The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-07-04


come at last.
Preparations Of France and Germany for War
Blaekuood for June, in a remarkab
letter. dated from Paris, aud evidently IN,
spircd by high authority, OF, as the fdts
Nall puts it, "written on good information
discusses in its turn, the momentous ques-
tion as to whether or not the European
Continent is for very much longer inter
val to hold on in its present state OF cno
ious tranquility. According to the writer,
the war preparations, both in France aud
Germany, have long been, aud still are,
formidable and threatening. France,
stripped to the skin, as he expresses IT, oy
the last war, was left at the close OF w.
so to speak, "without a cannon, q
horse, musket, or q uniform" Since then
she has been getting together, ab in,t'o'
ber war materials. She has looked to those
rather than to the mustering OF an army
| TIE sy stem adopted he thus explains =
"The total of the French soldiers has been
kept down steadily since the peace 10
abU III two thirds of the regulation footing
and the money ecopomized in pay ard ra
tions has been employed in casting cannon
and refurIising empty magazines. lnie
has never been publicly avowed as yet, 'or
fear of wounding the vanity of the frencn
people by letting them know how utterly
helpless they are, but nobody at all ac-
ouainted With the facts will venture to deny
1t. The French regiments are listle more
than skeletons reserves are n OF constituted !;
the new Reffye cannons have only just oeen
cast; the whole energy of France mas
been concentrated for the last three years
on the reconstitution of her war material
to the neglect of her soldiers themselves.
Cannon, ammunition, accoutrements, smail
al ms, >horses, gun carriages, ana All ths
rest of the paraphernalia of battle accunu-
lated the men who are to use them Will tAen
| Nh.r nrH
; length, France may hope to regard hersell
: as-what she certainly is not yet-prepareo
for auy immergency. Mean while Germany
3 in time of peace, is all the while keeping
up an enormous force, at cost that Grip
pies her in all her resources. The out
t eoipes of the annual Budget, it is actual!
n calculated have increased by twelve mil
: lions sterling. Germany under ex'sun.
o I'circum stances, is about as strong as sue
ever will be, but weighted with ssuPeno
V ous expenditure. Meanwhile Frauce-
4 though she could not at this moment cal
Y together, at a pinch, two hundred thou
!, sat d men (though Germany could summol
,f into the field, with case, any day, more tna
l. double that number)-is steadily, as TN
). time runs Oh, becoming richer and NOR
n formidable. The question Is how long 81
=. marck will refrain from letting slip tn
D, dogs of war, in the constant temptatlo
l. that must be upon him, to prevent TIL
|. growth anew for France of her wealth AZ
ID of her power.
* The London Weekly Register say
81 editorially, on this subject:
n Turning from the details of organizatio
:; to the general character of recent chang
a., in the internal condition of the Fren'
army, we meet with siSns of happy ONE
a. for the future of France. The army do
- not fear to confess its failures andlts fault
nv; It has given up boasting, and has turned
% serious work. At the same time, 1t Is raj
~ idly becoming the Catholic army of
~ Catholic nation. Every regiment has no
ht its chap'ains. Religion is brought home
0o the soldiers, and is practically at wo
0o 0 amongst them, and every rank open
,0O shows that French soldiers have ceased
w 'o be afraid to openly profess their tait
| Generals commanding districts are pro-
a. a.. to take part with their officers in Catho
,ts ,nn cele bF atiops, to aid in tie working
900 Catholic societies, to appear in urltorm
~ great functions. Special correspoAdeI
ie @ express their wonder at the "Uitramonta
~, mania which is sejziBg upon the arm
coz And, hapI lest omen of all, when, on
Wv Wv 10th inst, pilgrims from every part
oS France. will crowd TO the great sanctna
of the Sacred Heart, at Ptray -le- Monai,
pray for the prosecuted Church and for
ohn great Pontiff, whose accession is that q
lrly cele brated, official deputations from
rth- French army and the military colleges v
nee be there to worthily represent that gall'
tue army which has so often drawn the sW'
d in the cause of the Church. We may,
nat deed. rejoice at signs like these. Fra
han is gathering her old strength together,
yde spired not by the doctrines of the revo
3 of ton, but by the living realities of fai
'ath God grant that war may be long averte
in but if France is again invaded, the fa
hus and conrape. and devotion shown by-
eld- Pontifical Z5uaves upon the battle field
ave the Loire will be emulated by many br
eing Ch1is,iau soldier of the new army OF FrAI
70
hose
the IBE "CoNNERsIoSs" IN FoDLAcHl4
.,ch recent letter in the GtrmGnia gives the foil
ia ing account of the process of conversion