The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-01-28
Herald Interview With Gambctta-ssHi4
Voice In Still for Warp


Voice is Still for War;"
from q HERALD special correspondent al
bordeaux we give our readers this morning a
very interesting account, by the Atlantic cable,
OF his interview the other day with Gambetta,
the warlike chief of the French War Office, on
the war and the present deplorable situation Of
France. The appearance, bearing and peculiar
personalities Of this remarkable man, and his
views and purposes in regard to the war, are
so clearly outlined In this despatch as to
satisfy the readers curiosity with regard to
Gambetta. We see that he Is an enthusiast, IL
not fanatic, and we fancy that on the stump
ne Is regular ripsnOrter, like one of our
backwoods thunderbolts-half horse, half ALI
gator, propelled by steam engine. What
chance the plodding Won Moltke has against
such man Gambetta himself can, perhaps,
best explain.
He says that the fall of Paris will DO
matter of no consequence to him; that the
war must 60 on till the Prusslans are expelled
that his colleagues in the National Defence"
are all OF this mind; that the demands Of
Prussia are too humiliating to be thought of;
that the Parisians, before surrendering, should
make of Paris second Moscow; that France
is still full of fight and fighting men that she
has half million now armed outside of Paris,
OF which quarter of a million are now ready
to join the army; that he has not touched yet
the levy OF 1871 nor drawn upon the married
men; that France, with the loss of Paris, can
still muster two millions of fighting men, and
that the French people, against the German
people, fighting for their national existence,
will fight it out, and will not submit to tho
spoliation Of their territory that every day is
day gained to France, and that she is not
so much exhausted as Germany. In short.
the views of Gambetta on the prospects of
this war are as hopeful as were those Of JEFF
Davis in his fight from Richmond by the light
OF the burning city. But what is impossible
to Gambetta, the aeronaut, who can fly from a
beleaguered city In balloon, and who, borne
on the wings of the wind, can be in Bor-
deaux to-day and on the Belgian border
tomorrow?
It is evident, however, that Gambetta all
the time has his doubts of the success OF
France against Germany, for he complains Of
the abandonment Of France by England,
though France is her only ally on the Cont
nent. He says, from the present outlook,
that within ten years Russia will be in Con-
stantinople and in British India, and that
Prussia will be in Holland, Belgium, Trieste
that, in short, she will be spreading herself
over the whole Continent and over the whole
world. What, then, are the real opinions Of
Gambetta on this war in FranceP They may
be readily explained. He is an adventurer.
He has good thing of it in his present position
as practical dictator of France. With peace,
however, his occupation will be gone; and so,
while he sees the end is near, he goes for con-
tinued war. He takes good care, meantime,
to keep out Of the way Of the Prussians and
with the fall of Paris it is probable that even
this terrible fre-eater will pocket his losses and
his savings and give up the ship.