SOVIET ARMY

Grey River Argus, 29 April 1938, Page 10

SOVIET ARMY

LONDON, March 24. Military experts in many countries, not least Germany, Italy and France, are puzzling over the riddle of the Russian Army. Until the Stalin purge began, removing the best commanders, it seemed to be developing as a really efficient and formidable machine. Its peace strength is 1,500,000, with 10,000,000 trained reserves, and, judging by events in Spain, its modern equipment is quite good. But besides the loss of its best brains, and the depressed moral caused by police espoinage in all ranks, a system fatal, been instituted which seems fatal. Every order by a commander aiust be .countersigned, to have validity, by a civil representative of Moscow or Stalin. Intimate knowledge- of these facts in Tokio emboldened Japan, so It is said by people well acquainted, with events, to make her coup in China.