The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1898-03-26
WAR FOOTING OF NATION.
Comparative Strength of the Armies -.
Navies of England and Uarmany

Comparative Strength OF the Armies ana
Navies of England ma uarmany.
\ comparison between the forces =.
Great Britain and Germany shows ths,
the total army of the former amounts
10 217,7s9 officers and men. with d
e36 horses and GOO guns. The tots,
force of regular troops maintained IN
1898 in the United Kingdom was a.
cording to the official reports. 107ao.
men of nil ranks, with 1876 borse,
and 2s9 guns, and in Egypt, India ana
the colonies. 100. Ss5 officers and men
with 1910 horses and 3ls guns. Tn
electives, including reserves, militia
etc. were returned as follows: Regular
! forces. home and colonial, la ,334. arm.
reserves, 1850: militia, 18TH: yea.
manry, 1867; volunteers, 225.423; reg.
ulars on the Indian establishment. "a.
9s4; total electives, 656,332.
In Germany the total force under
arms in time of peace is ST., $50 Officers
and men, with 93,750 horses, while The
war strength is supposed to be 3OoO0M
men Of military training. In case Of
war every battalion is increased from
b44 TO 1902 by calling in a portion Of
the pence strength. Every able-bodied
man Is compelled to serve in Germany
About 100000 report annually for mill.
tary duty, of whom perhaps 25 per cent
are excused ON account Of physical dis
ability or eyade service by emigration
OF the remainder those who are mo-
drawn to serve with the colors are lila.
BILE to be called out for training al GER
tain periods-the first time for 10. then
for and then for weeks. The sol.
liers of the regular army were former.
" compelled to serve for , years, but
in 1893 the period was reduced to
years. About 5000 join the army an.
nually as 81 year yoIunteers"-that is
to say, having passed an examination.
it is required of them to serve only |
year, they paying their own expenses
The total force of efficient fighting
ships in Great Britain consists of 20
frst-class battle ships, with an aggre-
gate displacement of $4,000 tons; Il
second-class battle ships, aggregating
114,03o tons displacement; Il third
class battle ships, 1880 tons dispaee-
ment; Il coast defense ships, dispaee-
ment about 90 600; 30 armored and first.
class protected cruisers, 241, 700 tons
displacement; 60 second and third-elass
protected cruisers, 229,6 0j tons dis.
placement; 30 torpedo gunboats about
5000 tons displacement. These do not
include about 10 gunboats stationed in
Australia. In addition to these vessels
Great Britain has 60 torpedo destroyers
26 flrst-class, second-class and &c
third-elass, 5t seagoing and 10 lookout
ships. The reserve of merchant cruis
ers comprises largo number of yes
sells.
The German navy consists of littlt
over so vessels, excluding torpedo boats
OF the II armored battle ships only
are Of the frst-elass, with an aggregate
displacement of 39,36s tons, and 7 0
the second-class, with an aggregate dis
! placement Of 50.152 tons. OF coast de
Tense barbette ships Germany has
aggregate displacement %, 100 tons, an
Ct sea-going gunboats, IL, with an az
gregate displacement of 12,0Gs tons
of which are armored. Germany ha
: also 20 unarmored cruisers, aggrcgat
displacement about 6,7o0 tons, aud
torpedo fotilla of II destroyers, 81 SET
going, 81 frst-class, seeond-ela'
bouts and Is yedettes. When the to
pedo boats now in course OF constru
ton have been completed Germany wi
:, have flotilla Of il torpedo diyisio
boats of from $50 to $50 tons and II
:, frst-class torpedo boats. As regard
speed, 16 of the British and II Of til
German armored ships steam at les
>, than IL knots. OF the unarmored ye'
- sels-cruisers, etc.-27 Of the BIRTHS
- and of the German steam at less tina
! ~ knots. The British navy has 81 tina
= steam at 20 knots and over, while Gel
i many has IN. y. Sun.