The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-18
She 9ailg Arsas.

highlands Military Resources.
The Chicago Inter Ocean says:
THE following is the effective land force
that England might call into the field at
short notice:
Regular army $4,000 of those
serving at present in India) :. .lS9, 900
Reserve and auxiliary forces >. SAG, 900
Indian colonial troops. .l27, 900
Colonial militia volunteers, &C.. -. $1,000
The unframed militia of Canada and
the contingents furnished by the native
Indian states are not included in the
above"
Assuming the correctness of these figures
they cannot be said to represent the
| effective land force that England might
call into the field at short notice"-if a
European field is meant The $4,000
regular troops now in India must be kept
there to prevent another mutiny; and in
event of war with Russia this force might
have to be increased, as Russian agents
would undoubtedly endeavor to stir up
lnsurrectiou among the natives. In case
Russia should invade India, which is quite
within the range of probability, England
would have to double her military strength
there: using half of it to repress rebellion
and the other half to resist invasion. The
Indian colonial troops would of course re-
main 10 India, as would ''the contingents
furnished by native Indian states" Under
the head of reserve and auxiliary forces"
are, We think. embraced the militia, yeo
many and volunteers, who are organized
for home defence and would not be sent out
OF the kingdom. The colonial militia and
volunteer" would stay in their respective
colonies. With her present resources Eng
land could not raise regular army of lOO,-
900 men for European service, and even il
these resources were enlarged to greater
extent than ever before they would not pro.
duce 200. 900 regulars for European service.
in all her continental campaigns here
tofore England has relied upon foreign
allies and contingents; the latter generally
paid, wholly or in part. by the British
government. Thus at the decisive battle
OF Waterloo the army commanded BY
Wellington numbered 1884, divided al
follows: 25,3S9 English, l7,488 Neither
landers, 10,095 Hanoverians, 6,793 Ger
mans, 6,303 Brunswickers, and 2,92t
Nassauers. England's power lies in hel
navy and in the depth of her purse-the
latter especially How much the purse
has to do with it will be seen by brie
glance at the financial statistics of the
important wars in which England ha'
been engaged during the last hundred and
twenty years.
The:seven years war with France, which
began in 1856, cost $500. 200. 0O0-equal t.
at least $3.50. 100000 now The unsuc
cessful war against the American colonies
cost about 5000. 100000, The NapoleoDi
wars 1913 to 1Sl5-cost $4,000, 600, 900
The Crimean war, an Insignificant affai
comparatively. cast $2OO,OOO,0OO. Evi
IDENTIFY the $30,O00,0O0 just voted b
parliament will be a mere drop in tn
bucket" should England and Russia com
to blows. Indeed, it is said more tina
half of this appropriation has already bee
expended, But the English people, thong
they love money more than perhaps an
q other nation, will spend it freely when the
blood is up and if the lion and th
bear join in deadly combat, the formt
will have dollars where the latter hs
I cents.-&. Louis Rep.