The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-28
troops, once driven Oh the dead angie OF the
Splcheren Berg, never could recover

troops, once driven Oh the dead angie or the
Spicheren Berg. never could recover
COHESION,
but hudded, ashapeless throng Of fugitives, on to
distant Puttelange, ninging their arms from them
as they ran. When the Bavarians caught De
Fsilly's division unawares at Beaumont, his men,
panic stricken. had not trained command OF their
pulses SUFFICIENT to make them foil into the ranks
as q matter OF course. Instance on instance might
be multiplied. 1t Is obvious that the French mill
tary authorities are changing fundamentally the
system OF the army The work Is o vast one. The
bad traditions OF generations are to be unearned.
and then lessons are TO be learned such as the foe
has Unframed in his constitution as the result OF
the good traditions OF generations. But It is
much for proud Frenchmen to have realized
the truth OF the axiom Fds est dOcert ab
loste, and to be acting on the realization. The
dressing on Thursday was not good but
hard efforts were obviously being made to get ana
keep 1t. Oficers were heard calling to their men
to pick 1t up. Men were to be seen painfully
sedulous In excepting tonch' OF their neighbors;
numbers were out OF step, but numbers were seen
changing step that they might get back into the
right step. Intervals were carefully regarded.
The men individually were better ''set up" than
they used to be, as II ''suppng motions'' were
being extensively res0rted TO- Knapsacks were
about them. The KEPT has been done away with
and rather snowy shake substituted. the shoe
and gaiter however, still remain, and while they
are retained the sustained marching power OF the
French army is much impaired The bands are too
strong in proportion to the company of soldiers
an old fault IN the French army, ana calculated to
weaken the force of fighting men in the day of
need Some brigades marched much better tnan
others, the result as take 1t, OF greater care and
perception Of the situation on the part OF the gen.
erals commanding. In instance, by far the best
brigade was that OF the Duke OF Auerstadt Ia
nephew of Napoeon's Marshal DavOust), an 0fficer
whom personally know to be mbued with con-
victlon of the reforms necessary in the French
army and with zeal to make them.
THE ARTILLERY,
both divisional and reserve passed the saluting
point with very remarkable excellence OF dressing.
Two batteries to division is only half the strength
of artillery that ought 10 exist but there was
serve strong enough to supplement- the deficiency.
The guns were rather miscellaneous and there was
an absolute want OF horse artillery, but the pro-
gress from hardly any field artillery at all, which
was the case at the end OF the war; to the present
condition, Is simply wonderful. The cavalry was,
perhaps the weakest point Frenchmen are bad
riders and worse keepers, and they do not seem to
have improved materially since the late war. Both
were In discredtaDle state OF dirt.
On the whole it seems to me that the omen may
be drawn, from the aspect OF the troops on Thurs
days parade, that there Is
FoRKED LIGHTNING
in the thunder cloud of frances hatred to Germany
and her thirst for revenge. Aspirations for the
rerd,sche are not q mere 0'tutuno fIl'se7s; that
think General Manteufel must have owed to HIM
SELF as he sat there incognttO in plain cloths In
back row of the diplomatic tribune. The French
mean to have another wreste for the iall-that
every one who knows the nation knows. But
every one did not know what think this review
goes to show, that her military authorities are
working assduousy for the end that when the
combatants shall grapple, as grapple they must
the issue will not be- by long way, SO nearly fore
gone conclusion as most people have been content
to assume 1t. II France can contain herself, and
meanwhile work as she was worked in the past
two years,
THE STRUGGLE
will be Titanic one She has still an immensely
to do; indeed she has scarcely yet begun tine work
she has set herself But In ten years. time, IN
accordance with the dispositions OF her new
military law she will be able to set in line over
800 600 men without calling out the reserves. With
them her military strength will number 100000
trained soldiers. The second act, just passed, pro-
viding for organization the first does for recruit.
ing, enacrs that wholesome decentralization, the
lack OF which contributed as much as anything to
frances downfall in the late war. With eighteen
well organized and equipped army corps, each
with It's own star and its own province to
recruit from, with a powerful artillery and
arms OF precision second to none in the world,
ana with a strength in fighting men OF million
and quarter, who shall say that France shall not
have made good her title to re-enter the ranks OF
the great military Powers And all this that
write Of she has deliberately set herself to accom-
pllsh within ten years. ARCHIBALD FORBES.