Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-06-17
UNCLE SANS FIGHTING STRENGTH.
1t Is Probably Greater Than That Of Any
Other Country OIL Earth.

It Is Probably Greater Than That Of Any
Other Country OIL Earth.
In the table of the armed strength
of various countries it is customary to
put Russia first among the nations OF
the world, with an active army OF l.
125,0O0 soldiers, first reserve of q
500, 900 and a second reserve of 1885,
900, bringing up the total number OF
available soldiers on war footing to
about 100000. as against 5000, 900
in Germany, 100000 in France, q
100000 in Italy, 100000 in Austria
Hungary, and 100000 in Turkey.
But recognized authority among mil
itary men, the France Militaire of
Paris, in a recent issue disputes the
correctness of the popular belief that
Russia can put in the field the largest
army of the world in time of war and
says: "Tbe United States are not
great military power from the point of
view of their effective foot forces in
peace, but in time of war their perma-
nent contingent would form the nu-
cleus of the vastest army of the
world"
Prior to the beginning of the Santi-
ago campaign and the stirring events
of year ago at Manila, it was not
usual to include the United States in
any computation of available armed
strength, the nations of Europe being
compared only with each other in
this regard. But, as the quotation
from the French military journal
shows, in all computations of available
military strength the United States
must now be reconed as a factor, and
very little computation shows that
the view of the French military paper
is very nearly correct. In the first
place, in all authentic estimates of the
available fighting strength of European
countries, "soldiers" of every grade
are included in the general total,
whereas the American total Is made
up only of the regulars in the perma-
nent service of the United States and
without any reference whatever to the
National Guard, which corresponds to
the first reserve and outnumbers the
regulars in the proportion of ten to
one. The number of able. bodied male
residents in different countries is put
at 100000 in Russia, 12,O00,0 900 in
Germany, 10000, 900 in Austria, 9,000,-
900 in France, S,500,000 in Great
Britain, 100000, in Italy and 4,O0O,-
900 in Spain.
By the Federal census of 1890 the
number of residents in this country in
the category of males between 18 and
A, both included, was 13,23O,0OO.
Since then the population of the United
States has increased 20 per cent, ac-
cording to the most reliable estimate.
The actuary of the treasury estimated
the population Of the United States on
June l, 1897, as 72,S07, 900, and by
next years census there is very little
doubt but that the total population
will be shown to be $4,000, 900, an in
crease of 100000 over nine years
ago, and the total number of Ameri-
cans of military age will not fall short
of 100000.
In the United States the number of
physically disqualified persons incapa-'
BILE of serving in the army is material
ly less than in Russia, and the admin
istrative business of this country, too,
is conducted almost exclusively by
civilian, whereas, Russia is under prac-
tical military rule, thus taking from
the number of those available for mill
tary service all who are in the employ
of the government. Moreover, while
A years Is put generally as the maxi
mum age for soldiers, the majority of
commanders and many of the officers,
as we'll as the rank and file, are above
Al. Everything considered, it is pro-
babe that Uncle Sam could, on pinch,
put more troops in the field for
"finish fight" than any other country
in the world.