The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-15
WHY ENGLAND IS PACIFIC
SUDDENLY FOUND THAT HER ARMY
Is 4 SCANDAL TO THE NATION.
with an Expenditure OF SI1O.OOo,oOO
Men Out of the Country.

ternational relationships which are begin
ming to put a severe strain upon modern
faith in human nature. Quarrels which do
not come to blows sometimes have worse
effect upon national well upon indi-
vidual temper that those which are fought
out 10 a final issue. The present bad feel
ing between France and England. compli-
Gated IL is by the critical situation IN
Crete Turkey and Greece. makes for the
moment a very discouraging outlook
shall not attempt to analyze the various
complications in this letter partly because
some of the facts involved are not yet clear.
and partly because I do not regard the sit
uation as seriously ominous with respect
10 the peace of the world. Ii Is signlhcant.
however. that more than one OF the prin-
cipal nations of Europe are at this moment
taking account. with considerable anxiety.
of their lighting facilities. Some exceed
ingly interesting information has transpred
within a few days with regard 10 the actual
| military and naval resources of Great Brit
| ain and France
Respectable naval authorities have
| alarmed the French people by declaring
| that it will require the immediate eXpendi-
ture of S4O0 600 in addition TO the ord1-
| nary annual cost TO put the French fleet in
| lighting trim. This statement is probably
| too pessimistic, but reports come from so
many sources regarding defects and def
| ciences in the French navy that II is doubt
| less true that the French marine is much
| stronger on paper than in actual fact.
| English anxiety. on the other hand. is with
| regard to land forces. There has been
growing alarm for many months in Eng
| land over the question, What would hap
| pen in the possible contingency of an ene-
my's breaking through Great Britain's first
| line of defense?" Englishmen have been
| told for years that the British navy is i'm
| pregnable. Barring accidents, this may be
| granted. and yet there remains very real
danger that England might fall the prey
of a foreign invader. Even the ordinary
| contingencies of weather constitute a dam
! ger. A French commander who had nerve
| enough TO cross the channel I'm heavy fog
| might easily land formidable force with
| in sixty miles of London and make dash
| upon the metropolis. The shores of Eng
| land are utterly defenseless. The sole re-
lance of the country is upon the navy ana
| militia or volunteer forces, with a lew DAT
talions of regular troops.
alarmed even the government Itself. Inc
| old-fa shioned institution 1t has been dis
| cussed both in and out OF Parliament re-
Gently in terms which are almost con-
| temptuous. It's high-bound conservatism,
| however, gave way few days ago 10 a
reform proposal which has carried conster-
nation into one diyisi0n o. ths sa ar TWO hat
| talionS shall be added TO the Guarus anu
| that this brigade shall be liable for foreign
be understood that the Guards are com
| posed Of the very finest human creatures
on earth They pEe Nerg goa5 Who
| have seen them will admit. They are the
| most imposing feature of every royal pa
| rade. The suggestion that these magnifi-
| Ia;,, CHI ha called
| more serious service than standing guard
| outside a royal palace has been received. as
it deserved to be, as the rankes. sacrhese'
PURELY ORNAMENTAL
'Why ruin the guards has been the
| headline in big letters over columns of in
dignant protests every day in the London
Telegrapf3 since the bill was introduced.
The new commander-in- chief, Lord Woise-
lev. is held responsible by many for the
| revolutionary proposal Certainly his pre-
decessor the Duke of Cambridge, would
have died rather than consent to. much less
propose, such an attack upon the sacred
right of the classes 10 play at soldering.
The Telegraph between its sobs yesterday
urged the sad cases of officers of the
Guards who. on the strength Of their non
liability to foreign service, have married
and "set up establishments in London.
The paper might have added that this
marrying AID setting up of establishments
has been the curse of the Guards impairinG
their efficiency and making them the by
| words of the army generally. The recent
| investigation of a scandal at the yelling
ton Barracks in the West End of London
| where a regiment of the Guards is always
| quartered, revealed the fact thar II is rare
| thing for the officers to sleep in their
indeed are a fine BODY of men TO look at
but il is probably the correct Judgment
within the army at large hat they cannot
| compare in lighting qualities with aver
age regiment Of the line, while their Off.
GERS are VIGOROUSLY inferior i'm every re-
spect to the officers of any other corps OF
therefore, will be warmly welcomed by al
| except a small section of aristocratic So
ciety, including certain fashionabl daugh-
tiers. In the opinion of military experts
| foreign service would do the Guards i'm.
| mense good, morally and physically. and
the mere liability 10 1t would act like 3
| tonic upon them.
| This is a rather wide depression from &
discussion Of the broader subject of the
military resources of the British empire
| 1t will surprise most persons. even Elglish
men, to learn that OF the SIS. 0000 900 which
the military and naval works of Grea
| Britain and her colonies now cost each
| year. the military expenditures form more
| than half. The belief has been general in
| all countries that the navy was Grea
| Britains most expensive arm of defense
The annual military expenditure in Grea
Britain itself is now more than $4,000, 90
| per year. II is almost impossible to resis
| the conviction that there must be enormous
/ military establishment is small one
| Added to these figures the British ARM
| in India costs $4,000 900 per year. maxim;
; a total expenditure for land forces of NOR
than $40 900. coo per year.
Sir Charles Dixie discussed these figure
and some other significant facts regarding
Great Britan's military establishment il
an important speech before the House o
| Commons last night. He estimated tina
the total cost of British land forces and de
| lenses for the present year. putting asid
| the amount spent by the elf-goyerning col
onies, would amount TO S1s5 10000 ~
4 | one could deny, he said. that the British
| military system was by far the dearest II
5 | the world. There was an attempt made 4
5 explain the enormous cost of our nilitar,
= | system by the absence OF military conScrip
{ | ton in this country but large deduction
had 10 be made on the other side. For in
r | stance the cost of forage in Germany o
{ | France was overwhe lmingly greater tina
!. our own-partly because We had hardly an
g | horses in our army. U,aughterD Then
= I had to be remembered that such countrie
= as France or Germany had 10 keep clothnl
= ammunition and arms not for the arm
: | with the colors o for a reserve like on
J., | own. but for army of over four milio
!, | men, and all that had 10 be kept up out O
: their annual votes This he thought wen
. J 10 prove that the absence of conscriptio
. those who urged that the British army wa
) too expensive.
A SMALL FORCE.
n Sir Charles then made the astonishin
! confession. which he said would be no new
a 10 foreign governments. that the utmos
5 force which Great Britain could send ou
: Of the country would .bc 1900 men,
| Il. A..