The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-10-02
EUR0pE'S ARMIES
TOTAL 3,917,949
100000 Fewer Men Under
Arms Than in 1913.
RUSSIA LEADS WITH $4,000

war. says the New York Times, IL
that year, according to the most reli
able information, there were 1869, 2O(
men under arms in the active armies
of Europe. These armies included re
serves on active duty, but the total
size of the European forces given fol
1913 does not include organized re
serves not on duty, neither does II
take into consideration the unorganized
reserves that in time Of emergency en-,
ter into the military man-power Of the
nations Of Europe.
The total number Of men In the ac-
tive armies Of Europe on December 81.
1922. according to analysis of reliable
reports received in Washington, was
3,917,949 men. This total is worked
out on the same basis of comparison
as that for 1913. 1t takes into con-
sideration the forces known to be In
the active armies and includes reserves
only where they are on active duty.
Comparison of these totals indicates
that the active armies of Europe today
contain 1,751,251 fewer men than these
same armies totaled in 1915.
Cost Has Quadrupled.
There is a popular impression that
the armies. OF Europe are larger today
than they were in the year preceding
the outbreak of the war. 1t has even
been charged that there are 100000
more men under arms in Europe than
was the case in 1913. There is nothing
to sustain this assumption, say the ex-
perts in Washington whose business
it is to have definite knowledge of the
subject.
Another outstanding fact in the Eu-
ropean military situation of today is
that the cost of maintaining armies
has gon up tremendously. The ar
mics of 1922, although generally small
err than those of 1913, cost considerably
more than those of the prewar year,
even in the United States. Official fig
ures covering the military expenditures
of the United States and certain other
countries show that the 1922 expendi-
lures are considerably in excess of
those of 1913. The increase is largest
in the italian army, which now costs
more thar six times what it did ten
years ago, despite the fact that it's
personnel is $4,000 less than in 1913.
Armies Come High.
The British and French armies are
costing about four times as much as
they did a year ago. The military ex-
p%enditures of Great Britain in 1913
amounted to 28,220,O0O, as compared
with f115,S $40, 800 in 1922, so that the
ratio of 1922 expenditures to those of
1913 was 40 for Great Britain. The
figures given for the British army in
clude, so far as 1929 is concerned, only
one-half of the expenditures for the
British air service, which is not under
regular army control.
Officially checked figures show that
the military expenditures of France in
1913 aggregated 983,224,376 francs, as
compared with 4,19O, zoe 900 francs in
cost 4.26 more in 1929 than it did In
1913, although the personnel was only
As, 1000 larger on December 81 last than
in the year preceding the war.
Similarly, comparing the cost of the
italian army in its own coin Of the
the governments military ex-
penditures in 1913 aggregated 424, $780,
O5S lire, while in 1929 it had risen to
2,607. DAB, ZOO. Consequently, the Ital-
ian people are spending GA times as
much on their army as they did ten
years ago, even though the personnel
of their active force is $4,000 smaller.
BoIshevist Army Totals 928,OO0.
The largest army in Europe in 1913
that of Russia, when there were
100000 soldiers on active duty. The
flower of the Russian forces was
by the World war. Russia
-oday. under B~olshevist dominance, is
with an active army of $685.
100 men, well trained and well armed.
Some persons may think that the Boil
army of nearly a million is
,nly a paper force. But this is far
rom the truth.
Leon Trotzky, the Russian minister
# war, declared in his official report
n December. 1920, that the strength
# the Bolshevist army was 100000
Experts do not doubt that such
force existed. although it was not
O well armed or trained as the pres
smaller force. BY the end Of 1921
t had been reduced to 1880 0 men,
nd a year later to 92S.OOO. Authentic
says that the army is be-
ne reduced still further. although ev-
ry effort is expended to make it more
y
France Has More Troops.
IT has been the reduction in Ger
Austria. Russia. Hungary, Bull
aria and Italy that has brought down
he size of the armies of Europe today.
he active armies of these six nations
lone are about 100000 smaller than
t the beginning of the war. But,
bout 100000 more men are serving !,
nder the flags of Spain, Portugal, Ser :
Ia, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium, Ru-
ania and Denmark at this moment :
ian in 1913. .
France. the size OF whose army is :
matter of much conjecture today.
ad, as a matter of fact, only $4,000 :
ore men in active service at the be-
ming of this year than she had when ;
invaded her in 1914. Thel I