RUSSIA'S GREAT ARMY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 141, 4 February 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

RUSSIA'S GREAT ARMY.

According to Mr. Julius West, in "Soldiers of the Tsar" (Iris Publishing Co.". Russia, if hard pressed, could r,-i st' an army of no less than 10.W0.000 men, although she finds that a quaiter of these i.s all she can hand'e at once, "'but it is certainly the best quarter."

Among other interesting Russian facts given by Mr. West, a liritish journalist, who obviously knows Russia very well, : s that there are no less than 400.000 dews serving at present with the Russian forces. No dew, however, may become an officer, strictly speaking, although a tew oi them have received sub-lieutenancies.

As a lighting man. the Russian soldier does not take readily to art liery; tiie only -ore of combat he understands is the hand-to-hand variety. So the authorities supp'v him with a long, tour-edged bayonet. which, when mounted, gives him a weapon measuring sft. Gin. Aga nst this the German infantryman has only a short blade of the paper-knife shape, and is therefore fairly ineffective. Moreover, the Russian soldier's thrust includes a slight iwist, which leaves a wound ha .1 to heal. This will explain why the German offensive has almost always relied on artillery far more than upon anything eUe. Mr. Wcst mentions that in the Russian army officers and men behave towards one another with a kindly affection which i.s not typical of other European armies. "In addressing his orderly. a Russian officer will almost invariably call him 'golubshik,' which, means 'little pigeon.' Could a Brit'sii colonel, one wonders, possibly call a man •diick'e dar'ing,' without fearing to undermine all discipline?"