The sun., 1897-10-25
podqy young men are likely to make tho bc..

llOnb Deou ioiCC WuSh buey enIOreu inc army
It is moro than doubtful II either OF thom would
have become soldiers OF tho Queen. And no
| asks: Had two fat young men boen taken in
| their place would our country have boon hetter
! servedf ~ Fat, young men!" What horribly
offensive term TO apply 10 the future leaders Of
England's nrmiesi
From ridicule and satire the correspondent
| turns TO pathos. Ho tells tho ptiful talo of n
young friend of his who hoped next September
| TO obtain commission. In September this un.
| fortunate young man will be 81 years of age.
will havo spent long years and much money in
preparing for his examination, but, alas, he can.
not hope to weigh 1873 pounds. In utter despair,
his friond can think of nothing for this
would.be soldier but regular course
of somo nourishinR and fatteninR baby
! food. II is pitiablo picture he sug.
gosts-tho embryo Marlboroughs and Wei.
lingtons Of England throwing aside their
fencing foils. boxing gloves Indian clubs and
what Tot, to fatten themselves on meat extracts
and baby foods. while drill master and gym
nastic instructor sadly play second fiddle to some
erstwhle successful fattener OF hogs and cattle,
now promoted from his rural tasks to wear her
Majcstys uniform and feed her Majcsty's
troops But then, the army will be increased.
Tho exciting cause OF the agitation for bigger
army is OF course, the steady increase of arma.
ments throughout the Continent. Tho tendency
Is always toward greater expenditure, moro
men, newer and more powerful arms and equip.
ments. Not for one moment is there even hint
OF rctrenchment in military expenditure, even
In bankrupt Italy. A military writer has just
summed up in interesting way the latest
facts with regard to tho chief military powers
on the Continent. His summary includes these
important points:
Franco has now at q cost of just 1925, 100000
peace strength Of %. 963 officers, 6O2 720 men
whereof 1900 nre cavalry. and 146.661
horses: guns, 3,04S But in war the personnel
the trained soldiers that can be put into the
fields scxtuplod and tho whole French Army
reaches the astonishing total Of three and half
millions OF men. The number Of horses avail
able is more than doubled. increasing from
l46.G61 to 100000; the guns become half
as numerous again, namely, 400 as against
3.o4s. Tho French War Office is always
on tho alert. just now It Is much con-
cerncd about tho quick-nring field gun that
certainly will be introduced soon as the best
pattern has been definitely agreed upon. In
this France watches Germany, and Germany,
France; while Russia and Austria watch both.
The change will be costly. as it must mean re-
armament of batteries and tine rival nations
may we'll pause before they embark on tho new
guns. Speaking generally Of the French
tillery, tho verdict of our officers who have at
tended recent man9uvres 10 altogether favor
able. Some, indeed. declare that tho French
artillery of to-day is as far superior to tho Ger
man as was tho Prussan to that which it en-
countered in the Franco-German war OF 1870
1t has been brought to great perfection in
mannuvre.
France. in point Of actual numbers, has rather
the advantage OF Germany; tho general total Of
mon is larger in the former. Tho peace estab-
lishment OF cavalry is 77.OOO in France. against
$1,000 in Germany. France, too, in peace has
forty-eight moro guns. but the war total is lar
gest in Germany by Ala. Again, France main
tains moro horses in peace, but in war tho Ger
mans approximate very closely. in tho first limo
alone having s,OOO against 100000 French;
while there are 100000 more in the second Ger
man line Tho grand total Of the German psr-
sonnel is just 25OO,OOO. field and second limo
together. and behind Is the Lanisturm. some
100000 more. Of which 100000 have been
regularly trained. Such figures are in truth.
bewildering, but they are no more than
might be expected from a whole nation in
arms. The chief work carried on of late in tho
German Army has been tho reorganization OF
regiments. Till April this year 1t consisted Of
53S battalions and 173 half battalions. and
now there are 624 whole battalions. and
each OF these has been given revised
strength of officers and rank and file.
az to tho rearmament of tho field artillery,
although it must undoubtedly be formed. The
chief new services to be provided under the in.
creased budget, 1886, 100000 for 1878, as
against $l35 .OOO, 900 for 1867, ar, field rail
way material. said to be for fortress warfare;
money to create q military telegraph school and
adopt field telegraph system; the establish
ment Of travelling field ovens for the bakery
columns, and q second installment for the pur-
chase OF reserves Of provisions Large sums are
also voted for tho completion of fortresses.
major and lminor. and 1t is obvious that the
same watchful care is given of old to all
branches of War Office administration in Ger
many.
There has been n very marked increase in
Russian military expenditure. The estimates
for 1896 wcro for 81 81 ,OOO. .Op0 as against l45
100000 for 1895. and tho forces supplied and
paid by this sum make up total of ZOO, 900
| men and 100000 horses on the peace establish.
| ment. with 2.446 guns. On n war footing tho
personnel is nearly trebled. and amounts to 3.
77l.679 men, with 7O0.630 horses and 4.d66
guns, but both sets of figures must be taken
| with caution. Considerable changes hayo been
| made in the organization and location Of troops,
| especially in the Caucasus and Asiatic Russia,
the cavalry ia better distributed, and under the
| new cavalry regulations 1t will prob
| ably be better taught. A new drill-book
has been brought out. which is said to DO great
| advance upon the old.fashioned instructions,
| and among tho new formations stress is laid on
the speedy rallying after u charge. importance
| is laid on the action of the first line, and so
| forth. The equitation OF the Russian regular
cavalry is certainly capable of improvement.
| The peace strength Of the Austro- Hungarian
| Army Is $4,000 M On and 05,O00 horses. which
! becomes on war footing l,25O,O men, with
! 303, 600 horses. The artillery is comparatiyely
weak. There are only l,24O guns on the peace
establishment which are increased to 2O24 in
war. In the above numbers are included the
cavalry, $4,000 men and $4,000 horses in peace,
| as against $4,000 men and 80, 900 horses In war.
At present the peace strength OF tho Italian
Army is 100000 men and $4,000 horses; the
war establishment 2,294 900 men and 1913, 900
| horses. An increase to the budget has been
| needed to complete tho armament of the first
| line with the so-called new rifle, which is OF the
| 1891 pattern, and of which there are now somo
$4,000 stand of arms with ammunition on
| hand.
| thnf ~ l.