Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-07-16
THE EUROPEAN WAR.
What Ihe New York Papers say of it.

France, the military Colossus of th
West, has, according to the latest an
most accurate advices, under the new law
recently carried into effect, Ala, 632 so
diers on the peace footing, 647,27 of
field army, or 1850, 900 men in sll fo
her entire ordinary war strength. o
these $40, 900 men are ready to march a
the tap of the drum on the outbreak o
hostilities. Austria, which, correctly o
incorrectly, is regarded as the inevitabl
alley of France, has 278, 470 men on tn
peace establishment, S98, roo of wa
strength, or 100000 fully prepared t,
move. Could the South German confed
Grafton, or group of States, be secured ol
the same side, they have so, $40 men OIL
the peace, or 1S4, 406 on the war footing
with 107, 900 of these prepared for instan
service. Such coalition would givI
France the control of N, 900 fightint
men at once, with reserve of 1896, 10l
trained soldiers.
On the other hand, Prussia has T26,
600 men on the peace or l, 1865, 900 OF
the war footing, with $4,000 now ready
for operations on her Western frontier,
North Germany, going with Prussia, ha:
3l5, 526 on the peace 521, 1898 on the field
or 944, 321 on the war footing, of which
546, 900 are instantly available. This
would place at Prussian disposal SAG, ,0oC
men for the first moment, and 1854, 321
in reserve. Thus she would have, in
stantly, 1000 men more, and hereafter
231, 765 less than the French alliance.
Should she be able to manage Southern
Germany for her cause, she would have
LOSS, 900 men, or 10000 more than
France to move at once or quite enough
to cope with her and Austria together, for
the time being with all the advantages of
a common language and position. This
would leave Prussia still a reserve of l, :
AL, 726 men, or only 154,379 less than
! that of France and Austria coalesced, a
difference swamped to the extent or near
ly-9O, 900 men by her superiority of i'm
mediate force. -.--..--l..... ..s - .-..
The inquiry now arises as to what
would be the course of the adjacent Pow
| ers. France has seriously angered Italy,
and the latter is reported to have formed
defensive, if not an offensive, alliance
with Prussia. In such case, the latter be
ing attacked by France, the Italians, out
of force of 376,721 on a war footing,
with 1917, 900 of reserve, or SIS, ,721 in
all, could spare possibly 100000 men to
operate on the French frontier or hold a
hostile corps in check. The direct and
open participation of Russia is hardly to
be expected unless circumstances should
force her into the melee. In that case she
could dispose of about $50, 600 men from
about 700, 900 composing her army in Eu-
rope, including the Cossacks. She could
take no other course by family alliance,
position and the recollection of Crimean
wounds than to aid Prussia. Sweden and
Denmark would, if they dared to move at
all, have to go in the same direction, with
about so, 600 men. Thus Italy, the Gar
and Scandinavia would bring King Viii
liam 100000 men-a force that, with
South German aid, would place him 430, :
900 ahead of France, allowing England,
Belgium, Holland and Switzerland to re-
main neutral-a proviso difficult to admit
in such a universal conflict. As for Spain,
it is clear that, should she accept the Ho-
henzollern Prince, she would cast all the
little strength she has for Prussia. Should
she reject Leopold the war issue would
cease, and these speculaiions become
needless
The naval forces of the respective
powers we do not here introduce, for the
reason that the contest would chiefly be
decided by land and quickly, as the
geographical position of the belligerents
indicates. We reserve that branch of the
subject for another day, but may, in the
meanwhile, remark that the French navy
is quite equal to all the rest of Europe
excepting England) combined, in fight
ing point of view.
The general deduction from this dpercu
of facts is, plainly, that should all Ger
many go with Prussia, and the other
powers stand aloof, France, even if aided
by Austria, would have to make up by
discipline, enthusiasm and gal,antry for a
heavy discrepancy of numbers. Should
she, however, rival in these days the wild
energy of the revolutionary Directory,
which hurled fourteen armies against the
invading strangers and hunted them back
10 their own capitals, she might still reap
fresh triumphs. Her terrible Chassepots
and rifled revolving steel cannon are quite
equal, if not superior, to anything Prussia
has, and she possesses shallow iron-clad
gunboats for river service that might scour
the naYigable Rhine and its tributaries.
Again, on the other hand, should Russia,
Italy and Scandinavia, too, be forced
against her, then, indeed, the odds would
be alarming. .--..r |
The Herald thus outlines what it con
siders the
EFFECTS HERE OF WAR IN EUROPE.
War in Europe will have its first effect
here by immensely increasing the flow of
immigrants. Already every careful father
who can gather the cash and scents the
conscriptiOn afar offs paying the passage
of his boys to America. From America
they may return home again richer than
they went, or the father, perchance, may
follow on the voyage; from the army
they would probably never return. And
this result is secured to us merely by the
war lover, even without the war. Next
to the increase in immigration will be a
demand for our breadstuffs and high prices
for our splendid grain crops. If the war
lasts we shall even fill some big gun con-
tracts, and our workshops will burn gas.
Europe will go on the debtor side of the
of the books in a very unqualified way.
Onr bonds at first will go down in the
markets of Europe; for there will be
rush for money to be handled in the great
financial transactions, and all values held
as investment will be on the market: but
this will be only a first effect. Later it
will be realized that the bonds of this
great, prosperous, peaceable people are
the only securities worth holding, and
they will be in demand at any price.
EFFECT ON SHIPPING.
The Times (money article):-
The mail on Tuesday goes by the Ham
burg steamer This line as well as the
Bremen, is under the flag of the North
German Confederation, and in case of
war between France and Prussia, would
be subject to trouble on the high seas, as
the property of one of the belligerents.
The same inconvenience would follow to
the French line, so that the British flag
would become the favorite for shippers
Especially of treasure) and passengers in
the absence of steamship competition
under our own flag. On this point the
threatened eXigency suggests the wisdom