The New York herald., 1870-11-17

uia, ltaly ana turkey, Knit together by common
fear, and animated by common interest are to
OFFER the fearful protest OF armed resistance taking
Into the alliance matter Of course, the humllla
ted armies OF France.
To estimate the relative strength OF these military
considerations we must look first at the nominal
and statistical strength OF the armies which win
compose them, and then, not without some hest
.ahcy ehdeavor to fairly state their real and actual
Importance
Ehghhds place In this awful struggle Will be al.
most purely naval Her army at the best has never
possessed any great numerical value and the vast
extent OF her colonial territories aud The shoulder.
Ing disaffectiOn OF large part OF her population
enectualy cripples her military strength Mr. King.
lake has shown that at no time during the Crimean
war had she more than &c, 600 men In the field
and she had the greatest dInicuty to maintain
even such picayune force as that In the coming
war, which Will be severer, sterner and more ter
rlbe battle for dear life, she will doubtless make
grander efforts and sublimer sacrnces but, even
though she strain every nerve 1t Is barely possible
that her contribution in men 10 the alliance can
reach 10000. These troops VIII doubtless form
splendid auxiliary army. They viii be per-
fecty disciplined, well armed with breecIl-
leaders, and oficcred by fair sprInk-
ling OF men Of military genius, such as
Sir Robert Napier, and by numerous remainder OF
gallant, reckless daredevil gentlemanly blockheads
VINO VIII be at least ready TO cheerfully die at tho
head or their regiments. Nominaliy at present the
English army musters 204 600 men, and only one In
every 1850 Is raw recruit. contrasting in this latter
respect very favorably with every other European
Power. In the Russian army the percentage OF re.
cruts is one in COO: In the Prussan army beore the
war; one in 301; In the Austrian army one In 405; IN
the Turkish army, one in 600. In every branch of
war nsate,iel the English army ls a: least
abreast OF the other Powers, and any
thing that industry or money can do to
secure It's further efficiency Will be done From
England, 80 far as military aid is concerned, every
thing may be hoped for except men, and these can
only. from the exigencles OF her position, be sup
piled In extremely limited numbers
Turning to the naval arm or her power however,
1t is certain that she in tins respect be indeed
helpful member Of the alliance. She now possesses
at least forydv or fifty ironclads, varying in ton.
mage from 900 to 6o00 tons and in spite OF the recent
sad experience OF unseaworthiness OF the model
upon which many OF these are built, as shown by
the disaster 10 the Captain, there be little doubt
that the body OF the fleet Is In condition to do some
hard and useful work. Her wooden fleet Is, of
course, much larger but the improvements IN
modern warfare render them only useful as subsidl.
ary to the iron-clads. They would however he very
valuable in protecting English commerce rom the
attacks Of hostile prlvateers.
FRANCE
The present condition of France supplies pcrhaps.
more conspicuonsly than anything else an example
OF the folly OF relying TOO much peace and paper
estimates OF military strength. Before the com
mencemenJ OF the present war military strength
was believed TO be certainly equal, and probably
infinitely superior, TO that Of her arch
rival But the shock OF actual con.
nict has scattered her forces in utter rout,
What her present value as combatanr may DO 1t Is
impossible to tell and IL, perhaps foolish guess
But II the interposition Of her probable new allies
can only succeed in arording her brief breathing
SPELL In which to collect her resources for the sec
ond act Of this dreadful drama, she may yet show .
strength that viii surprise those who nov
regard her with feelings OF pity or per
haps even contempt. Already there are sign
OF returning vlgor among her people, an,
soon the whole country. inspired by the traditions
OF past glory, VIII be awake to The duties ana the
exigences OF the hour. Money and time-these can
easily be given her by the aid Of friendly incerfer.
ence, and these VIII enable her to spring from the
present degradation Of shameful defeat. IL would
be idle, however, to estimate In figures her available
military resources; we can only be certain OF the
ldtt tnub tuub pIS sITcHBLD, III the Oh.
portunity is given her to collect 1t, and II a far
degree of energy bo evinced by the government TO
whom she has conaded the care Of her honor and
the security Of her soil.
The French navy, however. as &c. unharrned In
the present war, is stin very formidable, and may
perhaps, play an important part in the coming
strife. Its estimated strength is 5s5 vessels, of
which thirtyseven iron.cads and fifteen floating
batteries. There are more than hundred screw
and nearly two hundred paddlewheel steamers OF
all classes. The navy Is in the most per-
feet state OF efficiency, well manned, wen
ollicered ana amply furnished VITA the
latest improved naval war material. In any conflict
tnst assumed naval form it could not fail to play
a conspicuous part, and it IS justly rated as only
second In strength to that OF England.
AUSTRIA,
after France will probably furnish the largest proper.
ton of human hostile automata-living food for pow
der. And from all sides there comes an unvaryng re.
port that she has well weighed the lessons OF Sadova
and the AustroPrussian war OF 1865 she has
since those terrible disasters busily employed
herself In stilling the antagonism OF the
various races tnat compose her population,
and by her unceasing attention to the
grievances OF her Hungarian and Polish citizens has
largely succeeded Never before has her empire
Dccu 80 CompdCtiy anu ClOSely Welueu together:
never have her people been SO uniformly and uni
versay patriotic TO the throne. Then the new army
law OF December 5, 1868, has now had fair time to
get its machinery into good and reliable working
order. The actual standing army In 1869 was how.
ever, only 27s7I0 men, and, though probably
1t has Soc been augmented it does not
now exc 100000 men. Provision has been
made, a. oi.ng 70 the new law, for raising
1t by lcvies OF u fore. identical In character with
the Prussan landwehr to 100000 men, but the
figures not likely to be reached except on paper
Five hundred thousand men are the very utmost
that can be placed In the field offensive force
In drill and discipline these troops are said to be
vastly improved since they last vainly encountered
the Prussans, and OF late all oficers entering the
army have been subjected to rigid ana searching
examination, so that though q great number o
numskuls still no doubt hamper It's efllciency
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