Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1877 — Modern Warfare. [ARTICLE]

Modern Warfare.

According to a little tract published recently by the London Peace Boeiety the armaments of Europe in the present year are : Army, Army, Peace War Navy, Footing. Footing. Tonn. Russia (European) . ...800,000 1,G00,000 80,000 Germany ! 800,000 J,400,000 &5,000 France 1. 750,000 1,300,000 100,000 Austria 7 400,00# 800,000 65,000 Italy ‘200,000 460,000 100,000 Great Britain 150,000 400,000 200,000 It will be seen that the total strength of the regularly-trained soldiers of Europe amounts to nearly 6,000,000; or, having regard to the fact that the whole adult population of Europe, except Great. Britain, is liable to be called to take arms, the total military forco may be estimated at from 6,000,000 to 10,000,000. The lesser number equals the whole of Hlie adult and efficient population of the British islands. It has been pointed out that, if ODly one-half of the present excessive armies of Europe were disbanded, at least 3,000,000 men of from 26 to 35 years of age would be restored to productive labor, and $500,000,000 of money saved from oppressive taxation. The tract beforo us contains a table enumerating the wars between 1853 and 1877, and tho loss of life they occasioned. There were killed m battle, or died of wounds and diseases, 750,000 men in the Crimean Avar, 46,000 in the Italian war of 1850, 3,000 in the war of SchlesAvig-Holstein, 800,000 in the American civil war, 45,000 in the Prussian war of 1866, 155,000 on the French side and 60,000 on the German in the Franco-German war of 1870-’7l, which, with other and smaller affairs, brings the total slain to 1,948,000 during twentyfive years. These wars are hot less costly in monoy than they are in lives, as the following figures will show : Crimean war $ 1,70c,000,000 Italian war of 1859 300,000,000 American civil war, the North 4,700 000,000 American civil war, the South'. 2,300,000,000 Schleswig-Holstein war i 35,000,000 Austrian and Prussian war in X86G...., 330,000,000 Fran co-Prussian war 2,500,000,000 Other wars, expeditions, etc 200,000,000 Total 1 $12,065,000,000 This calculation excludes the allied expedition against China, the Indian mutiny, and the Abyssinian and Asliantee campaigns. These items may be included in the general expenditure of Great Britain upon war, debt, and warlike preparations since 1851, Avliich amounts to the large sum of $6,528,163,995. It is estimated that the enormous sum given in the foregoing table would, if divided, alloAV about $lO for every man, woman and child in the habitable globe. It Avould make two railways around the world at the rate of $250,000 a mile.’ It would provide a freehold farm of 100 acres in this country to each of the 50,000,000 of adult males in Europe. “