The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-16
COST OF AMERicAN ARMAMEnrs
From the Pail Mali Gazette, Dec. 81

From the Pail Mall Gazette, Dec. 27.l
At time when the seizure OF the Virginius mas
30 nearly led to q war between SPAN AZ "a the
United States more than usual interest att Aches to
the annual reports Of the American secretari of
War and OF the Navy From another Sint of view.
too, study Of these reports may pIove not uuin.
structive, as afrording material for comparison,
both as to cost and efficiency, with our own fighting
services. 1t appears, then, t<om the statement Of
General Sherman, the Lieutenant General Of the
army OF the United Ssates, that the American
army comprises altogether 29,5O6 men, OF whom
1910 are n0n-4ombatants, showing 1856
enlisted mel. or cavalry, artillery and IN
fantry" Bot, the General goes on to say, "in
the active regiments the number of men sick and
the necessary details about the post will fully
equal rs per cent so that the actual strength for
military service does not exceed $50 menu This
is not q very formidable force even as regards
such an antagonist as Spain; but, OF course, 1t
would speedily be raised 10 any strength required
However, the question Is not what would or might
be, but what Isl and that Is that the effective army
OF the United States numbers less than 10000
men. To maintain this army the estimates for the
current fiscal year-the year that will end on June
&c. 1874 for GO, 1856 275, reckoning S. the
pound; and the estimate for next year, ending with
June, 1876 exceeds this SUN by little more than
half million Of dollars In making appropriations
for the current year. Congress cut down the EST.
rro,as h,, cora,o, po,.n.,, ,oa,,.. ..o, ~. $50
n"'os' 'u' "o"o."' oe'A""p in'is'S 'uas Tic sui"
struck out must be reinserted. In addition to the
above estimates. the Score ary of War asks for a
vote OF 1908 for engineering purposes and the
armament Of forts. Thus the estimates for the
OF the United states amount to eli 147 is3: that is
to say, they amounted to SO much when first SUBJ
partment 6uI the teeSrapn has since Informed ns
that further votes have been proposed for iortifca
tiOns liz shoud he mentioned however that
according TO the statement of the Secretary
of the Treasury the actual outlay of ali
kinds on the military establishment last year was
only GO 264 GIT 40 that an increase of expenditure
OF q SS2 568 is now recommended Our own mil.
tary establlshment as the reader Is aware, com
se WSoS Of @s
buildings occasion charge all the year round, the
men being called out for only short period and,
lastly a Volunteer force receiving a grant in Aid
Ii we omit the charge on account OF the abolition
OF purchase, the cost OF this entire estauIishment
for an expenditure about two.thirds of our own
the United States obtained an army not nearly
one fourth OF ours In number OF men. and without
an irregular force OF any kind to supplement it,
1t is unnecessary to remind the reader that the
militia is a state ate, not federal force: :,
the Navy and the sub-report of the Chief OF the
Ordnance we find equally strong evidence OF the
Wasteiul DISQUALIFICATION OF the public revenues.
T6e Whole nnmber Of vessels OF All kinds COM
prisnu the American Navy is 1865 and they are
thus described by Mr.. Secretary Robeson -'63
S26 guns; 20 sailing vessels 322 guns; As iron.cIad
VESSELS i2l puns and 2l tuus used Tor navy ward
and freight Durposes.n In n naval battle With a
Power possessing q respectable fleet, ron-clads
alone. OF course would be OF any real
use How much service these American on-ciads
mig INT be counted on to render may be gathered
from the fact here shoWu that on an average they
carry less than three guns each. they are In
fact monitors many, at least OF an anti1uated
KIND Indeed. II we NAV Judge of the seA-gong
qualities of these vessels from the behavior OF
the monitor Manhattan, which has lust been
Of-a
sauadron they would be much more dangerous TO
their own crews than to an enemy She mad
hardly got outside the Delaware Breakwater when
saws New York paper, 'her turret started
the quarters of the men were Hooded, the water
poured in, and the pumps could not Tree her; in
the imminent danger OF her going to
the bottom, the boats and life rats
were got out and every preparation was made to
abandon her. 1t does not appear to have been I'M
usually stormy weather that she encountered, for
the Powhatan which had her In tow suffered no
Inconvenience from it.u OF the whole feet MIR.
Robson himself speaks as follows :-"Many Of the
ships now on the navy list and which serve TO
swell the number In the figures above given are
far from being such as are really needed and their
true condition, winch has been often officially rep
appreciated by reference to the reports
OF the bureaus which arc herewith
transmlttedn In plain language, they are
utterly worthless Nor this all. The
cities on our coast are in very deienceless state
and the tedious and costly work OF preparation
cannot be commenced on the breaking out OF q
war with the hope of accomplishing any ade-
Quate result" To sum up, the money actually
voted last spring tor the expenses oil the naval
establishment for the current fiscal ear beginning
with July last amounted TO s4,G29. $40, and in re-
saa we rone IN its navy yard