The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-23
The Magnitude OF Englnnd's Prepare
lions for War.

lions for War.
1t was at first supposed that the business
OF the present session OF Parliament, rem
dered necessary by the proclamation call
ing out tho reserves OF the regular army,
would be restricted to a provision OF the
funds required for despatching to the Cape
those reserves, together with the army
corps previously under, orders for that
point. A good deal OF surprise was conse-
quently caused in the House of Commons
by the Queens message read by Mr.. A. J.
BALFoUR, to the effect that her Majesty
is about to order the embodiment uf the
militia and to call out the militia reserves.
The military resources OF Great Britain
will be increased by this step more than
so per cent, and will place her on
footing such as she has not occupied since
the war against NAPOLEON, when she had,
at one time under the colors more than
100000 men, although there were only
about 80. 900 British subjects in the army
under WELLINGTON at Waterloo.
According to the official reports placed on
file at our War Department in December,
1895, the active army OF Great Britain
consists of PIC. 900 officers and men. About
third OF these are serving in India; some
&C, 900 have been hitherto retained In the
British Isles, including the Channel Islands,
and the rest are distributed among the
colonies and the military stations which
are scattered all over the world. The first
section OF the pensioned reserves OF the
regular army, which has been already
called out. numbers rather less than
40 900. and it Ia doubtful whether more
than $4,000 will he considered At for
service. Even less fit would be the
second section. For the data relat-
ing to the militia, the yeomanry
cavalry and the volunteers, we must 60
back to the returns for 1878. Tho total
number Of the militia at that time was a.
500 men and officers. At the same date, the
yeomanry cavalry mustered $3.50, and
the total number of volunteers provided
for in the army estimates was ia, 241. II
we add to the active army tho proportion
OF the regular reserves who are probably
fit for service and all the militia, we shall
have total of over $4,000 meh. The
yeomanry cavalry and the volunteer artil-
lcry, Lighthouse, engineers and riflemen
would still remain to be drawn upon, con-
shutting n possible addition OF not far from
$50, 900 men.
These figures are by no means impressive,
compared with those which might be exhib-
tied in Russia. Germany and France. but
they seem colossal when compared with the
forces which the two Boer republics could
put in the field. 1t is true that the troops
| placed by the Transvaal and the Orange
Free State In Natal on the one hand and in
Bechuana Land on the OF her are, apparently,
! In the aggregate, not far from 40 900, but
| these include number of Hollander Ger
man, Irish and French Uitlanders. who, in
spite Of their alleged grievances, have vol
| unteered to fight against Great Britain.
Nolarge achievements from the Transvaal
| or the Orange Free State can be looked for
| by the Boer commanders OF the attacking
columns, for as we have previously said,
certain proportion OF levles will have to be-
| kept at home for the maintenance OF order
among the aborigines, and the necessity OF
such detention Is emphasized by the rumors
Of upr.sings on the part of the Basutos,
Swazis and Zulus. although it is as yet
uncertain which side the natives will take.
When the army corps and the $4,000
reserves of the regular army, which have
| D''ch SdilSu Out' SHdIl IouCl cape, THESE,
with the troops already there and tho
Anglo-Indan contingent expected, will give
| Sir REDvERs BUTLER force nearly double
that at the disposal Of the Boer command
| ers. In his turn, however, he may be coli
strained to dctach a considerable part OF
| his army for garrison and police duty in
| the Cape Colony, and this deduction from
| his ostensible strength will 10 greatly
augmented should the apprehendrd rising
occur among the Afrikandcrs Of that col
| ony who number some three hundred
thousand. The embodiment OF the militia
and the calling out Of the militia reserves
in the United Kingdom is, undoubtedly,
measure OF precaution against that
| contingency The demonstration can
| hardly be intended as a warning to the
European powers not to intervene in Eng
| lands quarrel, for the British militia have
no terrors for the vast standing armies OF
| III" Continent. Moreover in the event Of
| an anti-English coalition on the part OF
| Russia, France and Spain, which for reasons
| formerly mentioned, We deem improbable
| their operations against Great Britain
would be- naval and not military except on
the frontier OF India. Still, 1t does no harm
TO let Russia know that, by calling out the
| militia, the British War Office has placed it.
self at liberty to despatch almost all the
! regular soldiers. FORMALLY stationed in the