The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-03-13

SPAIN ALREADY ON A WAR FOOT
ING.
AS TO Spain's first cost of going to
I.war with the United States It must be
borne in mind that Spain IS now prac-
ticaily on a war footing, and has been
since the Cuban struggle became seri-
Gus. The war footing of Spain is 1885,
912 men, and this footing has been
| reached. if not exceeded, in Cuba alone.
The forces there have fluctuated, but
the official figures a year ago gave
III, 1876 men in Cuba Adding the re-
serve force in Spain and those in the
Philippines and Puerto Rico, the total
is fully up 20 the war footing of Spain.
The same is true of SPANS navy,
which is and has been on a war foot
ing. This, then, would give her the
advantage of having her organization
OF war in actual operation, whereas the
United States would be precipitated
from state of peace into one of war.
Doubtless a war footing of Spain Ca
pable of dealing with Cuba would have
to be very materially enlarged in deal
| ing with the United States. but at
| least it would serve as a nucleus it
would save that extraordinary cost Of
a first start Up to this time, however,
| Spain has known no need of war
footing beyond that above given. which.
| in detail. is as follows: Infantry 1872
o00 cavalry 1856, artillery 1216G;
engineers 11.021, staff 11.140. hospital
corps 4S3; total, 1889
SPANS FIRST COST.
! While this is the war footing OK
| Spain, yet provision has been made
| by which. in an extraordinary emer-
| gency, 1.0S3,515 men could be put in
the field. This vast number, in q
: country having but 1T000,000 popula-
| ton. is phenomenal in the annals of
warfare 1t is not eonjectural, how
ever but is based on careful estl-
mates made by Spain as to her utmost
| resources in case of need. 1t contem-
| plates the establishment of military
| depots in every Spanish district, and
making it the center of a regimental
| organization of recruits and reserves.
| With these forces to draw from.
| SPANS first cost would be in armng
and equipping those in addition to the
force now in Cuba and the Philippines,
and disposing them in the army and
navy. What this cost would be has
| been roughly estimated by competent
1 u
600 pesetas. The basis for the esti-
! mate is the cost of the Cuban conflict
TO the present time. The war budget
for 1896 was 100000 pesetas
regular and 10000, 600 pesetas extraor-
binary. This has been mounting up
ever since, until the cost of the war up
to this time is estimated at $3.50 co.,
0OO, or $50, 900, 900 a year With the in
creases requisite for conflict with the
United States the cost would be more
than double that of holding Cuba. and.
by most conservative estimate. the
total of LOCO, 600 900 pesetas, or $500
100000, was made by one we'll fitted
for an intelligent view of the subject.
EXPENSES FOR SIX MONTHS.
Many interesting details are deveT-
oped in the course of the estimate for
maintaining the war for six months
For instance, the item of new guns for
the United States troops would be a
| large element of cost during the first
| stages of the war. AT present the
Krag-Jorgensen gun is being put into
use as fast as it can be manufactured
| But there are not more than %. coo of
| these guns available. There are some.
100000 old Springfield rifles but in a
of the most deadly of modern arms
the United States would hardly expect
to place Springfields in the hands of
it's soldiers. The new rifle costs from
SIT to $40, and to arm 100000 men the
cost of this one item of rifles would be
81, 0000 600
The estimate included ration allow
ance of 10 cents a day, which for 200.
< he ha
other S4,OO0,000. Another detail in
| reaching the total estimate for six
months was the cost of uniforms, two
suits at So each being allowed. This,
for 100000 men, would be about
So, 800, co., In the item of ammunition
the estimate contemplated 200 rounds
for each man in six months Five dol
lars would about cover the cost of 500
rounds, which. for 100000 men, would
be about 81 100000
With the modern use of machine
guns, every company of infantry would
doubtless have a gun of this character.
| They cost about ST 600 each, making
another item of about $2,000,000 These
details of equipment are almost infin-
lite, and with a force of 100000 the
cost in every instance runs into the
millions. Aside from the first cost,
there is the additional cost of trans
porting vast supplies of food and cloth
ing, after it is once purchased.
WHERE WE WOULD GET MORE
SHIPS.
The same scale of elaborate expense
runs through all branches of naval
equipment, limited, however, by the
fact that navy cannot be expanded in
weeks or months, as an army can be
formed. Although a war between the,
United States and Spain would be es-
sentially marine struggle, both of the
parties would have much difficulty at
the outset in increasing the number OF
their ships. From the moment war
was declared every port in the world
would be closed against us in any eff
fort to buy ships While free to buy
of the Armstrong; or any other foreign
firms at the present these markets
would be closed to US the moment hos.
tilities began.
Not only would foreign Governments
occupying the position of neutrals be.
unable to aid US with ships, but it
private parties without making the
foreign Government responsible, ac-
cording to the rigid ruling of the Ala
bama award. The same restrictions
would be placed upon Spain, and only
by forming alliances could the naviess
of either country be materially aug
mented at the outset. This, of neces-
| Sifv would keen down fha element Of