'Russia and India in 1903' [‎5v] (10/68)

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RUSSIA AND INDIA IN 1903.
year. This liability continues until the completion of
the forty-third year.
(^) All men physically capable who for one reason
or another have been freed from regular service. Their
liability continues until the close of their twenty-fifth
year, and during these four years they can be called up
twice for a six weeks" training, but in practice it is
shortened by a fortnight.
The Second Class of the Militia includes all other
persons exempted or rejected from the regular service
upon any ground until the forty-fourth birthday. This
is a nominal, rather than a real, liability, and lists are
not kept of the second class.
The four junior years of the Opoltschenie are
capable of giving an addition to the Regular Army
of 800,000 men, and the four senior years of 600,000
men, bringing the total of the mobilised Standing
Army and its Reserves to the gigantic figure of
5,400,000 men—or 21 per cent, of the male popula
tion between the working ages of eighteen and fifty-five.
To these totals should be further added, in considering
the armed strength of Russia, 15,000 gendarmes under
the Ministry of the Interior, and 35,000 Frontier Guards
under the Ministry of Finance, each representing the
pick of the retired non-commissioned officers of the
Army, besides 41,500 sailors.
Officers .—The officering of so large a force presents
very serious difficulties, especially in a country which
is to so large an extent destitute of the squirearchy of
England, or the “ kleine Adel ” of Germany, whose
sons make such admirable officers. The pay is neces
sarily small, and the increase in the opportunities of
civil and industrial life, renders the retention of officers
of ability a matter of much concern. Various systems
are, therefore, in operation.
The first—and the best—is the maintenance of a
large number of military schools in all parts of the
country, giving an excellent education to over 10,000