Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-06
.xGLIsu NAVY SUPERIOR.
ermnny's Army, However, Far o"'-
numbers Great Britain's.

According to the latest reports, correct
ed I'D TO December, 1888, the Germ
army had a peace footing OF oot'Sf oih-
GERS and men, The English regular
army at the same time had 1923 ohceIs
and men. These figures roughly reple
sent the comparative efficiency Oh uIe
armies Of the two countries, II they were
TO meet together on Level pam,
Contrasting the irst-class batlleshlps
of the two countries. one finds That the
British have o. either in commission
| or in process OF completion, while th7
| Germans have ). either IN COMMISSION
/ or about TO be launched.
The further the contrast between the
/ German and English armies Is maue'
/ The worse the result appears Ior tne
/ English: while the further the contrast
between the navies Of the TWO couh-
tries Is made, the worse the result ap-
pears for the Germans.
Thus, the German army, on pedSe
footing, is 54.l5i officers and men, Ch
q war footing. il can be increased Wfthlh
few weeks TO a total effective srens1N
of 3,350.O00. and for these reserves,
stores. arms, uniforms. and. ammunition
! I'm abundance are provided at the huge
centres for mobilization
on the other hand, Of the 1929 oflcers
and men who comprise the regular force
OF the British army, 1888, or sIshtiy
more than half the total, are station "a
in India. and no great reduction Oh tnls
! force would be possible in time OF war,
/ But the native Indian army oihcered ana
commanded by the British form force
of l5OO63 officers and men, part OF "hoh
| might be taken for service In any part
of the East as long as Great Britain was
not at war with Russia. Some OF these
! Indian TROOPS. such as the skins anu
Mahrattas. are said to be the equal, man
for man. of any European troops, as
long as they are properly commanded
OF the 1900 troops which Great Britain
| has available outside of India, some zV,WO
are in Malta, Hongkong, Halifax, Esqul-
1 malt. and other important sea-coast Iot1-
resses. A strong garrison must always De
| left in Ireland, usually estimated at not
| less than 1900. officers and men,
SO that allowing for the necessary
/ English garrisons, If Great Britain at
| tempted to send an army corps Oh @),NV
| officers and men on foreign expedition,
she would not have a single trained sol
der whom she could move from one
place TO another without leaving spot
open to attack.
The first step which Great Britain
would have to take in the event OF war
would be the calling out Of her army
reserve. amounting 10 $500 men. ms
would possibly, give her 1000 e1ectlVe
soldiers. many OF them seasoned by ac-
tive service in all parts Of the world.
Then there is an enrolled militia or no.
go which are called up into camps and
drilled every year for three weeks. In
addition to the militia are the volun-
teers. which resemble our National
Guard. with a nominal strength Of d.
go and the yeomanry, a mounted Noluh-
teer. force of 11,67S. All these troops make
a nominal total Of 1881, Of whom 66s 70
$50 are classed by the British War once
as effective.
Owing 10 the constitution Of the Ger
man army. it is impossible to classify
it in the same manner as has Just been
done with the British. Every able-bodied
man born in the German empire, be-
tween the ages of II ana 40, is liable
TO military service. without substitute.
Thus. every able-bOdied man is supposed
20 serve three years with the colors, un-
less sooner released on The ground OF
superior efficiency. During the next
four years he Is member OF the re-
serve. and for the five succeeding years
"A member Of the first levy OF the Land
wehr After these twelve years liability
20 active service at the front, he is
allowed to become a member of the
| l4dlQrlQfll. III WHICH ne iNlit"AAo AtiAAi
his forty-ffth year, being liable for
home or garrison duty in time Of war
BY the act passed by the German
Reichssag in 1892, the reserve force Is
expected gradually to increase until 1916
when it will reach its maximum of giving
Germany $4,000 men available fol-
fighting purposes.
IL may be assumed that Germany and
Great Britain are proportionately wei
;upplied with stores and artillery, tn'
relative military strength of the tive
countries being borne in mind. To pu
il briefly, Germany has about foul
times the military strength of Greal
Britain, whether the reserves are called
out or not.
Il could land twenty armies in England
tomorrow" Won Moltke Is once reported
to have said, ." if / knew how TO gel
one Of them safely off again"
Germany. with her SPLENDID army
may attack France or Russia, or Aus
tria, without asking any ones leave
and with all the prospect OF success
which magnificent discipline and due
preparation must always give. To Lane
an army in England she must first de
stroy the British fleet.
Suppose the British fleet were a
Portsmouth, and a German army o.
10000 men were silently landed on thu
coast OF Kent. the fleet would at one
move up and cut of the communicated
between the invaders and their base. TIT
German army would be in hostile coun
try, thicky populated, with power q
harass its advance until sufficient troop,
could be brought from distant parts o
the island TO crush IT.
What IS true OF England Is still mor'
true of any OF her colonies or dependen
cies. Unless Germany has the power T.
smash the main British fleet anywher
and at any time, the main British flee
must ultimately catch up with her trool
transports and either destroy them o
seal them up in some part Of the worl'
: where they are absolutely unable L
hurt their enemy.
A battleship differs from all other kind
? OF warships in standing still and no
running away from an enemy OF equa
size. All cruisers. whether armored o
not. clear but Of the way OF battle
ships.
According to tabulated list of the ma
yies OF the world made in 1895. Grea
/, Britain had. either built or building, 2
irst-class battleships, against Germany
3, 8 second-class battleships against Ger
manys 8: and 7 third-class battleshlp
against Germanys ;. This makes tota
OF a. battleships against Is. which scarce
ly shows the true disparity, as the first
class battleships are far more powerful
= proportionately than the second and thir
classes. or first-class cruisers Grea
Britain has %. and Germany has l.: Q
second-class cruisers, Great Britain ha
= 80, and Germany has 8. OF third-clas
: cruisers. Great Britain has l05. and Ger
Y many has 49, Thus. there Is no part @
: the world TO which Germany could sen
!. troops In ordinary transport ships. es