The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-11
WAR AND THE CHOLERA.
Two Grave Dangers that Recently
Threatened Great Britain.
Comparison of the War Forces of England
and France-PrebabilIties About the
Cholera-MinOr Matters.
Special Correspondence of the Journal

threatened during the past fortnight Win
two of the very gravest dangers. An inya-
sion of cholera has menaced it and war with
France has seemed imminent The latter
peril is now, however, very much lessened.
The first flush of indignation at the outrage
on the British flag has subsidized, and if the
promise of an apology, should one be need
ed, is carried out, and the French have the
good sense to avoid making national cause
of NJ De Lesseps claim to a monopoly of the
Isthmus of Suez, the feeling between the
two countries will soon, doubtless, be as
amicable as before the recent unpleasantness
occurred-a contamination that is most de
youtly to be wished both for the sake of the
two nations themselves and of the entire
world. With Germany, Austria and Italy in
an alliance against her, France could i'll
afford to quarrel with England, especially
when it is remembered that disagreements
with this power have caused mortal wounds
to be inflicted upon every government of
that country, except two in the last century.
Neither, on the other hand, can Great Britain
afford to precipltate quarrel with France.
To say nothing of the disastrous results to
trade, or of the penalties in blood and treas
ure she would have to pay, it is by no
means certain how or when such a war
would terminate. TO be sure, if one put
himself under the influence of the lingo
spirit that obtains here, he could easily pre-
dict as the result of such a conflict, COM
plete and speedy victory for the British. In
the good opinion they have of themselves 1
should certainly think the people of this
Ia
ton on earth. National boasting is carried
on rather freely in the United States, and we
are often censured and even ridiculed for
this indulgence; and perhaps our most I'M
merciful critics are the pfess and people of
England who are themselves the greatest
sinners in this line. The confidence which
the masses express in the ability of their
government to clean out any of the other
great powers approaches the sublime, and as
for the republic Of France that, they seem
to think could be disposed of with scarcely
an effort. Such assurance you'd be all very
well if it had a solid foundation to rest upon,
but facts and figures seem to be against it.
There is surely something in numbers, and
in the event of war the relative size of the
standing armies in the two countries would
not be wholly unworthy of consideration.
Here France has a great advantage, for she
has between three and four hundred thou
sandsmen ready for service. while England,
deducting her Indian contingency, has not
more than half as many. France, in fact,
could, on short notice, have a round million
under arms, and all would have had more or
less of military discipline.
THE ENGLISH FORCE.
Against so vast force as this, England's
army, even when supplemented by her 300,
900 volunteers and 10000 militia, with The
reserves and Yeoman cavalry thrown in,
would make but small showing numerical
sy, and the volunteers it must be horne in
mind, could only be called upon for home
duty. In regard to the relative maritime
strength of the two powers opinions differ
but the French navy has usually been rated
the second in Europe, and 1 heard the opin-
Ion expressed not long ago, by one in
position to know, that it was at the pres
ent time very little inferior to that of Great
Britain. A war would, of course, bring re-
cruits into the English army, for the spirit
Of patriotism would be aroused and an active
campaign, with its chances of preferment
and reward would hold out inducements to
soldering such as under existing crcumstan-
res are sadly wanting here. At present the
work of enlistment drags along very slowly
Life on the tented field seems to have lost It's
attractiveness for the present generation of
Englishmen, and in the highest military cir
cles 1t is a serious question whether before
long some system of CONSUMPTION will not
have to be adopted. This decline in the
popularity of the military service is due to a
variety of causes The men are badly treat
ed and poorly paid, and thus, as Sir Linton
Simmons says, their term of service ending
there is scattered broadcast over
the country a dissatisfied body
of men who almost without
exception may be assumed to be living agen-
cies operating energetcally and actively as
checks to the Establishments of recruiters -
Then, there is a strong anti-war sentiment
springIng up in the land. Pulpits and plat
forms are ringing with the teachings Of the
National Peace Society. Young men go to
listen, and naturally whatever inclination
they may have had to join the army are
cooled, if not stamped ont Another, and a
somewhat singuler reason for the falling off
in the number of recruits in these days, but
one. nevertheless, which army authorities
have been compelled to take into their recS-
oning is the decadence of the public house.
The intimate connection between these
places and the military service can be infer
red from the remark made recently in ali
seriousness by an officer of considerable
rank, that if the public houses ceased to exist
the British army would cease to exist-an
extreme view no doubt but the fact remains
that young men in this country are learning
habits of sobriety, and that in proportion as
they absent themselves from public drinking
places they not only escape the solicitations
Of those whose business it is to persuade
chem to enlist but eschew those habits the
Indulgence of which might make enlistment
seem desirable. Still another drawback to
the recruiting business is to be found in the
large number who yearly leave these
shores to seek fortunes in lands
where there is more room and a better
chance to get on and, should CONSUMPTION
ever be resorted to the drain in this direc-