The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-02-22
WAR FOOTING OF NATIONS.
Comparative Strength OF the Armies an
Eavies OF England and Germany.

Comparative Strength of the Armies anS
Navies of England and Germany.
A comparison between the forces OF
Great Britain and Germany shows that
the total army of the former amounts
to 217,7S9 officers and men, with 25,-
s36 horses and 600 guns The total
force of regular troops maintained in
1898 in the United Kingdom was, ac-
cording to the official reports, 10000
men of all ranks, with 1896 horses
and 2s2 guns, and in Egypt, India and
the colonies, 109, 9S5 officers and men,
with 1910 horses and 31S guns. The
electives, including reserves, militia,
etc, were returned as follows: Regular
forces, home and colonial, 144.334; army
reserves, 1880; militia, 1874; yeo-
many, 1867; volunteers, 225,423; reg
ulars on the Indian establishment, a.
1854; total electives, 656,3s2.
In Germany the total force under
arms in time of peace is 511,SS5 officers
and men, with 3,75o horses. while the
war strength is supposed to be 3,00O,O 900
men of military training. In case OF
war every battalion is increased from
544 to 1.o02 by calling in a portion of
the peace strength. Every able-bodied
man is compelled to serve in Germany.
About 400. 1000 report annually for mill
tary duty, of whom perhaps 25 per cent.
are excused on account of physical dis
ability or evade service by emigration.
OF the remainder those who n not
drawn to serve with the colors are liza
Bile to be called out for training at GER
tain periods-the first time for 10, then
Co. n a-J ALar 49, rr4a1r1 TI,a .@1
diers of the regular army were former
ly compelled to serve for 3 years, but
in 1893 the period was reduced to 2
years. About 5000 join the army an
nually as 81 year volunteers"@that is
to say. having passed an examination,
It is required of them to serve only 1
year, they paying their own expenses.
The total force of efficient fighting
ships in Great Britain consists OF 90
first-class battle ships. with an aggre-
gate displacement of $4,000 tons; ~
second-class battle ships, aggregating
114,030 tons displacement; IL third
class battle ships, 1880 tons displace-
ment; IL coast defense ships, displace-
ment about So, 900; 30 armored and first
class protected cruisers, 241,7 tons
displacement; go second and third-class
protected cruisers, 229 sos tons dis
placement; 80 torpedo gunboats, about
$4,000 tons displacement. These do not
include about 10 gunboats stationed in
Australia. In addition to these vessels
Great Britain has 81 torpedodestroyers,
26 frst-class, s second-class and 20
third-class, 81 seagoing and 10 lookout
ships. The reserve of merchant cruis-
ers comprises a large number of ves-
sells.
The German navy consists of a little
over 80 vessels, excluding torpedo boats.
OF the IA armored battle ships only 4
are Of the frst-class, with an aggregate
displacement of 39,36s tons, and z of
the second-class, with an aggregate dis
placement of 50,152 tons. OF coast de-
Tense barbette ships Germany has 8,
aggregate displacement 20, 100 tons, and
of sea-going g~unboats, IL, with an ag-
gregate displacement of 12,o6s tons, 10
of which are armored. Germany has
also 90 unarmored cruisers, aggregate
displacement about 6,700 tons, and a
torpedo fotilla Of II destroyers, "a sea-
going, 81 ~irst-class, 4 second-class
boats and 10 vedettes. When the tor
pedo boats now in course of construc-
ton have been completed Germany will
have a fotilla of II torpedo division
boats Of from ESQ to $50 tons and ITO
1rst-class torpedo boats. AS regards
speed, 10 Of tho British and IL of the
German armored ships steam at less
than 12 knots. OF the unarmored YES
sels-cruisers, etc.-27 of the British
and 4 Of the German steam at less than
IL knots. The British navy has 81 that
steam at 20 knots and over, while Ger
many has 15.-N, Y. Sum-