NAPOLEONIC WARS COMPARED WITH THE PRESENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3059, 21 April 1917, Page 10

NAPOLEONIC WARS COMPARED WITH THE PRESENT

Sir—We beat Napoleon ai. tho beginning of last contury, and his schemes of world ciupiro wero ended on a rooky islet 800 miles from tho nearest land, i/et me compare the two wars as briefly as possible—lest wo forgot. 'Then throughout the Peninsular War, which ended with Elba, and tho hundred days, which ended with St. Helona (1808-1815), our army averaged 250,000 men, 011 a population basis of rather loss than 20 millions. Now, with less than four- times tho population (overseas Dominions included) we have to maintain an army twenty . times as great. , Then, it required one ton weight of projectiles'to kill one man. Wellington lost in killed, wounded, prisoners, and missing about 6000 por year.' Supposing that the French lost an equal number, and that one-fourth of .the

whole wore actually killed, 1500 tons of lead and iron wero expended per annum by each side. Now, that annual expenditure of munitions would only last a few hours of artillery preparation for an offensive on a ten-mile front. Then, we were holding command of tho sea with a few hundred wooden vessels, averaging loss than 1000 tons burden. Now, previous to tho outbreak of war, our warships, tho smallest of;which was larger than the Victory, totalled 2J- million tons. Our destroyers and inosquito fleet would j surpass the fleet of Nelson's day, and since the beginning of the war-these numbers have doubtless, been doubled. We won Trafalgar with 27 ships, whoso combined tonnage would scarcely equal that of two' super-Dreadnoughts, and the weight of whoso entire broadsides was not nearly equal to one 15in. shell fired by a modern "Lizzie." Then, the army and navy votes for 1814-1815—the heaviest of tho wartotalled less than 58 millions. Now, that sum would suffice for 11J days. Then, barring luxuries, England could feed herself. The people were on the land;, so much wheat and meat required, i so many acres under cultivation, and so many flocks and herds— a fair proportion. Now, the people are cooped up iu large cities and towns. The very necessities of life have to be brought to them over hundreds .ind thousands of ''miles of ocean, and in a few months/they would be'starved out if sho were really and effectively blockaded.

I'hen,' munitions of war—rough-cast bullets and cannon-balls and spherical shells —required little skilled labour, and black powder was made by a cookery book recipe. Now, explosions are the product of the scientists' labpra» tory, and projectiles are produced by highly-skilled labour, expensive machinery, and complicated processes. Then, a big gun would last out many years of hard use. Now, it must b'e frequently rebored and refitted to maintain its essential accuracy. Then, the intricacies of telegraphy, aviation, and submarines wero unknown.. Now, these services demand millions of men and money. , Then, the working classes did as they were told, and common soldiers were food for powder. Now, if the same classes, whether miners or transporters or munition-makers or factory hands or soldiers, thought that they were being exploited by their employers and commanders they would sit still and let Germany win the war. j ' Then, wo were fighting a nation | which had just emerged from a san- ] guinary revolution, disoreanised, im-1 poverished, unprepared. Now;-we-are | fighting a nation which has been build- j ing up its-power, teaching and training its whole population, organisitic and preparing its entire resources with a view to war for nearly 50 years. " Then, the issue was clear and sharpcut. We" were fighting "Bony" .and every man, woman, and child wanted to see him beaten. To-day, towards the end of the third year of war, we aro only just beginning to realise what the isaiie is: that it lies between democracy and the entire monarchical system of Europe. It has taken the Russian Revolution, and the welcome to America by Lloyd George to teacli us evr.n that.—l am, etc., ■ H. M. B. MARSHALL. Mangatainoka, April 17, 1917.