The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-08-20

there are approximately 100000 men.
The troops of the Balkan states. Ser
via, Roumania, Montenegro and Bull
garia. as well as 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 it's es-
adjustment is called out. The esti-
mate for France is 100000 to 4,OOO,-
600. while that Of Great Britain is less
than q 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 nec-
essarily 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 1t is a s%eacoast or port
then the navy may virtually decide the
struggle before the army gets to the
field to strike It's blow.
Navies In the Entente.
Russia's naval complement today is
approximately 200 vessels. or this
number thirteen are battleships. six
armored cruisers. eight cruisers, nine
ty-fve destroyers. forty-two torpedo
boats. thirty-one submarines. Aiming
to waylay an enemy's navy and pre-
vent It's reaching a 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 aioat, twenty-seven other bat
cA' f"Shlg III l1plSu u ulScIS.
fifteen cruisers. eighty-four destroyers,
three hundred and twentv-four torpe-
do boats and seventy-eight subma-
rines. Thus france alone would make
a 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 nDVinS of which nrrphar hut
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, If the number of
vessels In a 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 ever n
afioat today. although Germany has
three In the process Of building. As
Tor Dreadnoughts. OF which Germany
hns seventeen. Great Britain has six.
teen to supplement her thirteen super.
Dreadnoughts and ~forty-eight other
battieships M 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 In again the
superior ~ Germany
Great Britain's dcstroyers number
W hundred and fifteen. Germany.s
deStroyers n hundred and rorty-one:
Great Britnin's torpedo boats number
sns hundred and eighties Il Q against
o~srtnhby's ~forty-seven. and Great Brit.
aims submarines number seventy eve
IN Offset twenty -ssven IN the navy Of
the kaiser