, 1874-03-28

There was not a man in Germany who advocat-
ed the annexation of Holland. vet it was but
too we'll known with whom the Dutch svmpa-
thized in the war of 1870. Even England had
recently witnessed the publication of PAM
phlets contemplating the chances, not of a
French, but of a German landing in the coun-
try. Denmark increases her c|oasting vessels
and fortifes Zealand, likewise deeming it ne
Cessary to prepare against a German descent.
Nay, Germany was even charged with the in
tention of invading the Baltic Provinces of
Russia and cOquetting with the German sub
jects of Austria. And all this when France
had copied the whole system of he German
military organization, and, by extending the
duty OF military service over 20 Years and Civ
ing the law retrogreSsive force, already posses
SEQ an active army of 10000 600 men, and a
territorial force of 1,000,0 900 more France
had 1852 regiments of infantry, instead of 1l6
as before the war 1913 batteries, instead of
159 as formerly and 14l, 000 men actually
under arms in time of peace, against the much
smaller force at the disposal of the Emperor
Napoleon. France, who began the war of 1870
with eight corps d'armfe had now 10, and,
while Germany hitherto spent less than
100, 600, 600 thalers on her troops, does not
hesitate to appropriate III, 000, 900 thalerS for
the like purpose. The French Legislative
Assembly the other day actually forced an ex-
ira sum Of 1000, coo thalers on their Govern
ment to enable them to drill the second portion
this year. The French towns We'd with each
other in building barracks, setting apart drill
grounds, &c. 10 be sure, the great majority
of intelligent Freuchmen bore their defeat with
more dignity than would appear to be the case
from the orations Of popular speakers; yet, if
the French Government are onvince of the
necessity of preserving peace for some time to
come, this, above all, was owing to the fact that
a jUdiciOus General was at the head of the ma
ton. Still Germany remembered but too we'll
the sad experience of some years ago when the
French Government were carried away by ex-
IRENE parties and hurried into an imprudent
war. He was sorry to say that, however many
people in France might be opposed to the re-
petition of such a course, no one who listened to
the vociferous cries for revenge which pene-
trated across the FOsges could abandon the
idea that what had happened once might hap
pen soon again. The German army was small
er than the French, but it had The advantage
OfnCt including any elements of the Militia type.
Wars carried on by real soldiers were always
the shortest and therefore the cheapest. As
Mr.. Bancroft had told them in his excellent
History QfMe URited States, even Washington
realized the comparative uSelesSness of a Militia,
and again and again insisted on the formation
of a standing army. 1t was a fact that the
Americans ultimately conquered from possessing
a small but well-driIled force of 5000 men.
Again, the French Volunteers of 1871, now that
their history had been written from the papers
in the French War Office, appeared anything
but the efficient force they had been hitherto re-
presented. In 1870, also, though SO many brave
and patriotic men were called to arms by the
French Government when the whole French
army had been made prisoners, they were I'M
able to resist the onslaught of real troops. As
to the Franc Tireurs, they never stayed the
progress of the German army for a single day,
though they necessarily gave the German mea-
sures a harshness which might be lamented, but
could not have been avoided. This and the
danger thee was in arming the people promis-
c|uously when S0cialiStiC tenetS were being
openly preached altogether excluded the Militia
project that had been started in another quart
err. A standing army, therefore, was a neces-
sity of the times, and he could not but ask the
House to vote the figure of 401,000 rank and
file as a peace footing once for all, If they
were to re-discuss the Military Budget every
year, military matters would be kept in a con-
slant state of uncertainty; for any alteration
that might be introduced affected the number
and organization of the troops for a period of
IL years, the time of service exacted from the
- ~o@1AI 80 -~, -