Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-30
THE CURSE0F EUROPE
WHY DIPLOMATS REALIZE THAT A
CRISIS HAS BEEN REACHED.
TIE WORLDS WEALTH IS WASTED.
slowly 1, is Dawning on the
Leaders of Men In the Ola
World That the Days of War
Must lie Numbered.
rMrLttan for the Dlspatehl


Armed Europe seems TO have reached
f.u1g-place. midway between univer-
..- peace and bloody war 1t seems to
a..-l upon a very slight turn of the
v... either way whether the Cars
l.- for general disarmament be adopt
o.. OPP whether the mutterings Of wrath
IL. various quarters. following small and
..--. acant squabbles, should cause an
freak that would be the signal for
Che mighty armies of Continental Europe
.. engage in a terrible struggle to the
death. Ii is difficult to realize how CO.
l.,a are the standing armies Of these
Continental Powers, and how terrible is
.a. strain on the manhood Of the nations
who thus stand ready to spring, at mo-
l.rrs notice. TO the defence Of father
l.ud.
only I'm the inner circles Of European
diplomacy is the full extent Of the curse
NJ mUitaSism realized. Here IT is seen
What injury is done 20 the country by
taking the best blood. bone, and muscle
.rm industrial life and keeping it Tor
years in useless inactivity waiting lor
war; ,...
fENffE
armies Of the present day and compare
them with the total population OF the
country that the army represents does
NOT make a very large percentage OF the
whole but the quality of the MANHOOD OF
which the peaceful fields Of industry ana
commerce are deprived is what gives Inc
matter so serious an aspect.
Here are the armies Of the world on
'''1' 'o'''9 Officers
and Men
Russia European ......''''''''''. 81 Sl' o W.
Gtrmauy...... .......... ....s.'''''''' ','' ~
lrduce........,.. s.......'''s ''''''''''"I2'l -
Austrla-Hungary... ........ .''''''o2o ~.
Italy........ .......... ...s.''''''''''''' -, 80
United Kingdom. $500 ''''''. o..
This represents the number OF men az
yvays under arms and total loss 10 Ihe
Industries of the country whose uItloIii
they wear. Take the same armies on d
war footing. and 1t IS possible 70 iedll1e
how drained Of its backbone-populalOH
y,cyld be the continent of Europe IN lhe
event of a great war, i'm which the armies
in the field would have to be constantly
replenlshed By drafts from home. IL
would practically mean that the whole
male population capable of bearing arms
would be locked I'm life and death suug-
ole "a fearful thing 10 contemplate even
al TINS Instant 'n ~,
the Inquiries o' . Officers
and men
C,,,.,,,,,v ......... ......... .........3.00OO 90
1-r,nce ........ ........ .......Z, $685. O
pussia European .......... .........2, l15o y
Austria-Hungary ....... ...... .....I'StZI0
Italv ...... ............. ...........'l' 20 9C
United Kingdom $500 ''''''' an - a.,
TO make the comparison sun iiloIe III
tercsting 1t Is necessary 10 an M ~ va.
sideration the lolal pop .-.,,,io,, and chill
rious countries NJ. r"onortion of thes,
oreh' anu .' a,io in battling for theil
WIN DC ,rbeso are the fieures Of the en-
nOiilos' ,ii,ion ~ six of the European
W -.
Pnesis lin Furope) ECONOMICALLY 5S
germany .......... ......... ...... 52'2.Ss III
Austria-Hungary ...... ...... ....'' 4i'4tS y,
United Kingdom ....'' So aO'y ~ ~
France .... .......'. '.'.''''' o, Sao ,a
Italy ....... ..... IN,
A calculation maze 10y wv, -.
number OF men IN the European '.'..
with the total number OF 'lii,a ao,,,ao,