The Portland daily press., 1885-02-24
Eneland,s w ar Forces.

Africa some estimate of her military strength
NAV be of interest. 1t is noticeable that in
some of the dispatches alarm has been ielt
in Great Britain as to her capabilities for
meeting present emergencies, and rumors
are plentiful as to inefIlciency in several
branches of the service. A very clearly
written article in the Edinburgh Review, evil
IDENTIFY the work of a military expert, dis
cusses the whole subject.
The military policy of Great Britain has
always been of a hand-to-mouth nature.
"Instead OF considering carefully,"l writes
the critic in the Edinburgh Review, "what
were our military needs and adjusting the
strength of our army to them, we have re-
versed the process and acted as if cur re-
quirements were to be met only as far as the
strength of our army at the moment ad-
mitted." In 1900 the total number of effec-
tive soldiers was 70,745. Then came the
necessity of opposing France and Napoleon,
and in 1910 there was an English army OF
112 SIS men. Ten years after there were
81, ,1I6. In 1880 the army was reduced TO its
lowest point, As, ,049 men. Since then there
has been almost every 20 years an augmenta-
tion of 10000 men. Lord Harrington, In
Ills epbcCu db bAO ClOS6 VI ldoh Year. 5ldlcu
that the effective strength of the army had
been increased. and that there had also been
an augmentation of the reserve, amounting
in all to some 10000 men. In the estimates
of 1884 the appropriation was based on hav-
ing an effective army of 140, ,314 men, which
was some slight increase over that Of the
previous year. Some time ago there were
60, 900 men in India, 10000 on the Nile, 3d.
600 in ireland, 5000 in South Africa, max
Aokol 81 To- NJ
ducting these Ill, 900 men from the 140, 600.
it will be seen that there remains something
like 10000 efficient men TO draw upon as
reserve. Military statistics are exceedingly
uncertain things to draw deductions from.
Figures stand out very distinctly in print,
but are not always reliable. Taking the
Statesmen Year Book of 1884, the regular
forces at home and in the colonies are strted
to consist of 127, Gil men, the army reserve,
first class, as 33, 500, the second class reserve
as 5000, militia 142, ,S74, yeomanry IA, ,404,
volunteers 247, ,921, making 575,310 men as
total home and colonial force. To this may
be added the regulars in Indian establish
ments, 61 ,641 men, giving total of 636, ,951.
But numerically, counting only the efficient
men, there are some $4,000 less. OF militia
and yeomanry 100000 could be used in case
of an invasion. Deducting then from the
whole 636,951 the 405, 900, we should have
something close to 232, 900 men. The actu-
| al returns show considerably less than this.
| At the beginning of last year, and the in
| crease has been insignificant since then, the
general total may be represented as some-
where between 1885, 900 and 19S,0 900, To
| support this force the sum expended was to
| be e45, ,606,700. Showing the composition
of the men, 12S.54S were English, 14,520
| Scotch, and 36,302 Irish. To this is to be
| added GAS men of various other nationali-
4 "a. =
| all these data, the total non-commissioned
officers and men appears to be, as represent
| ed in the article of the Endinburgh review
er, about 173, 900, though he writes, "Abso-
| lutte accuracy with regard to the present
movement is not within our power" The
condition of these English soldiers as to
efficiency is equally difficult to establish, on
account of the many conflicting statements.
| If official statistics were to be believed, the
| British Army never was in finer condition,
but the universal consensus ofregimental Of
ficers is quite the opposite. Twenty being
the age on the Continent when men are
taken for military service, in England there
| are many soldiers under 20. In the old
| traditions of the service, the regulation be-
ing that man of feet 6 should be rejected,
recruits OF less height than this are accepted,
and chest measurements below 81 inches.
Returning to height, in 1884, In the ARTILLERY
there were 10000 men under 5 feet 5, and
| 8 $40 of feet 5, and in the same service q
very large proportion of the men barely COM
ing within the required chest circumference.
The writer in the Edinburgh Review insists
that large proportion of the men are unfit
for soldiers work From many causes the
waste is large. Men die, are disabled, Oh
buy their way out of service, and so this loss
amounts to 10000 year. Punishments for
military delinquencies necessarily diminish
effectiveness, for it is shown that In 1883
1854 men suffered imprisonment by court
martial. To make up these losses recruiting
must always be active. Desertions lare not
as numerous as are represented, amounting
in 1888 to !, Ut men, one-half of these men
leaving their colors during the first nine
months of service.
In examining the army estimates, the
charges for pay of regimental staff and men
was, in 1888 and 1884, Ge4, 121, ,130; for pro-
visions, transport, and other service, e3, Ill,
900; for clothing establishments and supplies
| $7S4, 900, and for the manufacture and re-
pair of war stores, 81, 1863, 500. Summing il
all up, for effective service, SIS, 1856, 300 were
wanted; for non-effective service, e2,916
900. There never has been any conflict IL
which England has been engaged When
their military ADMINISTRATOR has moi
been found fault with. After the Americans
the English are the most practical of people
but conservatism in the War Department
seems TO be of a particularly tenacious
character. Major Buxton has brought con-
spicuously before the English people this
breakdown in administration. No respon
siblities ever are taken by the individual
He must act up to the traditions of thai
War Office where he has passed his life
Then suddenly, when he is so, he is called
on to act. "We tie up" writes Major Bux
ton, ''in tight folds during peace the limb
of our minor officials, needless of their cries
and the absurdity of our dongs. When the
war comes the bands are suddenly cast of
aud we say, go and administer before the
enemy,'