Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-27
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
Russian Soldier Describes Equipment and
Leadership of Cars Army Chester
Heights Camp Ground.
70 the Editor OF the Evening Ledoer.

TO the Editor Of the Evening Ledger:
Sir-It is generally agreed that Russia was
caught unprepared but be It known that their
unpreparedness comes from different source
than the general sense OF the word implies
We here i'm this country, justly howl at n
stlngy and near-sighted Administration be-
cause they refuse us the necessary cash TO
place ourselves proper and equal military
and naval footing with the other great Powers,
Such, however. is not and never has been the
case in Russia. Graft" which we here have
come to look upon essentially an American
word. is carried on in the land OF the bear on
scale which makes our own look like petty
larceny, for here at least, there Is never n
whisper Of Federal graft Russia has spent
enormous sums for the maintenance of its
army, second, would venture to say only TO
Germany. Where then and why does she find
herself at this crisis in her present state?
Graft. From the highest to the lowest official
graft has prevailed. As an instance: Each and
every soldier of the rank and file is supposed
TO include in his equipment three uniforms.
1t is rare exception, indeed, that have ever
known one to over two. l served my four
years in the Russian army with one, and was
by no means an exception. The few real de-
voted statesmen that Russia can boast of never
went further into inspection of Russian arms
than TO watch from platform the various
army maneuvers, generally of the Cossacks
who, of all the branches of the Russian army,
alone were maintained on the proper footing,
and now, with the present conduct of war, the
most useless branch of the service. When the
war broke out doubtless the Gear and his staff
Their books showed many tons Of powder
at lvangorod and so many at this and that
fort But were they there? No. Let 1t be re-
membered that an honest man in Russia was
rare and not appreciated, and as unpopular as
are all exceptions in any endeavor in any counz'
try
Hers is the worst equipped and the worst led
army in the world. Her officers are all of the
noble" class, hard drinking evll-minded,
women-mad clique, who studied and obtained
their military knowledge in the cafes of Paris
and Berlin. Any private in the German service
knows more than. so per cent. OF the Russian
officers In England, too, they make class dis
tinction in their officers But here the army
officers make a profession of and take a pride in
their work, whore, at least, they earn the re-
spect and confidence of the in the ranks.
But can you expect a private who has seen his
officer drunk, whenever he has seen him at all;
who has abused and bulled him, follow that
same officer with any degree of confidence into
battle? Under the pretext of capture Russian
soldiers are deserting by the hundreds of thou
sands. Ill-led ill-equipped, fighting for they
know not what, the fate of the Russian army is
sealed. Russian authorities. made n great mis-
take when they took from the soldier his vodka
For, having no other incentive, 1t is only the
vodka INSPIRED soldier who will fight for Rus
sian glory. K K PINKUS
Philadelphia, July a.