GRIM RUSSIANS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15446, 8 September 1914, Page 3

GRIM RUSSIANS.

THE HARDY MOTTJIK. TXSHAKEX BY DEFEAT. IX DIFFER EXT TO DEATH. 14 The campaign of 1004 in Manchitria was remarkable lor the extra■■rdiitarily heavv losses which the Russian Army suffered in action, without Wini; decisivelv defeated in a givac battle. . '. Ti».e figures (ranging ni> to a loss of -2!"> per cent. of effectives !>y a v.noV army ill one battle) are an eloquent tribute to the discipline ami stolidity of the Russian sold'ers. :tul prove that failure after failure dee; not deter the survivors from sttff* rim; heavy less without being ••oi'tpd."—Extinct of official report '■v Lituretumt-Co'onel AY fliers, attached to the Ru«« : an Army during the campaign in Manchuria. When ibe Germans evolved tlie:r plan o>" a rapid. smashing onset a<ra'ust thr French. their calculation included two -•-siiiMntions—a cumbrous s'owness of Hti« : an niobilisa* ie«>; (~1) an inferiority >■> tb.» qualev of Russian troops. The British and French expert critics of f!erlonnv's S'ht l " l !' reeorded b>ng a <*o their oi:>nio"—( Oi'firi'x'd since »lie outbreak of wa>-—the K:' :i "r's legions liov« to i-rir»i»!e Fp"co swiitlv fnd 'hen to turn * -iuni|>hani ! v agao'st th--> Tsar's hosts. C- kee« «t!>dents. were vJtl. tl>f> Hhwip :>-<! .T->paiiecp ar»>*es during tbp war of IfWl— ~ "nil tbe G'—note** :n»ie f'l'ive in t ' ,n ''iissiaii 'v o-stpni. It probabl v v's belief tb*i* •> l' ft ' *iet f.no----;. t -v make Russia a first class military Power. THE RUSSIANS' BUNDER. The first colossal mistake made by the Russian Government and by the military chiefs was in an underestimate' of Japan's .strength and readiness for war. The little brown soldiers -were he'd in contempt til! their skill, power of ' lulu: anci, and courage commaiulod respect. The huge European nation's Mender is written red in history. That lesson, which cr.-c tens of thousands of lives and many millions of treasure, will •tot be ?oon forgotten. It is possibk' that Germany is as much ill error regard "ng a Russia which acquired wisdom through a' heavy penalty for folly, as Russia was in assessing Japan's ability to smite. As. far as mobilisation >s concerned, the reports show that the Russian plans haif- surpass- d expectations. A SEVERE TRAINING. "When the fighting qualities of the Japanese were impressed by lead and steel upon the Russians, the Tsar's Ociera.-s began to learn more about K'l.'lern war than they had anticipated. British officers who witnessed the various i perr.tlons throughout, have written with an array of evidence, that the ••a fibre of th- Russian army steadily improved with the hard knocks. Scores of thousand.-. of the ;nen.li.ardened in Manchuria. are fighting in East Prussia and (ialicia to-day. After mouths with the Tsar's fold'ers ■>i Manchuria. Lieutenant.Colonel Waters v. rot : •" It must be admitted that the Russian infantryman has many admirablb mi-itary qualities. His great want is good training. \Yi;h really efficient leadership, it is diftieult to prophesy what he might not In- able to <fleet, 'for he tan inarch, tight, and endure. • There is no more enduring natient being, I believe, than the Russian soldier. He dees not grumble nor •riticisp. and baars all the hardships, manv of them uniiecrssarv ones, which are ii!c : de''ta! to a campaign, with great |'o'titt:t!\" This natienee- was proof acainst poor pa v. The iva-p of the rank and file w:-s fixed at t-"i hopebs (a total of one shilling* a month. This allowance of 3d a week was to enable the men to bnv tobacco of a co'iunoii kind, which is very cheap in Manchuria. STOLID AND SOLID. There is abundant evidence to corro!