The Washington herald., 1917-02-08
Army and Navy News
Best ssrvies Cslunn is CITY

h OF the regular army today probably
only 5000 officers and men are IN the
United States proper dncluding the FER
shing expedition. while the other D,0o
are abroad. To show how the forces OF
the regular army are dispersed the geo.
graphical distribution on June 80. 1916, the
last date for which definite figures nave
peen made public, are given here;
United States and Mexico, 71,oss; Alaska,
Is2; Philippines (regulars). II ,sS4; (scouts).
S'iso; China, LIZA; Porto Rico. IA; Hawai-
s,i45; Canal Zone, 1909; miscellaneous. SO
Total, l07,sil.
While the present organized forces are
minute. the reserve man power OF the
United States Ia more vast than that OF
any white nation except Russia,
According to the census of 1910 isince
when the increase has been greao, the
reserve militia Of the United States, by
which is meant the males aged between
IS and A years, not included In the or
Ganized forces, amounted to 2o5Ss. .3f
men.
The above total does not include the
men of the insular possessions, except
Hawaii These could produce another
900 men Of military age.
France Is said now to have one person
out Of every six In her population serv-
ing in the army or navy. II the United
made such an effort, taking the present
population as 1l2,00o,000 the President
would have at his disposal no less than
Is, SGT, ,666 men.
This is probably more men than Ger
many, Austria a-Hungary, Bulgaria and
Turkey together have in the field today.
II the unorganized manhood strength of
the United States is Imposing. the in
dustrial capacity of the nation Is even
more impressive.
With less than one-tenth of the worlds
population. we make nearly one-third Of
all the things produced.
In iron and steel, for instance, we turn
out more than Great Britain and Ger
many, the two next largest producers, do
together.
Some observers have estimated the
present industrial capacity of the United
states at as much as all the rest of the
world put together. While this is per-
haps an over estimate, large scale pro-
duction has been carried to such a fine
point here that no nation can approach
us in the total produced per worker
The average American produces more
per hour for labor than the citizen of
any other nation. We rely on mechani-
cal power three times more per man than
does Great Britain, four times more than
Germany and five times more than
France.
Facing this grave crisis with the Teu-
tonic powers, the people of the United
states find themselves today with scarce
ly more military and naval force than be-
fore the great war started.
There has been much talk of prepared
ness. but little has been done.
Large sums have been appropriated by
Congress, but the results of their expen-
ditures remain to be seen.
OF the two-the army and the navy
the latter Is by far the more formida a BILE
when compared with the armed forces Of
the other great powers.
According to the latest records, the
American navy totals 1,oe7, SOC tons dis
placement, taking into account both ships
built and building.
This tonnage compares with the follow
ing for the great powers on July l. 1914
or almost three years ago:
Great Britain, 2,7l3 75s; Germany, 1.so4. =
$40; France, Ss9. .9l5; Japan, 6e9, ,sle; Russia,
Iol, 8s; Italy, 4s7,s15. and Austria Hungary,
So, ,oos
In the period since then these great
powers, all at war. have increased their
navies by giant strides. They naturally
have kept their naval DEVELOPMENTS sec
ret, but 1t is known, for instance, that
in the first two years of the war Great
Britain launched a new navy fully eouaI
in size to the whole of the United state,
sea lighting forces
Exactly how the American navy COM
pares with others today is impossible for
most experts to say. Perhaps a few Sc
cret service men In the employ Of the big
hghting governments know, but IL they
do they are keeping this valuable infor-
nation for their own nations purposes.
The number Of officers and men in the
united states navy on July /, 1916, was
os,oos' Ihis compared with pre-war
strengths on July I, 1914, of 15oso9 OFFICERS
and men for Great Britain; Germany. 1a.-
lS; France, SS,s46: Japan. 55.73S: Russia.
81 46S; Italy, 3s.913 and Austria Hungary.
1a,531.