The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-18
England's Land Power.

The announcement that has appeared in
THE SUN that it Is intended to ask the
British Parliament during it's next session
for an increase in the English Army by
about 30 per cent. will hardly be a sur
prise when we consider the inadequacy of
the present army for the multifarious du-
ties 1t has to perform in different parts of
the world.
Last year the amount voted for the mill
tary service of England was $1O4, 7O3, 900,
for 15G,174 regulars and the auxiliary
forces. The total military force of England,
reckoning regulars, reserves, militia, and
volunteers, is, including IA 900 regulars in
India chargeable to the Indian treasury,
us, $50 men. OF the enormous sum voted
by Parliament for the maintenance of the
army, $3.50, 80, 900 is set down for the nav
and allowances of the regular army and
$7,775,OOO for the pay and allowances
of the auxiliary forces. The balance
of the sum voted goes for the ad-
ministration, stores, material, clothing,
transport, and other charges incidental to
the maintenance of garrisons all over the
world outside of India and the stations
that have been made dependent on the In
NA@A' ASN''A y = phNiA ~ h'AE LII SOI1l w.
ers, in order to keep down the cost to the
British taxpayer. OF tn" total of the $43,-
100000 voted for the regular army, how
ever, only some $25, 100000 goes in pay
to the fighting force, and part of that even
Is borne by the Indian treasury. The re-
mainder goes for the military administra.
ton, which, in comparison with that of
other European armies is most costly, es.
pecially in the higher branches. As an in.
stance, the pay and allowances of the Com
mander-in-Chief of the English Army, a
post about equivalent to that of Chief of
the Staf of the German Army, is more than
double that of the German official. AS to
the relative efficiency of the two armies,
there can hardly be a question as to which
OF Tue two countries has had the best SER
vice for its money.
One of the London papers is reported as
saying that 1.-THE money for the proposcd in
crease will be granted when it is proved
chat the country is getting the value of its
present expenditure" That will depend
upon circumstances and the state of alarm
into which the English people may have
been worked up at the moment the Increase
Is asked for, and also upon the state Of the
labor market. When 4 previous Conserva.
tive Ministry in England wanted to create
the degree of alarm necessary to Justify the
demands to be made for increasing the
navy, Lord CHARLES BEREsroRp was sent
over to Berlin to get Prince BISMARCK to
make a speech in the Rcichstag, warning
England of the danger to her maritime
supremacy unless a great increase was
made to her navy. The trick succeeded,
and its authors are to n great extent re,
sponsille for the necessity which now un,
doul teddy exists for he increase to the
English army n the entire rcmodellingo OF
the English military system.
But 1t will he easier for Parliament Ia
vote the money required for an increase OF
the army than for the recruiting sergeant
TO find the men. The English people,
though they are. as Lord RosEBERy not
long ago said, the predominant partners in
tho affairs of the United Kingdom, have