experience that Is almost superior
to that of it's successful enemy.
THE question is: Was the Slavonic
temperament Of such quality that 1t
would profit by the lessons learned 80
bitterly in the far East? This Is one
of the questions to which the students
have never yet been able to give
confident answer. Again. Is the army.
recruited as it is from nearly dozen
races, many Of which are secretly hos
tile to the central government, trust
worthy instrument? Again the stu
dents are at fault.
The historical record Of the Rus
sian army does not give one great
hope that the Muscovite nation, with
all Its numbers, will ever be able sue
cessfully to initiate campaign
against an enemy with whom over
whelming numbers are not the chief
al 10 pncSia
billie her armies In their millions, but
has she the staff accommodation to
manipulate them? Judging by the
story Of her failure against the Japa-
nese in Manchuria, one would say that
the Russian officer of today 10 little
better than he was generation ago.
SIav Mind Slow In Action.
THE Slav mind, quick though 1t
may be to make plans and estimates.
is slow in interpreting them into &C.
ton and movement This seems to be
a congenital fault and 1t discounts
much Of the experience which the
rude shocks Of LiauYang the Shaho
and Mukden brought to an army
which at that time military students
believed to be capable Of all require
ments.
The main asset of the Russian
army is Ivan Ivanoff, the Russian SOL
der. Unimaginative, uneducated, do
cile by the circumstances of his lot,
he is the best material for the manu-
facture of the soldier that has to die
in heaps. Unimaginative, he Is tena-
cious and fearless; uneducated, he Is
devoid of class ambitions and sensi-
tiveness docile, he may be herded to
death or led to victory with equal lack
of interest in the event In which he
is but an animal pawn. We speak, OF
course, of the Russian moujik and not
of the Poles and Jews that are serv-
ing against their wills. 1t Is not like
ly that the Russians will experiment
with Polish troops In Galcia or east
Prussia
Depends on Railway Service.
These distinctions, however, do not
add to the simplicity of the labors OF
the general staff, nor do they make
for the efficiency of the railway serv-
ice, upon which will depend any suo-
cess that Russia could hope for In op-
Grating against her German enemies.
In material the Russians are we'll
equipped. Though material Of war
goes long way, yet 1t is not the last
weight In the balance of success or
failure in war. In Manchuria the Rus
slams had the better material In the
way of artillery, cavalry and engineer
ing equipment. 1t was not the mate
rial nor the men behind the material
that failed 1t was the directing mind
Nothing will make the writer believe
that the Russian officers, taken en-
masse are good. Those who have grad
uated through the war schools are Of
ten brilliant theorists. but little more.
Those who have not graduated-and
this Is the huge majority-have, 1t Is
true. little more education than the
men they command, but about the
same limit OF imagination. 1t Ia
case of the blind leading the blind"
Firms Loyal to tho Gar.
The Daily News correspondent at
Aelsingfors says remarkable change
has come over the Firms.
Whereas formerly they treated
some of the Russian officials as they
deserved he says, they now are CO.
operating with the Russian residents.
Russian tourists are all full Of praise
for the hOgDitality with which thay