THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 43, 30 November 1938, Page 5

THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

ANALYSIS OF STRENGTH. STRIKING POWER UNCERTAIN. LONDON, November 18. Analysing the Russian Army, the Moscow correspondent of the “Manchester Guardian” says that during the last 20 years Russia has accumulated an excellent trained reserve of men between 18 and 3b, because, in addition to the peoples of European Russia, those of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Siberia,' exempt during the Tsarist regime, have been subjected to compulsory military service.

There is no doubt that the Far East army is self-supporting and that Russia could carry on a war on two fronts. ■ The Army is well trained, hut its striking ~ power depends on "whether the dictatorship could withstand the shock of war.--• • :- - r

It is probable that bureaucracy’s brittle crust, cementing—the regime, would crumble- beneath national - discontent, if the fortune 0f... war went against Russia. The Kremlin seems to realise* this, and is doing its best to insist that any war involving Russia- * be ■ fought on foreign soil. Consequently, if the battle front were pushed into Russia, the loss of prestige would destroy tho Stalin regime.

But if the Red Army made a good advance in the early stages of the war, the Russian millions might carry all before them.