The Washington critic., 1885-09-23

The following collation. of data con-
corning the War Department is from Il
recent Washington letter in the Clcvc-
land Leddcr, and presents a good deal
of interesting information in small
space; This Department watches over
the %, eco men and 1000 officers in the
United States. Our army contains one
officer TO every twelve men, and we
have siXty-fiyc colonies, cighty-fvc
observation-disclosures, 24O majors GJ5
captains, 5;3 first lieutcnauts and 43l
second lieutcnants to watch the bands
of privatcs who 30 ont scouting against
the Indians. The highest paid man in
the army is General Sheridan, who gets
over Sl3 600 year, and the lowest the
private soldier who gets $lj6 year.
The private receives $l3 Il month and
rations. After he has been in the serv-
ice twenty years his pay may be raised
to sci Il month, but il never gets above
this. Farm hands in Ohio who receive
from $40 to $50 n month and board
are much better paid. Still our army
costs us over $50, OO0 900 year, or
~ cents TO every man, woman and
child in the country. Each inhabitant
of France pays T3.23 every year to keep
up the army; of Germany, Sl.SS; Of
England $2.5i; and of China. only II
cents OF all the nations of the world
Russia pays the most for its army,
France comes next, Great Britain
icXt and then follow Germany aud
Italy. Few grCa; nations have rs small
regular armies rs the United States.
The forces Of France number over half
million, those Of Germany nearly as
many. Austria has PSI 600 men in
its Standing army, and Russia, which
eco men. China has 100000 troops,
Japan $1,000, and little switzerland
more thNn 100000. There have been
hirty.cight secretaries of war up to
this time, and they number some of
the most noted characters of our his
tory. The first was Henry Knox, II
great friend of George Washington, II
tall fellow, weighing three hundred
pounds, who died from swallowing Il
chicken bone. Next came Timothy
Pickering, one of the mos. motel states.
men Of Revolutionary days, and later
on such Presidential timber rs james
Monroe William II. Crawford, and
John c. Calhomn. CaSi, another Presi-
dental candidate was Secretary of
War under Jackson, and Bell, also
a Presidential candidate, was at the
head of the War Department in 1871.
Later ON we find William l.. Marcy and
jeff Davis at the head Of the War De-
partmcnt. jeff Davis Is sail t) have
made a very fine Secretary, but hc
served only seven years before the re
bcllion began, and there is NJ doubt
hut that he was plotting treason while
| he was holding the war portfolio,
| of War under Buchanan, still lives
| here at Washington, and Simon Cam.
| Cron, who followed him, is II hale old
citizen of Pennsylvania. You may SEE
! the pOrlly figure of Secretary BelknIp
upon the streets of Washington any
! fine day. Judge Taft, the thiry.third
| Secretary Of War, has just returned
from his diplomatic post, AMI Don
! Cameron, who succeeded him, Is still Il
Senator of the United States. Thcr,
are, probably, more cN Secretaries OF
War living than cX.hcads of other de
purtmcnlS. The Office is not Il har,
one, and Endicott has rs soft saap a
any man in Wushington
~
Speaking Of the War Department, /
may be Of additional interest to know
what Is thought of Secretary Endi,ot
in Massachusetts. The personal men
tion of him which follows Is BY cor
respondent of the New York Er.ai".
rot and written from Snlcm: "Th
Secretary when here dwells in al
antique house ON ESSEX street, 1t Ia
small windows with little pane, o