THE MILITARY STRENGTH OF THE POWERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2456, 7 April 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE MILITARY STRENGTH OF THE POWERS.

The extreme attention now being directed to the state of affairs on the Continent makes a consideration of the military strength of the Powers chiefly concerned of great interest at the present juncture. In case of hostilities breaking out between Germany and Austria on the one hand, and Russia on the other, the number of men whom the War Ministers of the respective Governments assert that they are able to set in the field by putting their armies on a war footing reaches the intense total of about 5,500,000, exclusive of any additions which may be made by the concurrent project the German Government has now in hand of largely augmenting its available forces. As things now stand, the Germans and Austrians claim to have ready 2,500,000, leaving Russia with rather more than the totals of the two other Powers put together ; but there is no doubt that, of this host of nearly 3,000,000 assumed to be at the disposal of the Czar, a very large proportion have gone very little further, if smy, in the direction of military organisation than being inscribed on the regimental rolls of their districts. On the r other hand, tho war strength of Germany and Austria—aud especially of Germany— represents men thoroughly trained for military duty and ready for the field at very short notice. Were a war also to engage the forces of France and Italy, the former claims to be able to bring forward nearly 1,500,000 fighting men, and Italy considerably over 2,000,000, so that the total of armed men asserted to be on the rolls of these five great military Powers is not far short of 9,000,000. This enormous total, however, is quite independent of the grand final call upon the last reserve, which the natioms concerned might make under the different names of Landsturin and levei' o> mmme, and which goes into sums which are scarcely calculable.