Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-03-05
and the
try should be summoned to aid in its

try should be summoned to aid in its
defense.
Secretary Chase, then at the head OF
the treasury, estimated 1920, O,OOO
as the sum required to begin the war.
This proved to be short of the require.
ments. The army appropriation bill
passed by the extra session Of congress
after the firing on Sumter, carried
1907 100000. The navy appropriation
bill carried $65,OOO,0OO. These esti-
mates and appropriations were made,
it must be remembered, with no con-
ception of what the war was to be,
and with an idea that, at most, it
would close within six months. The
first estimates of war are usually un-
der, rather than over, what the cost
proves to be.
With this experience at hand, some
general idea can be had of the cost OF
going to war at the present time. The
circumstances are much different, and
yet this is the only experience of our
own in modern warfare from which
lessons can be drawn, and, if anything,
the elements of cost are greater now
than then. In war with Spain, the
conflict would be essentially different
from that between the north and the
south, in that Spain and the Lifted
States would be fighting acros an
ocean, instead of hand to hand in one
country.
ESSENTIALLY A NAVY WAR.
This would make it essentially a
naval warfare, aud war on CON-
merce, and, to that extent, the ele-
ments of cost would be different from
land warfare. But, with both coun-
tries having long lines of coast to pro-
tect, with Cuba as field of land con-
fict, the element of providing for the
cost of land warfare would be hardly
less than that of the marine struggle.
Prudence would also dictate that the
scale of preparation would also take
into account the possibility, even prob
ability, of Spain's forming alliances
with European powers, by which her
fighting strength on land and sea
would be largely augmented.
With these considerations existing,
the cost of going to war with Spain at
this time could not be estimated far
below the cost when the first crash OF
arms came in 1861. There would not
be the need of the vast land force, at
first 100000 and fast increasing, until
the armies exceeded the tabled forces
of Xerxes, a million men being in the
field at one time. But the manning
of ships of war and merchantmen, the
assembling of sufficient forces at vul-
nerable points on our seaboard and
borders, would require the men drawn
from the field. In the rough general
estimate of cost ut the outset and for
the first six months, considerable re-
duction was made from the first cost
in 1861, in order 10 give wide mar
gin of conservatism in estimates, al
though it is believed the circumstances
of conflict with Spain and her allies
would Justify an estimate fully up to
the cost of opening the civil war.
SPAIN ALREADY ON WAR FOOTING.
As to Spain's first cost in going to
war with the United States, it must be
borne in mind that Spain is now prac-
tically on war footing, and has been
since the Cuban struggle became SER
ious. The war footing of Spain is 1885,
972 men, and this footing has been
reached, if not exceeded, in Cuba
alone. The forces there have fluctu-
ated, but the official figures year ago
gave 121, 1856 men in Cuba. Adding
the reserve force in Spain, and those
in the PHILIPPINES and Puerta Rico, the
total is fully up to the war footing OF
Spain. The same is true of Spain's
navy, which is and has been on war
footing. This, then, would give her
the advantage of having her organi-
zation of war in actual operation,
whereas the United States would be
precipitated from state Of peace into
one of war. Doubtless war footing
of Spain capable of dealing with Cuba
would have to he with the United
States. but at least it would serve as a
nucleus would save that extraordi'
nary cost Of first start. Up 10 this
time, however, Spain has known no
need of a war footing beyond that
above given, which, in detail, is as
follows:
Infantry .132 900.
cavalry, 17,156.
rtiIierv, ........................ Il, ,156.
Engineers. ..................... .......... 1l,027.
STAFF II, 40.
T"snital Corns. ....... ............ 4S3.
Total .1s3 ,972.
| sPAIN'S FIRST COST.