New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-16

practically second-rate power, effected new
confederation of the German States, and raised
Prussia to such threatening prominence
among the military powers that her rivals
fastened to make peace on the best terms
they could A few weeks more Will proDa-
bly, decide whether Prussia shall retain her
precedence, or the first place hereafter belong
to France. So far as we can judge from sta
tistical returns, the two powers are almost
evenly matched, but the victory Will remain
with that one whose reserves can be the more
readily modified and whose organization VIII
work the more perfectly in practice. Theo-
retically every able-bodied adult both in France
and in Prussia is a soldier during his prime OF
life; but in France there are many exemptions
and in Prussia there are few. In Prussia,
moreover, there is larger population to draw
from than in France, for in time OF war all the
forces of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT States of South
Germany will be at Prussia's absolute disposal.
In the course of the debate the other day in
the French Corps Legislatif on the proposal to
reduce the contingent of 1871 Chat is, the
number of new troops to be raised by recruit
ing and conscription) from 100000 to 10000,
the Count de la Tour said: Even with an
"annual contingent of 100000 men our mill
" tary forces are inferior in number to those
of Germany and in another part OF his
speech he stated the effective military force OF
France to be $4,000 men and that of Germany
1,GOS, 900. Practically there will be no such
disproportion as this between the armies which
the two nations can bring face to face In the
field, and we shall not be far from the truth
if we place the effective force of France on a
war-footing at 100000 men, and that of Prus-
STA (ncluding South Germany at 10000.
Both are admirably organized and equipped.
In the war Of 1866 Prussia required only four
teen days to mobilize her entire reserve, and
it is probable that both she and France will
be able to move with equal or greater celebrity
now.
But tiff Prussia has prepOnderance of strength
on land France has an overwhelming supe-
rOrity in her navy. TO the Improvement OF
this arm of the service she has devoted during
the last few years enormous sums OF money,
and there is no feet in the world, except that
of Great Britain, which can cope with hers for
an hour. The latest improvements in naval
ordnance, armOr plating, and new systems of
attack and defense, have all been adopted.
Splendid turTet vessels, fit to rival the English
ships Monarch and Captain, rams, gun-boats,
floating batteries, eighteen iron-clad frigates
mounting from 10 to 80 guns each, and null
titude of smaller vessels, are included in this
splendid maritime force. Prussia also
has some magnificent armOred ships,
but she is no match for France on the sea,
and Napoleon can easily carry out his purpose
of blockadng most of the Prussian ports. 1t
is doubtful if any serious engagement takes
place on the water. The brunt of the cam
paign will be borne on the Rhine, in the
midst of that network of fortresses upon
which the military engineers of so many gen
erations have expended their ingenuity. Here
Prussia has the advantages of previous posses
sion and the most minute acquaintance with
the country. For years her officers have
traversed the provinces back and forth !;
her soldiers have marched over all the
roads-we might almost say have drilled in all
the fields. Ever since the first threatening of
war she has been concentrating her armies in
these strong places, and when the clash of
battle comes she will have in her favor almost
every aid which military science has devised
for defending force. She will have patri-
otto and enthusiastic people supporting her,
and just cause to give her confidence. From
present appearances it would seem that the
odds are all in her favor; but how well she Is
really prepared for battle, how well she has
preserved the admirable organization which
gave her such a superiority in 1866, are ques-
tons which can only be answered by the test
of war;