Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-14

has real organizatory talent" he says,
"but the Napoleonic airs he gives
himself are rather ridiculous. Although
he was never soldier, he appears IN
uniform and on horseback at parades
in Moscow, where he pins crosses of
the legion of the revolution the Boil
shevik military decoration, on the
breasts of his soldiers, for all the
world like another little corporal
and presents regiments that have dis
tinguished themselves at the front with
embroidered Red flags.
Real Strategist Employed
However, he has sense enough to
realize that he is not great strate-
gist, and he leaves the conduct of mil
itary operations to competent special
lists. Foremost amongst these is still
the LettVacetis, who until recently
was commander in chief of all the Red
armies.
"Vacetis is remarkable military
adventurer and for q long time his
personalit was shrouded in a good
deal of mys cry. He was a colonel on
the staff of the Grand Duke Nicholas
Nicolaievitch, and at one time played
a prominent role in the councils of
that commander. He is credited not
ably with having drawn up the plans
for the first offensive against Austria
which carried the Russian army into
the heart of Galicia and resulted in
the capture of Lemberg. On later
occasions, his advice was not followed
and he became notorious malcontcnt.
Being very ambitious, he readily es-
poused the Bolshevik cause as q means
nf a oh ipuinU hic narcnnal uirnc
''In all military matters Trotzky, and
even the new nominal commander in
chief, Kameneff are completely domi
mated by Vacetis, who is the real stra
tegic genius of the Red army and is now
personally directing its operations
against Denikine in southern Russia
His headquarters as commander in
chief were at Arzamas, near Kasan
and it was there that first saw him.
Trotzky's Eye on Commander
'Hc is a striking looking man. with {
round, clean shaven face, thick lips
and square jaw. Many people believ,
that he is secretly pursuing ambitious
schemes of his own, and this is probabl.
the reason why Trptzky considered i
advisable to take the supreme command
from him and to give it, at least nomi
nally, to Kameneff, one of the regula
BOlshevik commissaries.
"Other notable Red commanders VIII
previously held high rank in the czar'
army are Antonoff, a veteran of tn
Russo Japanese war. and Stupin, VIII
defeated General Petliura and capture
kiev last summer. 1t is a remarkabl
fact that the Bolsheviks themselve
have produced no prominent militar
leaders. Even Sorokin, who used to b
a school teacher. and who commando
the Red forces in northern Caucasus
got his military training and first ros
to high rank in the czar's army durin
the world war.
Red Army Numbers 900 900
The present total strength of the RE
armies is estimated by my informal
at somewhat more than 900 900 mel
This is by no means large force. con
sidering the vast area over which it
distributed. The backbone of the arm
are the Lett, Hungarian and Chimes
mercenaries. who constitute a sort
pretorian guard on which Lenine ar
1rotzky can absolutely rely. There al
about 80. 900 Let's and Hungarians. Il
latter being former prisoners of war
and the same number of Chinese. wi
are coolies formerly imported by Il
cars government during the war. b.
the bulk of the Red army is raised [
compulsory enrolment, and consists
workmen and peasants.
The workmen generally prove be
ter soldiers than the peasants" d
clares my informant, because the COT
ditions under which they are fore,
to live and work in the great citi
undel soviet rule are so depressing tn
military life seems welcome change.
while the industrial workers,