o
their birth certificates. Finally, in the course of 1876-1878, a number
of special provisions were enacted, by way of exception from the general
military statute, for the purpose "of insuring the regular discharge of
their military duty by the Jews."

According to the new legal provisions, the Jews who had been rejected as
unfit for military service were to be replaced by other Jews and under
no circumstances by Christians. For this purpose, the Jewish conscripts
were to be segregated from the Christians after the drawing of lots, the
first stage in the recruiting process. [1] Moreover, in the case of Jews
a lower stature and a narrower chest were required than in that of
non-Jews. In the case of a shortage of "unprivileged" recruits,
permission was given to draft not only Jews enjoying, by their family
status, the third and second class privileges, but also those of the
first class, i.e., to deprive Jewish parents of their only sons. [2]

[Footnote 1: Since the number of men of military age greatly exceeds the
required number of recruits, the Russian law provides that lots be drawn
by the conscripts to determine the order in which they are to present
themselves for examination to the recruiting officers. When the quota is
completed, the remaining conscripts, i.e., those who, having drawn a
high number, have not yet been examined, are declared exempt from
military service.]

[Footnote 2: "According to Russian law, the following three categories
of recruits are exempt from military service: 1) the only sons; 2) the
only wage-earning sons, though there be other sons in the family; 3)
those who have an elder brother or brothers in the army. The first
category is exempt under all circumstances; the last two on condition
that the required number of recruits be secured out of the
"unprivileged" conscripts. Only in the case of the Jews is the first
category drawn upon in the case of a shortage.]

In this manner the Government sought to "insure" with ruthless vigor the
discharge of this most onerous duty on the part of the Jews, without
making any attempt to insure at the same time the rights of this
population of three millions which was made to spill its blood for the
fatherland. In the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, many Jewish soldiers
fought for Russia, and a goodly number of them were killed or wounded on
the battlefield. Yet in the Russian military headquarters--the post of
commander-in-chief was occupied by the crown