The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-24
FACTORS IN WAR.

FACTORS IN WAR.
OF the many articles in the magazines re-
lating to war, none thus far is more novel
than that of Mr.. F. N. Hewes in the current
issue of McClures Magazine The thou
sands of men that a nation can put into
the field is, In the opinion of the writer,
but one of the factors in estimating war
capacity. Other factors are as important
as numbers. These are ability to equip ar
mics when enrolled, the intelligence and the
efficiency of armies as indicated by the peo-
pie from whom they are enrolled. and the
debts and resources of different nations
The purely numerical test is first applied
by the writer, which he does by taking the
German army standard which is per cent.
of its total population. On this basis, Russia
has fighting strength of 100000 men. The
United States would stand second in the
list with 100000 men Upon the same ratio
of army to population, Germany. Great
Britain, Austria, France and Spain would
follow in the order named. Great Britains
total enrolment would be 100000.
The next qualifying fact is the relative
ability of nations to equip armies after hav-
ing enrolled them He assumes that the per
capita wealth of the respective nations is
the best available index of their capacity
to equip and maintain armies. Upon this
basis, Russia, which can enroll the largest
armies, is least able to support them in the
field Thus, Great Britain, upon the basis
of wealth, can support four times as many
troops as can Russia, so that the formers
3,S00,000 men, by its superior capacity to
equip and maintain, become equivalent to
13,200OO0, while the United States jumps to
the first place with an equivalent of 20 800, 900
men, with Russia in the second place. An
other element allied to per capita wealth is
the relative burdens of debt and the extent
of the resources of the different nations.
Here. again, the United States and Great
Britain would lead the world.
Another factor which the writer brings
into the equation of war is the relative in
telligence. skill and efficiency with which
armies are directed after they have been
raised These qualities he bases upon the
comparative expenditure of the different ma
tons for educational purposes Modified by
this comparison, the fighting strength of the
United States would be greater than Great
Britain's in the proportion of IS to %. and
greater than Germany's in the proportion of
S5 to 16. Mr.. Hewes's speculation in per-
centages of numbers capacity to support
armies and the intelligence of nations leads
him to conclude that the United States could
successfully resist the armies of the six
leading nations of Europe if we were at
tackled. This, of course. is on the assump-
ton that per cent. of our population were
equipped and disciplined armies and navies.
We could do nothing of the kind in our
present condition of unreadiness.
There is much in what the writer says.
Numbers is not all there is in war. More
than 10000 men were surrendered to $1,000
in the district of Santiago because the
American is a more intelligent soldier than
is the Spaniard. No man goes into the reg
ular army who cannot read; Spain would
have army if such a qualification were
enforced In the German-Franco war
ton and a great advantage in wealth and
resources, but in the element of robust in
telligence it was not Germany's equal. In
the wars of the future. if we have them,
the intelligence of armies will be larger
factor than in the past. The machinery Of
war is more complicated, and effectiveness
will, for that reason, depend more upon the
character and intelligence of the soldier.
The United States government recognizes
this fact by refusing to enlist men of vi
cious and degrading habits or of low-grade
/ intelligence. 1t was proved in our late war
that the toughs of cities, drunkards, thieves
and riff-raff were useless when fighting was
to be DONE The superiority of a nation in
all that goes to make up civilization will
ma Ike it superior in war. The man who rep
rescnts the largest expenditure in education
and the general scale of living will be the
better soldier. 1t is because the volunteers
that Indiana has furnished represent so
largely the best young men that our schools,
our varied industries and our Well-estab-
lished homes afford that we have so much
confidence in them. If it were to be done
over again, a closer selection would be made
by rejecting the very few who are ignorant
and vicious because not being the best citi-
zens, they will not be the best soldiers.