The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-22
THE EUROPEAN POWERS.
Their Military strength, Numbers,
Armament and DIscipline-The Part
Each Will Play in the Coming Strug-
gle.

It seems now almost inevitable that oil, or
nearly all, the important powers OF Europe are
to be drawn into great struggle for the preser-
walton of their national honor" or the mainte
nance Of "the balance OF power" mythical
terms too often used to cloak the ambitious or
selfish schemes OF the peoples rulers. In view
OF the probability Of a general and complicated
conflict, it Is well 10 review the military strength
or The powers which will doubtless take part in
1t. The latest advices by cable strengthen the be-
lief that Russia will stand shoulder to shoulder
with the victorious legions Of King William, IN
return for certain exactly stated spoils OF posi-
BILE victory. Against this formidable combination
England, Austria, France, Italy and Turkey, knit
together by common fear, and animated by a
common interest," are to offer the fearful protest
OF armed resistance.
KNGLAND'S FORCE
in the. struggle will be almost purely naval. MT.
Kinglake has shown that at no time during the
Crilfiean war had she more than $4,000 men 10 the
field, and she had the greatest difficulty to main
tain even such force as that In the coming War,
even though she strain every nerve, IL Is narey 1
possible that icr contribution In men 10 the sli.
ance can reach 100000 Nominaly at present,
the English army musters 204, 500 men, anu only
one In every 1880 Is raw recruit, contrasting 10
this latter respect very favorable VII every Orner
the percentage Of recruits is one In every
900; in the prussan army, before the war,1
one in 3Ol: In the Austrian army, one 10
branch Of war materiei the English army
Is at least abreast OF the other Powers, and every
thing may be hoped for except men, and tnese
can only, from the exigenctes OF her position, be
supplied In limited numbers. Turning to me
naval arm OF her power, however, It is certain
that she can In this respect be indeed helpful
member OF the alliance. She now possesses at
least rorty-6ve or fifty Iron cads, varying In
tonnage from 900 to 5000 tons. Her wooden
Meet is' OF course, much larger. but the improve.
ments In modern warfare render them only uselu!
as subsidiary to Iron-clads. They would, how
ever, be very valuable In protecting English COM
merce from the attacks OF hostile privateers.
THE MILITARY STRENGTH OF FRANCE,
before the commencement Of the present war,
was believed to be certainly equal and probably
infinitely superior, to that Of he's rival. But the
shock OF actual conflict has scattered her FORCES,
and what her present value as comostant may
be 1t Is impossible to tell There are signs, how.
ever, OF returning vigor among her people, and
soon the whole country. inspret by the traditions
OF past glory Will be awake to the duties and the
exgencles Of the hour. 1t would be Idle. however,
to estimate In figures her available military re.
sources we can only be certain OF the TACT that she
has abundant strength If the opportunity Is given
her to collect 1t, and II q fair degree or energy
be eyinced by the government to whom she has
confded the care OF her honor and the security OF
her soil. The French navy: however, as yet un-
harmed In the present war, is still very formlda-
ble Its estimated strength Is 5S5 vessels, OF
which thirty are iron.clads and fifteen
noa,ng batteries. There are more than hun
dred screw and nearly two hundred paddle
wheel steamers OF all classes. The navy Is IN the
most perfect ate OF efficiency, well manned, we'll
oficered, and amply supplied with The latest i'm
proved naval war material. In any conn!cL tnat
assumes q naval form it could not (al to play d
conspicuous part, and 1t ls justly rated as only
a.cond N atrenpth tn that 0f England.
AUSTRIA,
after France, will probably furnish the largest
proportion OF human hostile automata-lying
food for powder-on the side Of the alliance, and
from all sides there comes an unYarylng report
that she has well weighed the lessons oI Sadowa
standing army In 1869 was 27S,7i0 men, and
| though probably it has since been augmented. 1t
does not now exceed $50, 900 men. Provision has
been made, according to the rev law, for raising
It by levles of force Identical In character with
| the Prussian Landwehr, to 1000 men, but the
figures are not likely to be reached except
on paper. Five hundred thousand men are the
very utmost that can be placed In the field as an
offensive force In drill and discipline these
troops are said to be vastly improved since they
last vainly encountered the Prusslans. 1t must
not be overlooked, however, that the rank and file
are grossly ignorant, and il there be any truth In
the principle which many persons believe to have
been finally established by our own war, that ed
| ucnted soldiers are better than mere fighting ma
chimes. the Austrian army Is certainly much weak
In this respect than The Prussan. In the war or
1885, out Of 4s2, ,689 men, only $3.50 were able TO
| write. AS naval power, Austria has, Of course,
no standing whatever In spite OF her single nau-
tical victory in 1856 over the iron clad Re Gulan
| tuomo. Her feet numbers but few ships. and
she possesses scarcely any men likely TO make
good use Of such resources as she has. (
ITALY
has 355OOO men, on paper, but In fact her troops
do not certainly exceed 10000. These are pretty
well armed, mostly with breech-loaders of Eng.
lsh manufacture, but the discipline s shamefully
lax and the ofilcers are by no means very high.
] ly cultured c'ass OF men. Ii she were amply aup
piled with money from without, there IS little
! doubt that Italy could muster an army OF nearly
400, 600 men, but 6 great part Of them would be,
i lpQiaa