The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-20
FOREIGN ITEMS.



Their brigedes, divisions, and army corps
are distinguished by electric beacons, or ordi-
nary lights covered with white or many
colored glasses, the object of which is, first
to mark the abode of the generals secondly,
to facilitate the communication of orders
emanating from those in command. This
mode of lighting might be introduced with
advantage into the French army, for there
have been many instances during the
late campaign of orders from head.
quarters never reaching the generals
at all. The Prussian camps are guarded
by sentries scattered on the wings and
fronts, Thirty or forty PAGES from each other,
taking care TO cross each other continually,
so as to prevent any soldier or stranger from
going out without orders, or entering with
out sRfe-conduct. The sentinels at the out
posts are generally placed checkerwise, and
united to the guards (who are placed in the
manner prescribed by Frederick the Great)
by little posts of cavalry charged with imme-
diately informing the main body of any sur
prise. The fires are lit in the morning
and let out at nightfal no
cooking is done by the Prussians when they
srrive at the bivouac by night. There are
some fires to show the general direction of
the line of sentries, but they cannot be seen,
the flank on the side which the enemy might
attack being masked by slopes The Prus-
SLAMS always throw up earthworks; they care
fully avoid sounding clarions or beating
drums, either in their camp or in action.
Every officer or soldier has whistle which
enables the chiefs to perform the different
calls and the men to give warning of the ap-
proach of the enemy, to call each other, and
to seek their company when they have
strayed. The Prussians never use the drum
and clarion except in a conquered country,
as, for example, the Meuse.
AN EAST INDIAN FUNERAL.
A correspondent of the Delhi Gazette re-
lates terrible scene which occurred the other
day at Etawah at the funeral service of
native. The corpse was brought to the banks
of lthe Jun ma to undergo the usual ceremony
of burning. 1t was laid on the sand about fif-
teen yards from the water, while the men were
preparing and stacking the wood. This done,
the wood was fired SO as to give some little
time for good blaze and the men moved off
to little distance squatting themselves down
to have a smoke, when huge crocodile,
seemingly watching their movements, rushed
out of the water, seized the corpse and
doubled back, making a tremendous header
into the river with the body between his jaws,
leaving the followers and mouTners in perfect
beYilderment.
THE FRENCH MEDICAL SERVICE.
There is every reason to believe that the
French medical service in the present war is
far worse even than it was in the Crimean
campaign. Nothing could be more complete
out of a death-roll of 95,615, only about
10000 men died on the field or of their
wounds, while $4,000 perished by disease.
The experience was bitter, but it had been
forgotten as early as 1859, and the brief
italian campaign was repetition of
the same disastrous system as had
been pursued in the Crimea. The deaths
in hospital far outnumbered those
in the field, even though the wounded had
sometimes to wait four days uncared for amid
the dead and dying on the battle-ground
The two evils under which the French suf-
fered were the insufficient supply of surgeons
and the utter neglect of hygiene. Neither in
Italy nor in the Crimea was there even one
doctor to 1000 men, and in this respect the
ambulances were far inferior to what they
had been under the first Empire. Drainage,
disinfection, good nurses, and abundant food
were needed to reduce the fearful mortality
in the hospitals, but for such matters as these
the French administration cared nothing.
Has it grown wires in the decade that has
just expired?
PRUsSIAs sENsITTyENEss.
Prussia offers no exception to the general
rule by which nations like individuals, be-
come bigger. She has hardly deigned tC
notice the accusations of cruelty which have
been 80 freely levelled against her during
the present war by her opponents. But
Frederick the Great was less Indifferent tc
when in 1859 it was asserted that prisoners o.
war in the Prussian territories were not wei
treated, his Maj jesty caused the following jus
tihcation of his conduct to be sent to his
Ministers at foreign COURTS
1t is known to all Europe that have provided TO
all the onieeTS who are my prisoners OF war, as wei
Swedes as French and Austrians, and lately for tn
Russians, the best accommodations and every con
venency; having for that end permitted them 3
pass the time OF their captivity IN my capital Ne
Yertheless, as some OF them have greatly abuse
the liberty allowed them by Keeping up Illicit cor
responsiveness, and 10y other practices with which
could not avoid being offended, have been Oblige
TO cause all OF them TO be removed to the town o
Epandau, which must not be confounde
with the fortress OF that name, from whic
enjoy the same ease at Berlin, but VIII be more mar
rowly observed. This is resolution no one car
blame. am sufficiently authorized in it by the law
OF nations, and by the powers who are league
against me-the court OF Vienna having never sui
fered any OF my officers that have fallen into thei
hands to go to Vienna and the court OF Russia haI
my enemies let slip no opportunity OF blackenin
my most innocent proceedings, / have though
proper to acquaint you with my reasons for maxim
this alteration with regard to the officers who ar
my prisoners, ETC.
FAITH AMONG NATIONS.
\ AS there appears to be some doubt, says a
English paper, whether it is absolutely necei
sary any longer for nations to keep faith wit
each other, and as it seems not impossibl
that under the new system of internations
n law, which has it's advocates, the old-fashione
j doctrine that "Honesty is the best policy
will become barbarous and obsolete, it ma
be as well to call attention to rebuke whic
y England once drew upon herself before sh
acquired the reputation for respectabl
\ dowdyism she now enjoys. On the 25th c
! Eal hn af