The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-09-03
RUSSIA'S BIG
FORCE is The
PUZZLE OF man
Army and Navy Journal Believes
Cars Numbers Exaggerated


weeks issue OF The Army and Navy
Journal. The conclusions regarding the
Cars soldiers as fighters are based TO
a certain extent on the records that the
Russians made in the war with Japan,
which DO not exhibit the Russian as a
man Of the highest fighting class. II
Is added, however, that ten years have
passed since the war with Japan, and
il is pointed out that the Russians were
then thousands of miles from their
home bases. and without the stimulus
of fighting near home
In these days" says The Army and
Navy Journal when men are massing
in battle i'm corps after corps, IL is in
structiye to compare the strength of
the Russians and Japanese in the big
battles of the Manchurian war. The
Russbi Invalid OF -. Petersburg gives
the figures Of the men engaged in the
principal conflicts there. These figures
are based on computations made by
the Russian General STAFF. At Lao
Yang there were 224.6OO Russians and
1858 Japanese; at the Sha Ho EEL
600 Russians and 12O,SOO japanese
Russians Are Handicapped.
In view of the entrance of the Rus
slams upon an invasion of Germany
these figures of the General stan of
the Russian Army must make inter-
estng reading for the Germans and
Austrians. If in such big battles as
Lao Yang the Japanese though out
numbered nearly two To one, were able
10 drive back the Russians, it would
scarcely be human nature if the Ger
mans did not believe they could give
the Russians large handicaps in the
matter of numerical preponderance,
and still win.
In each of the large engagements
mentioned above it will be seen that
the Russians were practically 100000
men more numerous, and yet they had
20 bow TO the little brown men from
Nippon. Hence. in the newspaper re-
ports Of the hundreds Of thousands Of
Russians that are TO swarm over Ger
many and swallow up the Germans al
lowance should always be made for the
fighting quality Of the soldiers.
II the Japanese, though in so great
a minority. In their first war with a
European power could defeat the Rus
slams, what chance will the Russians
have of conquering the Germans by
mere force OF numbers They certain
~ can scarcely expect TO find the Ger
mans any easier than the japanese. nor
viii they find the German positions
any easier 20 master than those Of the
japanese in Manchuria.
Hold Cars Men indefinitely.
II Germans are at all sangune OF
their prowess, they well consider that
IL the Russians display no higher
a-htinz power than they did i'm Man
,nur.a. Germany should be able 90 hold
the cars soldiers TO evens indefinite
ly with ;he force she can mass on her
eastern frontier without weakening her
western offensive. These, of course,
are only specu.atous based ON the
ashung ability ~ the Russians ten
years ago. thousands OF miles from
their home bases and without the sti-
w-.4s II lighting near home and Of "a
'- va f'-' ''t'
power.
These considerations may he m
ls--aH- factors in declaring the ability
q the A-ss-ans 10 override the Ger
man resistance and make Berlin an
early end t9 their journey toward the
Atlantic ocean. IN the campaigns x
Napoleon ID lsl- .t was the Russians
''--'r- ability that first convinced tho
allies VI 'aa slineraua.'y Of the mod
err master ~ war. The battle Of bor-
n3irg r 1912. which, though technical
victor. tal tre French. was real
IS drawn Battle. 81 NOT q defeat FOR
'tr Fr.Hsa. as 70 showed that Napoleon
..-.I rut ALWAYS ua.u mis- way. That
Was tne ar-t turning AGAINST Bona
IaIr, H. ,ae might. t4. faar tNu year.
.a'er Was ~ sweep ..m ..uw a.- throne
ard .ana ..m an sE... Boz ELLA.
However it would Doc unfair % the
ItI slams and opposed 90 the proper
.tm5te 9t military chances 90 form
au opinion ~ the present military
fighting quality u 'he Russian soldier
on bis failures in tho distant fields OF