t for military-medical supplies and 1 for side-arms. The figures of their
porduction, when taking into consideration the time required for bringing
out certain manufactures as compared with the model factories of some
other countries, tend to show that the technical backwardness of the Soviet
military industry is no longer as great as is usually assumed. The weakest
part of this industry is the automobile manufactory, and the building of
some parts of aeroplanes; the construction of the aeroplanes themselves
is, however, in a greater state of perfection, though, in comparison with
other great countries, the Soviet aviation is still rather weak.
In order to convey some idea of the Governments aspirations and of its
opinion of the comparative importance of the different branches of the
various industries, we might point to the military chemical and aviation
industries, where strenuous work is being done. In chemistry, the work
is naturally carried out unobtrusively and does not attract general attention;
but the great progress of the “Dobrochim’ (association of the friends of
chemical defence), headed by eminent specialists of pre-war time, is In
itself a significant augury. The above mentioned figures showing the number
of aeroplane factories and of the planes already in existence in the Red
Army, when compared with the respective figures from the time of the
Great War, go to show that in Russia the same as in other countries,
feverish work is being done to make amends for the enormous defi-
ciencies still existing in the air-force.
III.
In summarising the above elucidated description of the Red Army, one
comes to the conclusion that it has a finished and harmonious organisation
on paper, but it is doubtful whether all that which is undertaken, is fully
accomplished, and whether all the conditions indispensable from a military
point of view are observed. As has already been pointed out, the staff of
commanders is weak; much time, instead of being devoted to military
training, is spent on instructing the troops politically, and it is evident that
the training of the army suffers under these conditions.
The Government is aware of the present state of affairs, and is trying
to round off the edges as far as possible completing the training of the
troops by spreading military knowledge among the population by means
of the press, and by founding different circles for self-education and
military associations, etc., but these palliatives can evidently not replace the
military training. If to this the low condition of technical equipment in the
Army is added, we shall have to acknowledge that on the whole the mili-
tary preparedness of the Red Army is not of a high standard, and at all
events much inferior to that of the armies of Russia's western neichbours.
DIR