PORTUGAL.
Terms of Service.
Universal Conscription is the rule in Portugal as well as in most other countries, but there are numerous exemptions and sendings on “unlimited furlough with the Colours” (in order to save the national exchequer), so that the Army does not by any means comprise as many men as would appear from the strength as laid down on paper. With a nominal peace strength of 37,000, the actual strength is only about 18,000.
The terms of service are three years with the Colours, five years in the 1st Class, and four in the 2nd Class Reserves.
Organisation.
The Infantry consists of 24 Line and 12 Rifle regiments, each of 2 Active and 1 Depôt battalions, altogether 72 battalions, the Depôt battalions being skeleton ones.
Cavalry—10 regiments, of which the first two are Lancers, and the remainder Light Dragoons (Caçadores a Cavallo). Each regiment consists of 3 Active and 1 Depôt squadrons.
Artillery—3 Regiments of Field Artillery of 12 batteries each, 2 Regiments of Garrison Artillery of 12 companies each, 1 Mountain Brigade of 6 batteries.—Total, 32 Active and 10 Reserve batteries with 132 guns.
Engineers—2 Active and 1 Reserve battalions, and 1 Torpedo Company.
Portugal has, besides this Army, a Colonial Force of 9,600 men, chiefly natives.
The Infantry is now armed with the Kropatschek repeating-rifle; till quite recently, they had the Enfield rifle. The Field Artillery is chiefly armed with 3·54-inch steel Krupp guns.
More attention appears to be paid in Portugal to the Navy than to the Army, and it seems unlikely that the latter will be engaged in war, at all events for some time to come.
Spain and Portugal.