>orate that officer's words about the Russian moujik's capacity to take pun- • • 'iineni. An eye-witness of incidents in | ! tile Crimean War said: "A rpund shot I; wi:ntd plough its way through one of these .solid masses of nun. sweeping ,| down whole ranks. The men closed up. f Ihe whole body moved on. It was a sight that naturally impressed those ho saw it. That kind of indifference | i< dfit'i still remains characteristic ofj. » the Russian Army." | Mere. too. is a passage from S. Yer-i 's. "Foreign Affairs for English I ders" :—"Probably the first t-har-l a.-.eristic of the Russian peasant which j strikes the foreigner is his sadnos, his melancholy tempera mem. a trait which' lis naturally collect! d in Russ-an music I and folk Mings. Bin another charae-j I teristic which cannot fail to be observed Jis his doggt'lness and patience, nil . a!ui(v>t Oriental resiuuaiion. It is this j very doggednt -s which makes the Rus--'■•II one of the best soldiers in the j world The ts.-I'ntia! trait ci the Tsar's t ttvops in the Manchuria!! campaign was j thrir utter inability to understand t W*:en they were defeated. They might ik- repulsed, pursued, wounded and >!ain by the hundred or by the ! tif usand ; but hours or days after- | wards, when the scattered forces were j one. more united, the men were ready j i again." \ STRONG ON THE MARCH. | ••The marching powers of the Rus- ■ .-.tan soidjt'r ate very good indeed, excellent In fact." remarks Colonel; ' Waters. " Except on some raroj occasions (hiring the summer, whtu his • great coat or kit-bag was car: ied in a cart. he marched during all four .—.■.•[stills "1 the year, carrying a load of ;t:>m -~j(J to "1511). including the clothes lie wore, but excluding an extra thirty or forty r;>unds of ammunition sometime; i,sited before going into action.'" For time some of the regiments carried packs up to DOIb. but the averai:" drof»|h'd to .j'>-»)0l1>. Tiie treks' laitt-'-'d l r.iiu ten to twenty miles a day | ioccasionally as high as ihiny niihsV I Hie shorter i!i.-tancps were throut;h[ rlfep mttd. sand, and over hills. The j uitmetallcd tracks, cut ill» by heavy! t ra:ti», c.ere a supreme for liurdeii-j 'd tniantry after heavy rain, and the! •iu n were eqt,ai to the call. ( CLEVER WITH THE SIWDE. I fie Rtis.~iai.s- arp efliciiiit with the spa !>■: they btvaine adept iu .Manchuria :at digging themselves into cover, and ! t!f.y aNo showed skill iu the higher | I>r;«rch.-s of military engineering. "The Russians mie ri>vi>>wed of the v.ar uitli Japan "are real experts in I tieh! fortitieatioii, both iu constructing v.orfcs tiit-iuselves and in supervising li t, t! labour when th.- projects are ti.o, jvi • t«;r them to carry out. It may be : >aid to be the eharacteris.ie i.i the Rns- : tll selci t ami ti" lliemsehi s down j I't'-pan d |x>sitions, even v. hen in- ■ t-nding to a-sttm. the olfensiw." j I ''* ,ls -so--lap:niese war has proved' it' it tt tak- s an iiomeii.-e amount of hr.- to drive Russians out .strong positions. ai.d un'-s. Rns-sia'.s injure a. V.i s:a ies aiv strong enough in num-! o-.'s and -ut.'ieiently goo.! .-hots t„ do j this, the bayonet '.till have to be Used' hvf|i!»-nUv f>i wh:..|, str-ng m»n ai-' • »■. ••tlll:it'--." " (

LESS VODKA TO-DAV

One hindrance to the Russian soldiers' | efficiency for previous wars was the tini- 1 versa I indulgence in alcohol—tliei national vodka. This excessive drink-j ing intensified the dullness of the )>easaiit and marred his power to learn the modem arts of war and peace. Some months ago the Tsar sent out an' appeal to the people to rouse themselves against the evils of gross intemperance. : and reports have declared that his. words wero not in vain. I'p till thai lime the mi.sniaiia , _remonr of ihe State monopoly ill the liquor traffic had indirectly encouraged drunkenness; the lower the peasants sank in the alcoholic .•■lough, the hicher rose the profit to the State. But the Tsar has brought a j change; and one benefit of the reform' will be seen in a much better finality i of soldier.—Wellington '•Evenin" Po=t " j "