Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-07-22
CONDUCT Of OUR WAR;
HAS BEEN ENERGETIC
As Compared With Other Wars, Uncle Sam
Has Made Record. Progress Has
Been Satisfactory.

There are some persons in the Unit
I'd States and a good many elsewhere
who find much cause for complaint in
what they are pleased to term the dill
story prosecution of Uncle Sans war
against the Spanish Dons. Were these
Ikickers thoroughly familiar with the
annals Of the present century they
would know that to date events have
moved with remarkable rapidity since
khe beginning of hostilities 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 1t necessary for the
aggressive nation to put to sea, let
alone expand little group Of between
10000 and 10000 fighting men, barely
anough to maintain military organiza-
kion, to an effective army Of invasion.
Prussia and France are contiguous,
and 1t was only necessary for the Prus-
SLAMS to advance to the French from
eier to begin operations, and condi-
tions were not less favorable to the
expedition of operations in the Austro-
lPrussian war. Besides, all parties
were ready for both these wars, having
been perfecting military organizations
Tor many years.
The only wars fought in this half
century that can be compared with the
current one with any degree Of fair
mess were the Crimean war Of 1876,
and the conquest Of Egypt in 1882.
Both were conducted with much great
er elaboration 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
trained soldiers than the United States
possesses even yet. Moreover, in the
Crimean war, England was not fighting
single handed, being in alliance with
france, while in the Egyptian opera
tions England had the moral support
of every European power, and her an
tagonists were all Asiatic or African
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
lpletely destroyed one Spanish fleet in
waters thousands Of miles from home,
lannihilated another on this side
and the conquest of an enormously
rich group of islands is virtually &C
complished. From an effective force
iof less than 10000 men the army has
been increased to more than 100000,
and the new troops are being rapidly
transformed into one Of the most effec-
dive fighting organizations in the
world.
Events moved vastly slower in the
" Crimean war. For causes which need
mot be explained here, England and
France, acting Jointly, declared war
against Russia on March %, 1854. Ia
stantly the mobilization of large
masses Of troops was begun both by
the French and the English. Consid-
Fering the inferior means of transporta-
jsion then existing, they were moved
Eastward with commendable CELEBRITY,
for. after spending some time at Gal
aipolis and other Oriental localities,
they landed at Varna on May IS of the
same year. This, however, 1t will be
observed, was almost exactly as long
after the declaration Of war against
Russia as the period which has now
ELAPSED since the capture Of the Buena
Ventura, the first act Of the present
war, and there was no end OF COM
iplaint, both in England and France
over the delay. But the war was not
actually begun BY the end OF May
1854. The authorities in charge de-
hided at once upon an expedition
against the Crimea, but they took their
time. and plenty Of it, before they got
down to business, for they didn't en-
ihark their forces until September 8
and the voyage from Yarna to oio
Fort. near Eupatoria, about thirty
miles from Sebastopol,wa not finished
unit the middle Of the month. Loro
Raglan for the English and Marshal 81
ArHaud for the French had charge o.
the allied forces, amounting to 5S,ool
men and they were landed on Sept. IA
IL and f6.
The battle Of Alma, the Russiani
numbering between 10000 to 5000
men. was fought four days later, AM
resulted in a complete rout for tn
Russians, but the war lasted uht'
April, 1856, two long and weary year
and more after the declaration OF nos