Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1914-08-06

three powers in the triple entente
there are approximately 100000 men.
The troops of the Balkan states, Ser
via, ROumania, Montenegro and Bull
garia, as well us OF Greece. are trained
veterans today, having emerged re-
Gently from arduous campaigns against
Turkey.
Relative Fighting Strength.
Assuming that the war must spread
from the local field to other strategic
points, the strength of the three great
powers of the entente is OF vital mo-
ment Russia is believed TO have at
least 100000 soldiers in its army
when the full war strength of its es-
tablishment is called out. The esti-
mate for France is 100000 to 4,OOO,-
600. while that OF Great Britain is less
than a fifth Of that OF Russia and less
than one-half of the minimum Of
France, being about 10000 men. In
a clash between the three great powers
of the triple alliance and the three of
the triple entente the navies must nee
eesarily play a great part, If not the
chief part
Just what the objective will be when
the great forces are launched forth
upon foreign soil can only be deter
mined by the exigencies of the cam
paign. If it is a seacoast or port
then the navy may virtually decide the
struggle before the army gets to the
field to strike its blow.
Navies In the Entente.
Russia's naval complement today is
approximately 200 vessels. OF this
number thirteen are battleships, six
armored cruisers. eight cruisers. nine
ty-flve destroyers. forty-two torpedo
boats, thirty-one submarines. Aiming
to waylay an enemys navy and pre-
vent its reaching Il certain point or
uniting with the navy OF a friendly
power, the cruisers and destroyers and
auxiliary vessels would be able TO do
good work.
The naval strength OF France is near
~ three times that of her copartner,
Russia. France already has two Dread
noughts afloat, twenty-seven other bat
tleships, twenty-five armored cruisers.
fifteen cruisers, eighty-four destroyers.
three hundred and twenty-four torpe-
do bats and seventy-eight subma-
rines. Thus France alone would make
q very good showing against Germany
alone on the sea. Germany having few
er vessels In number than France, or
against Austria and Italy combined,
the two navies of which number but
three hundred and four vessels against
the five hundred and fifty-two Of
France. Germany is stronger in battle
ships than France, but not so strong
In armored cruisers nor In torpedo
boats.
Great Britain's Sea Power.
A great European conflict is almost
unthinkable unless the tremendous sea
power OF Great Britain would play a
part England's naval force Is greater
than that OF France. IL the number OF
vessels In n navy Is TO be taken as an
indication OF its effective strength. Eng
land has thirteen OF the class Of super
Dreadnoughts, OF which class no power
In the triple alliance has even one
afioat today, although Germany has
three In the process OF building. As
for Dreadnougbts. OF which Germany
has seventeen. Great Britain has six
teen to supplement her thirteen super
Dreadnoughts and forty-elght other
battleshtps as against the thirty OF
this class In the German navy. In
cruisers and destroyers. torpedo boats
and submarines, vessels for speed and
rapid action, England is again the
superior OF Germany.
Great Britain's destroyers number
two hundred and fifteen. Germany's
destroyers one hundred and forty-one:
Great Britain's torpedo boats number
one hundred and eighteen as against
Germany's forty-seven. and Great Brit.
aims submarines number seventy-seven
to Offset twenty-seven In the navy OF
the kaiser