SHORT OF EXPERTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 67, 16 September 1936, Page 9

SHORT OF EXPERTS

THE RUSSIAN ARMY

A JAPANESE EXAMINATION

The new Russian Army, in the opinion of' Colonel Hikosaburo Hata, who has just returned to Japan after serving: for two years as: military attache in Moscow, "has splendid aeroplanes, but not enough pilots; powerful tanks, but not enough trained, man power to make the best use of them," writes Hugh Byns from Tokio to the "New York.Times."

"There is a. big gap between the fighting machinery and the personal element," he said. "The army, like the factories of Russia, is short of technicians." '■■~.

This is the principal criticism Colonel Hata makes in a study, of the.Red Army which has run through, the Tbkio "Asahi" in fifteen instalments. Apart from this temporary- defect, he considers. the Soviet Army a formidable fighting machine. It is being expanded and improved rapidly.

"I return from Moscow feeling that the. .Soviet now holds Japan in contempt," declared Colonel Hata. "Once th,ey, wondered whether they -would win or lose;,now the question; is how to make the war short and decisive,"

The articles reveal admiration, for the success with which the- Soviet .has centralised all power. Colonel Hata be-' lieves the regime, is now perfectly con- : soUdated and has the' confidence "of; the Russian people. Results are now being attained at a far quicker tempo than before, though technique still lags behind material. J BEING EXPANDED. The Red Army, which formerly stood at 580,000, is now being expanded tp" a total peace-time strength of 1,300,000, but to reach this figure conscripts have' had to be, drawn from the classes: of two previous years. Additional barrack accommodation is being built and . will nbt'be completed for a year and' a half. '

At first it was believed that the defensive forces of a Communist State should. be predominantly a national militia so that the administration should not be at the mercy of a military class. The ratio observed was :militia:73 percent, and regular.army' 27 per cetit. : •■; "/"• '.■.;'. ■'",'. .'':;.' : r<

The militia theory has been aban-.; doned because it was incompatible; with efficiency,. and Soviet military -\ power is now concentrated in its standing army of 1,300,000, which, if the ')■ G.P.U. and militia relief troops are added, will number 1,600,000. The mili : - tary budget has risen from 1,500,000,000 roubles (£150,600,000) in 1933 "t<» 14300,000,000 roubles; (£ l,48C!,m(»O) in 1936. '::■. : :' ;

• The budget, Colonel Hata.points out, \\ is.not a definite measure of the Soviet's , military expenditure, for. it has oc*;/ curred in the past that actual military outlays have risen to nearly three times j the budgeted amount. /'

The training of the rank and file is . better today than during the Tsarist, regime, but, in Colonel data's view," the officers are not yet trained to. the :; Japanese. standard: and are deficient in the power of rapid decision and.action; . Great efforts are being made to change - •this.; ,•■ v ;■; '■ ■<.:■■■■ v:vv .• .;• :•

The corps of officers is no longer con- ' fined to sons of "workers." Education is demanded and from this year all candidates ■ for the military academy _• must have passed ihe seventh grade in ' the public schools. Omcership has been ' made a life career, |md rank has been; restored. The CossacK5 system has been " revived in the Caucasus and.its exten-;; sion to the Far East is. .being jcbtt- -J> sldered. ■' ; v ■:■';.r 7 '■ ■;'"-•"-.■"■,,;,' RUSSIAN FORESIGHT; The Soviet military authorities,were far-sighted, writes Colonel Hata, when they decided to create an army lavishly mechanised with aircraft and tanks. Their strategy does not seek a victory ; in the trenches, but proposes to carry destruction deep into the enemy coun- ' try, «p that; 'defeat will begin at -the .' heart and spread to the front. - -; ■

The Russianl Army has now at least 40 atf: brigades.' Much * experimental work has been done to develop.speed, and during last May Day's parades atVladivostok and [Khabarovsk new pur- r suit aeroplanes and heavy bombers appeared. The new Russian super- ■ bombers, doing nearly 200 miles an ' hour, can reach Tokio- from Vladir vostok in three hours and a half. The tanks chiefly favoured are of the seven to ten-ton type, reinforced by : , ; ,, light tanks of the two to four-ton class, , but there is also a force of 40-ton tanks . for breaking through the enemy's lines. ■ Although he finds that the Red Army . suffers both from lack of competent Held officers and skilled technicians* Colonel Hata praises the. higher leadership: The Soviet High Command is in. the hands of leaders who knew the hardships of the revolutionary war and, . though still young, they. are men of strong physique and steady character, - and are faithful to their principles. « Klementy VoroshilovV Commissar, for Defence, is only 55 years old, but has.,, held his important post for thirteen... years. ■ : , ... • ■ '■' OTHER LEADERS. "I found him now considerably different from when I knew, him years ago," said Colonel Hata. "He has gained in character and, dignity. "Marshal Tukhachevsky, Assistant defence Commissar, is a former aristo-... crat of the Imperial Guard. He .is,;, the only Soviet marshal who can speak French. He is believed to.be the Red Army's best brain and its destined strategist in war. .. .. . "Marshal Yegoroff, Chief of the •General Staff, probably owes-his.posi-tion to the fact that he once belonged ~ to Stalin's staff; ' . • ' "Chief :Alkanis df the Air Force at-., tended my: farewell party in Moscow, but refused to drink because he had to attend a review next-morning. I learned that every time a review is ; held he pilots his own aeroplane as , commandeivin-chief. I. do. not think . we shall find such an example any- , where else in the world—the comman-, der of the nation's air force piloting his own aeroplanes and directing the manoeuvres."

Colonel Hata does not discuss tha prospecte of a war with Russia, but his \%*ole study is an exposition of the I great effort such a struggle would impose on Japan. Non-aggressiOt> pacts he thinks "antiquated," and he unquestionably expresses the army'a view when he points to demilitarisation of, the Russian Far East as th«t only step that could remove the dangof of war.