Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-04-11
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Rivalry Of RBeIand and France.
The great nations Of Europe, says the New
York EpeniEg Post are just now playing
what Punch well oharacterises as 1.-THE
Game of Beggar my Neighbor.p European
politics have become so complicated during
the last two years, BY the inscrutable con-
duct Of the Emperor Napoleon, by the sue
cess Of the Italian patriots, and by the front
which the people Of Hungary and Poland
have shown their rulers, that the principal
nations of Europe are, at immense expense,
putting their armies and naVies upon q war
footing. 1t is remarkable that with the ex-
ception Of perhaps the Emperor of France,
one of the rulers of Europe wants war.
1t would be difficult TO point out one, even,
whose interests do not move him more
strongly for peace. The estimates which we
have gathered below do not, therefore, repre-
sent the cost of actual war, but only the
price at which great and powerful nations
think themselves compelled to buy peace.
The English Commons have just made an
annual appropriation of over $6l, 600, 900 10
support the navy during the year 1861; and
another sum of $24, ,000,0 900 for the 'pay and
allowances Of the land forces"-in all $685.
100000. .-v.r -.s
LAST year, having a Chinese war on her
hands, England's navy was manned with
$4,000 seamen of all grades. This year the
that there is reserve of about $4,000 men
ready for service if necessary. The British
navy has for several years suffered, like our
own, for the lack of seamen; and the Gov
eTDment has found it necessary to ship and
train boys, in order to increase the supply of
experienced men in time to come. There
are 5000 boys in the navy, which number, if
kept up, is said to afford supply of about
1900 seamen per annum.f The wages of
British seamen cost the nation $l550O 900
per annum, and their food not less than $6,-
100000. ...- ..
The British navy now contains So screw
line of battle ships and Ia paddle. wheels
making in all 67 steamships Of the line. We
have not at this time single steamship Of
the line in the United States navy, though,
the Niagara is, perhaps, an, easy match for
any two British liners.
The French have 35 line Of battle ships
a1oat and 2 building, making 81. The En-
glish navy has of frigates 81 screws and
paddles afloat, besides 12 building, making
total of So frigates. The French have l8
paddle frigates and 81 screws, making total
OF 80 afost, and they have eight more build
ing, making grand total of AZ. The French
have 266 ships Of all classes and 81 building,
making total of 327. The English navy
has total of 500 vessels afloat and 81 build
ing and converting giving a total of 562.
Russia has 9 line-of battle and II frigates
afloRt; Spain, 2 line-of battle and IL frigates;
Italy, l hne-of battle and is frigates ali
steamers. France has iron-cased ships,
iron-cased frigates, 4 floating batteries and s
iron cased gun-boats a1oat or building.
Spain and Russia and Italy are building IRON
cased frigates. England has the Warrior
and two other large iron-cased ships afloat
and building, and $5oO,OOo is needed next
year to furnish these and complete another.
There were built and added TO the British
navy last year ships1ofthe. line, frigates and
other vessels to the amount of 80 288 tuus
and S,760 horse power, while $3.50 horse
power will be added during the present
year. 80 F
/. sRAdBN IN THE FRENCH NAVY.
The whole number of seamen of France
amounts to 10000; but of these the French
navy has but $4,000 men. Lord Clarence
Paget said recently in the House of Com
mons: q. ,.....--.. ........... ......... nd .
p From all the concurrent testimony which
he could obtain, he found that the French
navy contsiAsd from 1000 to 38, 900 men,
Of these 10000 belonged to the conscription
and $4,000 to the absorption. The latter
were the seafaring population of France who
were liable to serve. Then, what had they
in addition in reserve2 French officers who
had studied these things would tell them
that in the course of month OF six weeks
and particularly in the Winter, they could
sdd at once $4,000 men to the navy. That
was his honest belief. They had now 38, 600,
and they could add 25, 900 in the course of a
month. He admitted that this would be bY
very much damaging their mercantile ma
rine. If they took the actual naval force of
France, every seafaring man she had the
power TO obtain, they would find that France
could produce, within not long period,
certainly not far short of 81, 900 men,
IRoN-cLAD sHIPs OF WAR.
Not many years ago the navies of the
world were reorganized by the introduction
of steam, and scarce have men and officers
fairly become used to this than England and
France begin change greater yet, by the
construction of iron vessels. Napoleon has
launched his La GIoire, and Britain her
Warrior; the former 5000, and the latter
5000 tuns. But this is uot the only differ
ence. The French ship is all on-cased, the
British only partly so. In further discus
sion of the relative merits of these ships, an
English journal says: "a" .
"TLere can be no doubt that when you
build ships of great speed with very fine
ends, and load these ends with heavy armor-
plates, it is impossible those ships can 90
well in heavy sea. This is one of the de-
fects of the foreign iron-cased ships now
building. They will do tolerably well in
smooth water, but in heavy sea they will
be total failures"
Bearing this in mind, the British Ad-
miralty have preferred the iron sides to the
entire iron case, leaving the stem and stern
unencumbered, but with such internal ar
rangements as to render the entrance Of shot
in the undefended places of no serious con-
sequence. The French are built of wood,
eased with iron, the English mainly OF iron.
The French are not rugged for sailing, de-
pending solely on steam, and must, conse-
quently, have their movements confined to
their home waters, when not too much
ruffled by breeze. The English iron-sides
will be rugged so as to carry sail to any des-
tination- beyond the capabilities of their
steam power. I.8,. q -.. ........ .....
There is one more difference, singularly
characteristic of the two nations; the French
have on the deck of their own ship an iron
safe for the Captain, and the English have
not. r. ..... . ... -..
Charleston on the Eve OF War-The Ball
.' About TO Open.