EEMOUNT SYSTEMS OF FOREIGN ARMIES. 



Military remounts have been shown by recent events to be 

 a factor on which, more than any other, success in war may 

 depend. Three hundred thousand horses, costing $62,000,000, 

 were purchased by Great Britain for the South- African war, 

 where 95 per cent of the British fiekl army is mounted. Ger- 

 many has 130,000 horses in the army, France has 143,000, and 

 Russia 175,000. As high as 500,000 more would be required 

 to bring one of these countries up to a war footing. 



The systems herein described have been reported by our 

 military attaches, or compiled from other sources, and show 

 how and where the principal armies of the world obtain their 

 remounts, and the methods practiced for improving them. 



I.-AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. 



[Reported by Lieut. Col. J. B. Kerr, Ninth Cavalry, I'liiteil States Military Attache at Berliu.] 



There are in Austria-Hungary 3,857,000 horses; of these, 

 1,548,300 are in Austria, and 2,308,700 in Hungary. The 

 number of stallions in Austria is 133,145, in Hungary, 198,845. 

 Both geldings and mares are used in the army. The geldings 

 and mares over 4 years number in Austria 1,040,412, in Hun- 

 gary, 1,553,155; total, 2,593,567; under 4 years in Austria, 

 374,743, in Hungary, 556,700; total, 931,443. 



In time of peace all horses and pack animals for the army 

 are purchased by remount commissions, acting under the 

 orders of the imperial war ministry. In case of mobilization 

 the additional horses required are furnished by the horse 

 owners, who give their serviceable animals to the govern- 

 ment, receiving proper indemnification for the same. Only 

 in case of a partial mobilization of small extent may the 

 horses be purchased as in peace. Horses purchased in peace 

 are distributed directly either to the troops requiring them 

 or to the remount depots. The cavalry and artillery may be 



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