The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1914-07-31
TWELVE MILLION
SOLDIERS MAY
Be IN CONFLICT
General European Struggle
Would Make Wars of Ma
p0leonic Era Small.
SERVIA NOT TO BE DESPISED
Little Country Has Large Army of
Veteran Fighters-Germany's Won
derfuI War Machine in Readi-
ness to Begin War at a
Moments Notice.

Americans unacquainted with the
elaborate military organizations of for
eign powers can have but little idea of
the tremendous number of combatants
who would be involved in any general
European war which might arise from
Austrias imbroglio with Servia. Aus
tria, large as she is in territory and
population, does not outnumber Servia
in available trained men so heavily as
might be expected. But the serious
ness of the situation lies in the fact
that, once hostilities between the two
principals begin, general war might
be inevitable. And it is safe to say
that not even the Napoleonic wars
rent the fabric of European civilization
as would a war between the powers of
the triple entente and the triple alli-
ance.
Always supposing that Russia makes
good her report 4 threat to aid Servia
in case the Austrians persist in going
to extremes, 1t is believed that Ger
ally's assistance. In such circum-
stance, it is assumed that Great Brit
ain and France, the two remaining
powers in the triple entente, would not
permit their ally, Russia, to fight such
serious battle alone. This might
mean the arraying of Russia, France
and Britain-and possibly Rumania--
on the side of Servia, and Germany
and Italy on the side of Austria, with
the possibility that the other Balkan
nations and Turkey may be dragged
into the quarrel
Austria's Fighting Forces.
Austria's army is credited with
peace strength of 415,000 men and
1880 guns, which the first-line re-
serves would increase in few days to
$4,000 men. Behind these could be
mustered hundreds of thousands OF
men of varying ages who have had
some military training, and who would
fill the gaps in the field army. Little
Servia can mobilize all of her male
population trained to bear arms to the
number of $4,000 in q fortnight's time,
although she maintains only $4,000
men in time of peace. AS Austria
must guard her Russian frontier and
leave some troops in the great Slav
areas of her own territory to restrain
outbursts Of revolution, it can be seen
that any army she might attempt to
throw across the Danube into Servla
would not be of overwhelming
strength. Then, too, the Servian
army is largely composed of veterans.
with a splendid morale, and record
of first-rate achievement IN the Balkan
wars.
Germanys field army in time of war
numbers 100000 men, and her en-
tire system of mobilization and strate-
gy Is based upon an invasion Of France
and simultaneous resistance to
Russian attack upon her back door
Behind this field army stands an act
i've reserve of 100000 men of the Land
wehr, and behind them still 100000
men who have had military training
and are available to make good battle
losses. Germany's strong point, as OPP
posed to Russia, of course, lies In her
superior mobilization. The vast dis
tances which Russian reservists must
travel, and the scanty railroads in the
cars empire all tend somewhat to
neutralize the preponderance of Rus
sian troops.
On a peace footing. the Russian
army numbers 1,384,000 men of all
CORPS, distributed over her European
and Asiatic possessions. Many of
these men would not be available for
use in a European war. But military
experts concede that Russia could hurl
a great army of 100000 men across
the German and Austrian frontiers,
these men comprising the regular Eu-
ropean army corps and the first-line re-
servists. Behind them, in turn, are
several million trained and partly
trained men, for use in making up the
ravages of battle and disease.
France, too, would be an effective
ally of the Servians on land. The
French army is a different weapon
from what 1t was in 1870. The active
army within continental France is
thought to number about coo, 200 men,
and. although Frances limited popula-