The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-01-30

iotll --------.,-.- ...-.....s.. 3 years.
We have not included any OF the Indian
disturbances since the close Of the rebellion,
though these were larger affairs than many
of the so-calIed wars" which Great Britain
has carried on with African, Asiatic and island
tribes II may be objected that many that
we have included were insignificant strug-
giles
1t is true they were insignificant compared
with great modern wars, but every one of
them was larger operation, and attended
with a greater loss of life than the average
Affairs which England has dignifed with the
the name of wars, and honored the victors
with Peerages and large grants of money.
Take, for example, our almost forgotten
Seminole war" which lasted six years, and
cost US ,44G lives and over 100000. 1t
was much more really "war," in all
that war means, than the Egyptian war"
the Abyssinian war;" the "Ashantee war"
and scores of others, which have filled the
English papers, added many names to the
peerage, and drawn great sums from the
Treasury to reward successful commanders.
With the exception Of the Crimean war
which was about the size OF the campaign
against Yicksburg,-" England has not
fought anybody who wore pantaloons for
IS years" as Won Molke is reported TO have
said
The writer reiterates the current nonsense
about the comparative size of the pension
expenditures of this country and England
There is no such disparity as he alleges.
The recent budget contained the following
items Of expenditure for the army, which
are almost wholly in the nature of pensions:
Rewards for military seryice...............f Iq 400
Pay Of reduced aud retired ofieers....... ls7 400
Widows pensions and com passionate al
lowances ....... 10 100
Pensions for wounds Is 600
In-penslois. 81 200
OutpensiOus BIZ 100
experimentation allowances. i55 900
Total for army ...... z gl5 100
Reduced 10 dollars. sl4.7Zs,5O0
At the game time there WAS paid out for
naval pensions:
Half-pAy eic-...''-..........-......-.. fsl2.eO0
Pensions aud allowances. ........... IZs8.lO0
G2058.GOO
Reduced 70 dollhrs......... $40 2G5 900
Army pensions brought down. 147zs.5OO
Total pension expenditures. s2i. 9s3. 800
The annual value Of our pension-roll.
according 10 the Commissioners report for
1899, was $64216,55238. This included
| 81 ,492704 paid on account Of the war OF
! 1872, and $2,2340iG on account Of war with
| Mexico, besides large amounts TO those in
! jured in the constant Indian wars in which
we have been engaged, as well as in the
casualties that must occur even in times OF
| profound peace in our army Of $4,000 men.
| So it will be seen that the annual value Of
the British pension-roll is allu0st half Mat Of
our OUn, instead Of scarcely one-tenth, as
such writer's as the Tines lStdr's tries "a
make out.
Again, Great Britain has never had %
exceed $4,000 men on her army -roIIs and
10000 in her navy. On the other hand, VIC
maintained for four long years of terrible
fighting force, afloat and ashore averaging
over 100000 men. In that time ne Lost more
men actually killed on the field Of JatAe Than
England has lost since the days of Hllliam
the COnquerOr.
The writer says:
The German Empire in fits great wars with
| Austria and France. within the generation sill
living %, has had under arms host equal 10 one.
! half Of the population Of the arms- bearing age
| yet Germany granted during the past year bul
| 3,g2l pensions.
The errors in this are as numerous as the
clauses.
!. The "German Empire" did not fight