Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-07-28
The Russian Army. E.
By William Philip Simms.

when the war started, Is DtIteI leu
equipped and munitioned. Militarily,
we are able TO carry our part OF the
load.'
1t was the president of the duma,
Mikhail Rodzianko, who told me this, a
leader known to Russia as a frank, out
spoken man. This man knows something
about armies. He began life as an of.
ficer from q military academy. He is
actively engaged on army problems
now.
Duma member Sergius Snidlovsky,
leader of the Progressive Bloc, control
ling element of the assembly, gave the
same answer, adding:
"The army is better than it has ever
been. Its spirit is perfect. In the
country the people are too busy to be
pessimistic. Townspeople love to tell
alarming tales which grow. At the front
with the soldiers it is as another world
Everybody is cheerfnul. To some neu-
trails, the Russian army has been dis
appointment, judging it by German
standards of perfection. Judged other
wise, the Russians have accomplished
heroic things.
Russia's Vastness
Russia stretches twice as far from
east to west as the United States. She
is as wide as from New York to San
Francisco. Her population is thinly
distributed over this tremendous area
40 times that of Germany-railways are
few and, for a campaign against Ger
many, inconveniently laid.
When war began, the Russian army
i atn N ~ "a
tion. Mobilization caught it at the
worst moment. The new untried mo
bilization scheme was stopped and the
old one resorted to.
Russia is so per cent peasant and re
serves cannot be notified quickly as IL
Germany. Once notified, many must
walk great distances to the nearest set
tlement. From here the first smal
group walks or rides to village on {
railway and from here to city to bt
equipped and despatched to the army
1t is a slow process, hard to improve
upon until Russia has better transpor
tation and communication.
Quick.mobilizing countries mobilize
on the frontier. Russia, unable t
throw millions of men on the enemy I
/
the interior. She cannot hope to begin ;
war on the offensive but expects Il
commence hostilities in a clash insid,
her own territory against invaders.
Russia then performed heroic thin;
when she threw herself across the bord
err into eastern Prussia five days afte
the war began, unprepared by at leas
n month, though she knew herself t.
be.
The world knows the disaster to tn,
Russians among the AIazurian marshe
of Rennenkamp's defeat at Osterod
late in August after he had thrown vol
Hindenburg back from Insterburg, Ko
nigsburg, Allenstein and Gumbinnen
| This was Russia IS first sacrifice.
Her Work Was Heroic
1t is only $50 miles from the neares
point on the Russian frontier to Berlin
Looking at the map, sidewalk strateg
lists opined that Russia ought to max
the distance in 80 days. But even ha
Russia modified, struck via short line
she would have reached Berlin only t
receive mortal blow from north an
south cutting off and booming her in
vading army. Both eastern Prussia an
Galicia had to be occupied before tn
Posen route to Berlin could even be al
tempted.
| So Galieia was invaded. TarnopC
was stormed and occupied, Lember
and Przemysl taken by the forces III
der General Russki who mastered th
country clear to the crests of the Cal
pathians.
Then time, distance, lack of railwa
facilities, bad roads and other physics
hlndrances outdid him-these and grea
ly reinforced Austrian armies frame
with Germans and led in part by Gei
man Officers. The Russian retreat frol
Galicia was the result.
Blocked on the western front by TIL
French and British, unable to advanC
an inch there, the Germans perfecte
their trenches, barbed- -wire-entangl
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS from th
Channel to Switzerland then threw ht
remaining strength on Poland. Loo
was captured, Plock, taken and one b
one, quickly the historic cities and fo
tresses of all Poland, including Wa
saw, the capital, fell.
Russia is Unbeatable
=, IT is said Germany aimed to crus
| Russia and make separate peace aft,
Warsaw. But Russia was not crushe
She knows defensive. fighting too we
She lost much, but her army-is strong
now than ever. A high French offici
said to me:
"Russia is unbeatable. She is too bi
She can keep on retreating until at la
the enemy will be swallowed up"
In the retreat from Poland the arm
had much to contend with. 1t was ba
ly munitioned. The minister of war, Ge
eral Soukhomlinov, deemed responsib
for the army during this period, hi
been relieved of his duties and no
awaits trial in the fortress of Peter al
Paul, on an island in the Neva.
Il When Grand Duke Nicholas was SCI
to the Caucasus, the czar himself too
command of the Russian front prope
He now spends little time in Petrogra
III For the last few months, the citiz'
organizations of Russia have been bac
ing up the army with vigor. So unfit,
are these groups that there are todI
two armies fighting for Russia--a Sc