The McCook tribune., 1897-10-08
A GREAT ARMED CAMP
THAT Is WHAT is SAID OF
EUROPE.
Russia Making Great Progress - Ger
ShOwiest - Good Words for
Frances Troops - America
Must Prepare.
General Miles Observations Abroad.

General Miles Observations Abroad.
LONDON, Oct. 4.-General 4. Nelson A.
Miles, Mrs. Miles and aide de camp,
Captain Maus, sailed for the United
States on the American line steamer
st. Louis to-day, having been in Eu-
rope since May on a tour of military
observation. The general has in
spected everything of military interest
from the armies of the great powers
ia field action down to balloons and
bicycles" as he remarked. He has
looked over Notifications, barracks,
camps and ordnance works of al.
classes
In an interview before ne sailed,
General Miles said: ''When l left
Washington the war between Turkey
and Greece had assumed such proper
tioHs that it looked as though the
neighboring provinces would be drawn
into it, and possibly one or two of the
great powers of Europe. No one real
lied at that time that Greece had as
sumed hostilities when she was wholly
unprepared for war, nor did anyone
anticipate that Turkey would in forty
five days mobilize great army of 600,-
0G0 men. When / arrived at Constan-
tinople an armistice had been declared
and war was practically over. al
though the armies have remained in
hostile attitudes and it has taken three
months to agree upon conditions of
peace for a war that had been fought
in five weeks.
EUROPE a GREAT ARMED CAMP.
II have seen all the great armies of
Europe except the Spanish army and
if Spain should declare war against
the United States 1 may possibly have
an opportunity of seeing that. Of
something over 5000, 600 men under
arms, have seen nearly 100000 in
barracks and in garrison and in field
maneuvers, besides nearly 100, 900 men
engaged in the construction of war
material,
What have seen does not indicate
that the millennium is at hand, when
swords viii be beaten into plough
shares There never was another time
in the history of the world when such
energy, ingenuity and wealth have
been devoted to war purposes. The
resources and industries of many peo-
Piles are largely devoted to maintain
ing large standing armies and formid-
able navies.
AMERICA MUST BE IN TRIM.
Fortunate are the people of the
United States that they are walled in
by two great oceans, yet this fact
would not warrant them in any other
policy than keeping reasonable per-
centage of the population fully equip
ped and instructed in modern appli.
ances and methods of war.
1T SO happened that important
events occurring in Europe this year
have contributed to my opportunity
for observation, giving me chances to
see the best of the armies of all the
great powers. The celebration of
Queen Victoria's sixty years of reign
brought together 50.000 of her army
and $4,000 men of her navy. The field
maneuvers in Russia were conducted
on large scale and were exceedingly
interesting. Russia for hundreds of
years has been a great military ma
tion. Her people have been accus-
toned to war and her population is SO
numerous and she is so located geo.
graphically as to be practically inde-
pendent of the other powers of the
world. Though her government has
been autocratic and her people far be-
hind the age in enligh s
per cent Of the population being able
to read-the rays of intellectual en-
lightenment are penetrating that vast
region and there is great future for
Russia
RUSSIA AND GERMANY.
''What the headlight of the locomo-
tive has done for our Western country
in the last generation is now to some
extent being done for that country
through a construction of the railroad
across Siberia, one of the greatest en-
terprises of modern times. Remark
ably enough, it is being built under
the direction of self-made Russian
prince, who served his apprenticeship
in the machine shops of Philadelphia,
but like Peter the Great has become
master of his trade and is now con-
tributing immensely to the material
welfare of Russia. The Russian army
is composed of strong, hardy men and
it's officers are highly educated and
slsillful officials.
Germany is one vast military camp.
It is geographically in such a position
thas it is compelled to maintain
great military force. On one side is Aus
tria, that they have overrun and France
that has been conquered and a part OF
her territory taken away, by fighting
her when she was at a great disad.
vantage. On the other side stands
the great Russian bear and between
these two Germany finds it necessary
to keep her powder dry. The German
army is kept under rigid discipline, Il
is well drilled, makes the finest ap.
pearance on parade, but its fighting