The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-18
BIGGER ARMIES AND NAvIEs.
Eurore,s General Increase In the Forces
Of Wnr.

Europc'f Gcucrni hucreube - WV
OF War.
Although tho peoples OF Europe murmur
more and moro In opposition. the burdens OF
milltarism are growing. Leading statesmen OF
several OF the great nations have lately ex-
pressed opinions and given semi-ofiicial init
nation that the limit has been reached. but
there is 10 cessation in the activity and maGni-
tude OF preparation. Tho French m'iitnry
budget. the French marine budget. ana the
Austrian military budget for 1874 were COM
municatcd to the Legislative bodies oil the re-
spectve countries two weeks aGo. In each case
provision for increased armament was asked
The budget OF tho French War Ministry de-
mnnds credits amounting to G3o. Tol.o3o
francs. 1t provides for 2S.555 officers. which
is 2l5 more than in the present year: for 526,-
OiS men. or 1851 moro than this year.
ana for 14l ,O59 horses. 534 moro than
In 1901 Tho French marine budget
for 1894 amounts to 2D7OOO.0Oo francs
or this amount 80 900. 900 francs are to be de-
voted to the construction OF new vessels.
There will be Put on tho stocks this year. ac-
cording to the programme presented in the
budget, three l2.OOO.ton ironclads. two hrst-
class cruisers. eight second class cruisers. ono
torpedo despatch boat. and twenty-four tor
pedo boats. Provision is asked for tho COM
ple,on during 1894 OF other vessels already
in course OF construction. as follows: Eleven
ironclads five arm or bcted cruisers. one first
class cruiser. five sccond-class cruisers. and
two third class cruisers. In addition to tor
pedo. despatch. submarine, and other smaller
boats. There will thus DO. In 1894. about
hundred war vessels in course OF construction
or equipment for the French navy.
Economy and retrcnchment in military mat
tors have been talked in Austria lately. but the
Austrian military estimates for 1894 provide
ai,,b ~ hnn ha
number OF officers will he increased additional
horses will be purchased. and the artillery will
DO "reor.anizcd" on a broad scale. Seven
hundred and thirteen additional officers will be
gazctted to infantry regiments during 1924.
like increase Of officers is projected Tor tho
rifle battalions. and few will be added to tho
cavalry artillery. and medical corps: but these
reforms will extend over several years. bri-
gatlc of artillery will be added. making sixteen
instead Of fifteen, and total OF sixty-four
regiments of field artillery. Additions will also
be made TO tho fortress artillery. telephone
corps is to DO attached to each army corps.
There has been an enormous increase In
tho strength OF European navies during the
past year or so. and the Austrian Naval Minis
ter calls att ention to tho fact that during last
year Great Britain added to her feet more
vessels and n greater tonnage than that OF
the whole OF the Austro- Hungarian navy put
together. Twenty-one ships. representing
141, 900 tons displacement, was highlands ad-
dition to her navy In 1892. Rus sin approach he'd
most nearly to Great Brita in in adding to her
fleet during that year, and most OF tho great
lowers notably increased their naval strength
The report the Naval Minister says there
was All almost feyerIsh activity in build
ing during 1892. which strained the resources
OF many state yards. US well Us OF numerous
private ilrms. IL. as some wise men argue.
the armament OF the nations is the best guar
nntee OF peace. the millennium would seem to
be ut hand.
All tho vessels launched last year by the
m ore important countries were armored ships
Of the line; with protected hulls and deGEs.
with displacement between 10000 and T.
600 tons the former being more general The
| armor consisted mainly Of steel or compound
| plates, and in u few cases OF nickel steel
| Nickel steel Was also used to some extent for
naval guns. The most notable innovation in
machinery, was the use Of three screws In
some Of the larger vessels; The use OF pe-
| troleum has been abandoned on war ships. on
| account mainly OF tho risk OF fire. The big
guns OF 100 to ITO tons continue to give way
being, at the most. not more than sixty
eight tons in weight. with u calibre Of thirty
four centimetres. against forty-ilre cent?
metres in the big guns Many experts oon-
view OF the. recent improvements In ships
h IN nuSter ~ "a aaick.rins s"ns o.
medium cnlibre ur to sixteen cent NJ etres
guns 81 ali calibre, is considered by the com
lion Of short time. Tho Whitehead and the
SchwnrZkopt torpedoes nre the only ones yet
| adopted for offensive operations The expert.
ments with submarine boats ar. noted as not
being very encouraging. and that form OF YES
| sci is not considered to be a serious factor in
| naval construction rs vel.