Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-05-17
France and Her Army.

Chicago Inter Ocean.
Ofall tho European powerssat the
present time, the one which Seems 10
occupy the mos. satisfactory and hon
-erable position is La Belle France.
Five years ago she lay at the foot of
the conqueror, crushed and bleeding.
. great nation rolling in the dust,
crippled apparently for life. To day
she looks the world in the face with.
out culver. Deserted by powers
who might have h1pcd her in her
time Of need, stesowes them neither
aid or sympathy, Her bank is filed
with gold, herr fields with grain; her
government gppears to be established
upon as SURF foundation us it is pos
siblc for hcf people to possess; Pafis
wears again its holiday attire, and
| France has beaten Prussia OH her own
ground iIi the industrial arts. How
stands her army? That which was
then shattered wreck now promises
to be in q few years the Gnest the
country has ever possessed. It's the
acknowledged opinion oil military ex.
perts that, while France cannot attack
Germany, if invaded she can most
certainly defend herself. "In other
words, remarks writer in Black
wood, "the present evidence goes to
show that the maintenance OF peace
/ between the two countries depends
upon Germany alone; that ii cannot
be endangered by France; but that,
all the same, Germany will have real
hard work before her7if she tries to
conquer France again. ~
| Since 1873 great yigor has been
thrown into the management Of mill.
tary affairs; energy has been substi
tuted for routine. and although many
points are open to criticism it may
now be said that France has indisput-
ably an army Of magnificent proper
tions and excellent drill and equip
ments. This result has been mainly
brought about by an abundance Of
money, the Jealous action Of regimen
tai officers, and the influence of time,
experienoe, and accumulated labor.
General Berthaut, the new war minis
ter, is man of undeniable ability
and much scientific knowledge. he
has produced "Des Marches ct Des
| Gomhats The cleYerest military pro,
duction written by French officer
since the war; He has struggled hard
to root out faults and suppress abus-
es, and his efforts have been attended
/ by marked success. The entire sys
tenn Of tactics has been changed, aud
open order substituted for the ole
close formation. Nothing could be
better suited to the temperament O
the French soldier. The material ha,
been entirely reconstructed; for;resses
and intrenched camps have been cs
tsblished to defend the open frontier
and the new forts around Paris are
completed, armed and even garri.
soned. To do all this, remarks the
authority referred to, one hundred and
sixty millions sterling have been laid
out upon the armv in the five year,
between 1872 aud 1876; ninety mil
lions thereof have gono in ordinary
annual expenditure, and seventy mil
lions for special outlay on matetia
and defenses The result is thai
France has now reached point a
/ which she can at least begin, if ncces
saty 10 use the Instruments she has
created. In tbe-event OF mobiliza
ton it is estimated that 100000
men would be available: 100000
could be utilized in the ranks, and tho
other 10000 would remain al tht
depots to gil up gaps. What emsr
gency may arise for the employment
Of this army cannot be foreseen, bu
it looks as if France would not agail
bs overwhelmed as in 1872.