The Detroit times., 1914-10-16
'COSSACKS' WORD
OF TERROR TO
GERMAN EARS
Very Name Holds Horror For
Troops of Kaiser and
Franz Josef
HALF WILD MEN ARE
SOLDIERS FROM BOYHOOD
Have Evil Fame Throughout
Europe as LOoters and
Marauders


(Sta6 Correspondent United Press.)
LONDON, Sept 26.-(By Mail to
New York)-If you want TO strike ter
ror to the heart of an Austrian or
German these days. say .'Cossack.
The very word seems TO hold a
horror for the kaiser's men and also
for Francis Joseph's troops.
Remembering their exploits against
Napoleon and their wild warfare dur
ing the revolt or Hungary, Austrians
and Germans shudder when they
think OF the cossacks invading their
countries. The cossacks cruelty
during the Russian revolution 10 well
known and their operations In China
in 1900 were criticised not only By
oil the world outside Russia but by
Russians themselves.
In the Russo-Japanese war the COS
sacks did not live up TO their reputa-
tons. The reason was clear enough
as they were marauders by origin.
Their reason for being In warfare Is
to enrich themselves by II.
The cossacks social position In
Russia makes them so. Originally
the cossacks were formed from ban
dts TO protect the frontiers during
wars with Turkey and Poland. And
later when Russia started her long
march toward the east and linked
up with the Mohametan races OF Gen.
trail Asia, a cossack "voisko" was
formed also close to the new Asiatic
frontier OF the Russian empire.
The cossacks cost Russia nothing.
The empire endowed them with spe-
cial privileges, for which In return,
at a certain age and under special
conditions. they have TO give military
service.
The total cossack population now is
about 100000, OF which 100000 are
women. The cossacks own about
lag, SOC, 900 acres OF land. Military
service is obligatory for all men for
twenty years, beginning at the age
of IS. Practically the cossack youth
starts his military career at IA when
he joins an organization similar to
the Boy Scouts.
Active service the cossack does for
three years In the preliminary divi.
sion. The next II years he In In
active service and the last fve years
he is on the reserve list Every cos.
sack Is bound TO provide his own uni.
forms, equipment and horse, the gov
eminent furnishing the arms.
Every cossack troop on active ser
vice il divided into three equal parts
according to age and the third only
In real service, while the two others
stay at home. They are bound 70
march out just as soon as the order
Is given, however.
Quite recently there was formed
In Transkaspia three troops Of half
wild Turkomans. These are now be-
ing employed In the invasion OF Aus.
tria. They are the creation Of the
famous Russian general Skobelen
called the White General" His
hatred OF Germany was SO great that
Bismark feared him and paid o great
deal Of serious attention to him.
One year before Alexander ii was
assassinated, In 1880. Skobelen at
tempted to put through his plan OF
organizing troops among these half
wild men. He we'll knew the terrible
part they would play in an invasion
OF Germany. Alexander ii, however
objected to the plan and II fell
through.
Alexander III formed an alliance
with France and IL looked as though
Shobeleffis plan might be adopted. II
had attracted attention In high diplo-
matte circles. But about this time
young German actress whom Skob-