The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-25


German succer-es Not the IiesuIt Of LucI.
The Saturday Rcvic,o declares that no one
can say the German succesees. have been the
result of luck. There are several distinct causes
TO which they can be clearly traced. In the
first place. they have a very great superiority in
numbers In the next place, the generalship of
the French has been atrocious. The Austrians
J in the worst days of the Aulic Council were
never worse handled. Whether the fault has
been entirely with the Emperor, or whether his
maIshals we're as incapable as he was, is un-
known; but, in one shape or other, supreme in
capacity has presided over the French army,
and hurled IL hopeless on its fate.
The Belaisn Treaty.
The Spectator maintains that only two serious
objections have been raised to the treaty, and
that both of them admit of easy answers. 1t is
alleged by Lord Cairns and Mr.. Disraeli that in
the event of an invasion of Belgium our refusal
TO cooperate with our ally in the general opera
tons of the war would be utterly worthless
We could not, for example, fight France in
alliance with Prussia without aiding Prussia or
without resisting France at any point at
which she might attack. That is true,
but then we could not fight France alone
without aiding Prussia also. The use of
the stipulation is TO enable us to retire when the
object is accomplished, to limit the object of the
war, and to exonerate us from any necessity of
securing advantages for any power other than
ourselves and Belgium.
The "MarseilIaise.,
The Pail Nal Gazette says: The war between
France and Prussia has notoriously given new
value to the national anthem of the first reyou-
ton. Surprised to find that they are encouraged
to sing melody which they. were so long
obliged to hum In secret through fear of being
silenced by the police, the French are deter
mined to make the best of their opportunity
and at every theatre in Paris the ''Marseillaise'
is shouted on the stage to the delight of an en-
thusiastic public. Although the words and
music were composed in reference, not to an
Empire, but TO Republic, people are beginning
to remember that the composition was originally
nlln6k Io( Nha~a 1fa l..
sequently to find that square peg may be made
to fit round hole more easily than might, at
the first glance, be suspected.
The Prussian Conditions.
The Telegraph regards the defeat of the
French as foregone conclusion and speculates
on the terms the victorious Prussians will inn
pose. OF late years, the glory of the Seven
Days campaign, with the constant dread of a
French invasion, has reconciled the Prussians to
the endurance of the military organization es-
tablished under STEMS administration; but no
prophet Is needed to foretell that, with the COM
mercial and industrial development of Prussia,
the day is not distant when she will be obliged
to abandon an exceptional system of army SER
vice. Knowing this, the Prussian Government
is bound to anticipate the possibility of having
at some future day to defend itself against
French aggression under far less favorable con-
ditious. Moreover, the mere necessity of keep
ing up an immense armed force in order to
protect the soil of Germany is in itself ruin
ous to, the Fatherand. One should
insisted upon permanent reduction of the
French standing army as an essential condition
OF any pacific arrangement In that case the
plan OF reduction would be embodied in pro-
position for mutual disarmament. In the con-
trary event, the one certain result of any en-
forced diminutiOn of the French armies will be-
SO soon as the force of external pressure is re-
moved to incite the nation to disregard the
spirit II not the letter. of the restriction; as
Prussia herself did in the days when the First
Napoleon placed limit upon the number of
troops that she was permitted to keep under
arms, Alsace, where German is still the uni
versal language OF the population, might be an
nexed without much opposition on the part Of
its Inhabitants; but the possession of that pro-
vince by Germany would be standing source of
irritation to France.
Nj. Farcy's Gunboat.
The famous gunboat invented by NJ. Farcy
naval lieutenant, has been sent from Cherbourg
to Strasbourg, by way of the Seine and the
canals. This gunboat seems to have solved the
problem OF a craft possessing very light draft
of water, and able to carry single gun of the
largest known calibre. 1t was built at St. Denis
near Paris, in the workshop of Cladarede d Co.,
and is nothing more than a floating ghn-car-
riage. Its dimensions were Is metres in length
by metres 60 centimetres in breadth: and
although 1t has displacement of A tons
it draws but three feet of water. This is
due to the peculiar construction of the hull,
which is grooved Longitude nally, the grooves so
dividing the water as to offer the least re-
sistance, giving at the same time great steadi-
ness to the vessel. 1t is propelled by two sma
engines OF five nominal horsepower, capable of
working up to 40, and connected with two in
dependent screws. Its average speed is six
knots and half, abundantly sufficient for fight
ing purposes. By the help of its two screws it
turns with unusual quickness, and in the same
length of time whether with the rudder alone or
with the two screws, in either case not exceed
ing one minute five seconds for complete
circule But the diameter of the circle VARIES be-
ing about 220 with the rudder alone while with
the help OF the two screws acting in opposite
directions the vessel turns literally in its own
length. II is needless to remark on the import
snce of the readiness with which such craft
can be handled in action. In this case the ves-
sci will perform revolution in less time than
the gun can be loaded. And notwithstanding
her extreme smallness she is, nevertheless, to a
certain extent, seaworthy, being fitted with q
sou-dodnt, ending in a prolonged spur or beak.
When wave strikes this beak it is broken, and,
diyerging to starboard and port, passes on either
side or falls harmlessly on the deck if it reaches
so high.