El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-09
fCoprright. 81. ~ - G. Carpenter.l

trouble, but if some one came up and
hit him in the face without provoca-
ton, or called him liar, he would
have to fight; he could do no other
Take the case of the blowing up OF
the Maine. However we may feel in
the light Of recent Investigations, at
the time Of the explosion we took 1t as
an insult and an outrage and the result
was our war with Spain.
Only a few years before that, presi-
dent Cleveland sent a message to Eng
land as to the Venezuela complications
that brought war clouds into the in
ternationaI sky. It was only through
the fOrbearance of John Bull that the
heavens became cerulean. another
president may send similar message
to a nation which viii not be so for
bearing. We may some time attempt
to dictate to Germany, and the warm
blOOded kaiser, with the greed Of a
South American Deutsehland in his
eye, may defy US, and with his power
full army and navy smash the Monroe
doctrine to pieces.
Uncle Sans Army.
All this is preliminary to my investi-
cations this week as to the American
army and Uncle Sans plans for max
ing ii big enough and strong enough
for any emergency Much of my in
formation comes from the war depart
ment, and IT is based up talks with the
virile young secretary of war, Mr.. Slim
son; the long-eXper fighting
chief Of staff, Maj Gen. Wood, and a
number Of others who rank high in the
military affairs Of the nation.
In the first place, let me give you
some idea of what our army is and
how 1t ranks among those Of the world
I shall take the peace strength. By
the last report Of the secretary OF war,
the number actually serving is a little
over so, 900 all told. with an authorized
strength which brings it up to about
10000 We have now less than 5000
officers and less than 10000 men. The
peace strength of the German army IS
$50, 600, that Of the French 500 ,O00 and
Of Great Britain $4,000. Little Swift
erland can call 100000 or 100000 men
into the field at touch Of the tele-
graph button, and Japan has now AGO.
600 men under arms.
Our War Strength.
As to our war strength we are even
worse off. We have a militia Of 10000
and the army could, upon occasion,
without further acts Of congress, per-
haps, put a few more thousand men
into the field. Our fighting force,
however, at best could not be made
more than 200, 200 and we should have
to rely, as we have in the past, upon
volunteer troops made up of men who
would have to be trained before they
could become efficient as fighters
On the other hand, every one Of the
great nations Of Europe has from 50O,-
600 10 1000, 900 Of reserves or men who
have had experience in the army and
who are ready to take their places in
y
Great Britain has over 100000 reserves,
and its total war strength is 500, 600.
Austria has about 100000 reserves,
and France has the same, while Russia
and Germany have each over 100000.
The total war strength of Germany is
100000 and that Of Russia is 100000
more. France can call into the field
more than 100000 soldiers. Austria
Hungary 100000, and little Japan can
muster out 100000 all told Italy has
more than 100000. Sweden and Nor
way between 100000 and 100000, and
Spain with a peace strength equal to
ours has 100000 reserves. Outside of
this each Of these countries has a large
number Of men who could be called
into the field just as our volunteers
are, and in some Of them every man and
boy is soldier in that he has had
training in the regular army.
As I write this a graphic illustra-
ton Of the size Of our army as COM
pared with those Of other great pow
ers lies before me. Tt consists Of men
drawn to a scale. The pigmy repre-
senting the United States army is not
as long as the nail Of my thumb, while
those Of Germany and Russia are as