Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-07-21

There are some persons in the Unit
ed States and good many elsewhere
who find much cause for complaint In
what they are pleased TO term the dill
atory prosecution OF Uncle Sans war
against the Spanish Dons. Were these
kickers thoroughly familiar with the
annals of the present century they
moved with remarkable rapidity since
the beginning of hostilites last April
1t is true that the Franco-Prussian war
was showed along with much greater
celebrity and so, perhaps, was the war
between the Italo-Prussian alliance
and Austria, but in these two cases
conditions were so different from those
prevailing in the present war that
comparisons are by no means fair. In
neither case was it necessary for the
aggressive nation to put to sea, let
alone expand little group of between
10000 and 10000 fighting men. barely
enough to maintain military organiZa-
ton, to an effective army OF invasion.
Prussia and France are contiguous,
and it was only necessary for the Prus-
slams to advance to the French from
tier to begin operations, and condi-
tons were not less favorable to the
expedition Of operations in the Austro-
Prussian war. Besides, all parties
were ready for both these wars, having
been perfecting military organizations
for many years.
The only wars fought in this half
century that can be compared with the
current one with any degree Of fair
ness were the Crimean war of 1S54-jG.
and the conquest OF Egypt in 1882.
Both were conducted with much great;
er deliberation than that with which
our operations against Spain have been
carried on. Yet in both instances the
aggressive nations were provided at
the beginning with thousands more
possesses even yet. Moreover, in the
Crimean war, England was not fighting
single handed, being in alliance with
France, while in the Egyptian opera
tons England had the moral support
Of every European power, and her an
blood-people totally unable by nature
to put up a winning fight against
Europeans. 1t is now two months and
four. days since the present war began,
on April %, by the Nashville's capture
OF the Buena Ventura. Since then
the United States forces have com
pletely destroyed one Spanish feet in
waters thousands OF miles from home,
snnihilated another on this side
and the conquest of an enormously
rich group of islands is virtually ac-
complished. From an effective force
of less than 10000 men the army has
been increased to more than 100 900,
and the new troops are being rapidly
transformed into one OF the most effec-
tive fighting organizations in the
world.
Events moved vastly slower in the
Crimean war. For causes which need
not be explained here, England and
France, acting Jointly. declared war
against Russia on March 2S, 1854. IN
stantly the mobilization of large
masses Of troops was begun both by
the French and the English. Consid-
ering the inferior means of transportl-
ton then existing, they were moved
eastward with commendable CELEBRITY,
for, after spending some time at Gall
lipolis and other Oriental localities.
they landed at Varna on May 20 Of The
same year. This, however, it will be
observed. was almost exactly as long
after the declaration OF war against
Russia as the period which has nov
elapsed since the capture Of the Buena
Ventura, the first act of the present
war. and there was no end Of COM
plant. both in England and France,
over the delay. But the war was not
actually begun by the end of May.
1851. The authorities in charge de-
cided at once upon an expedition
against the Crimea, but they took their
time, and plenty OF 1t, before they got
down 70 business, for they didn't en-
bark their forces until September 8,
and the voyage from Varna TO Old
Fort, near Eupatoria, about thirty
miles from Sebastopol,w was not finished
until the middle Of the month. Lord
Raglan for the English and Marshal St.
Arnaud for the French had charge OF
the allied forces, amounting to $4,000
men and they were landed on Sept. IA,
Is and 16.
The battle of Alma. the Russians
numbering between 10000 to $4,000
men. was fought four days later, and
resulted in a complete rout for the
Russians. but the war lasted until
April, 1856, two long and weary years
and more after the declaration OF hos