The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-08-25
BLIND LEADERS OF THE BLIND
Military Experts Have Poor Opin-
ion of the Russian Officers
and Men

and Men
London, Aug. 25.-Is the Russian
army dangerous? Will it withstand
the shock of the German machine
troops? Will its enormous paper
strength materiaIize? These ques-
tions so commonly asked today call
ed forth today the following COM
ment from a we'll known military ex-
pert:
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 million of
men between the German and Aus
trian frontiers in Europe and the
seaboard of Vladiyostok in Man
churia If modified in it's entirety
it would quadruple the astounding
numbers of its peace strength.
I'VE 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 if their efficiency is equal to
their ponderous numbers.
Russian military efficiency has
always presented an enigma to the
students of contemporary military
history. by all the laws of produc
tion, the Russian army in Europe
should be as formidable as any
trained force in the world. 1t has
the crowning advantage of expert
ence in modern warfare. lit is ac-
cepted by military students that af-
ter protracted campaign which has
not been decided by exhaustion the
beaten army emerges from the strug-
gle with knowledge and experience
that is almost superior to that of its
successful enemy
onic temperament of such quality
that lit would profit by the lessons
learned so bitterly in the Far East?
This is one of the questions to which
give a confident answer. Again, is
the army, recruited as it is from a
dozen different races, many of which
are secretly hostile to the central
government, a trustworthy instru-
ment? Again the students are at
fault.
1.-The historical record of the Rus
sian army does not give one great
hope that the Muscovite, with all its
numbers, will ever be able success
| fully to initiate campaign against
an enemy with whom overwhelming
numbers are not chief essential to
success. Russia may mobilize her
armies i'm their millions, but has she
| the staff accommodation to manipu-
lat them? Judging by the story of
her failure against the Japanese in
Manchuria, one would say that the
Russian officer of today is little bet
ter than he was a generation ago.
THE Slav mind, quick though it
may be to make plans and estimates,
is slow in interpreting them into
action and movement. This seems
to be a congenital fault and it dis
counts much of the experience
i with the rude shocks of Liau Yang,
the Shaho and AIukdon brought to
an army which at that time mill
ltary students believed to be capable
of all requirements
The main asset of the Russian
army is Ivan Iyanhoff, the Russian
Isoldier. Unima ginative, uneducated
docile by circumstances of his lot, he
is the best material for the manu-
facture of the soldier that has tc
| die IN heaps in the world Unim-
aginative, he is tenacious and fear
less; uneducated, he is devoid oi
class ambitions and sensftiveness;
! docile, he may be herded to death
: or led to victory with equal lack Of
interest in the event in which he i.
| but an animal pawn We speak. Of
course, of the Russian mouiik and
not of the Poles and Jews that are
! serving against their wills. Tt is no
) likely that Russia will experiment
with Polish troops in Galicia or Eas
} Prussia.
These distinctions, however, d.