The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-01-20
FENCE zEKED Fog TIE FTeHz.
4 PORTENTCCs RACr-A TRAINED FORCE OF
NEARLY TWO uLLox AND HALF.
what Sir Gsrns. wclsa,sv fhirkR
LraSan Tsssraph

what CIR Garas: weIss,sy Thinks.
| L1aSen Tslezrsph-
An exhaustive compilation of s:atisticl
relating to " The Armed Strength @
France has recently euAosted from tht
Intelligence Branch of the QuaTteTnaster
Generals Department IS the Horse G 1Ards
Major East's laborious Investigations on ths
subject withons being struck as the prcd:g
| ious ssrides made BY she French military
authorities in the work Of reorganization
since the passage of the new Law, 1'eur le
ireerutemsnt," by the National Assembly
Eve years ago Never since the disSsrro0s
camPaign of the FiYet Napoleon, which
closed NJ watsssos, las the normal rate OF
expenditure upon the army of France
approached tie amount ii hae now reached.
The uUuerical strength of the troops at
present established on . peace footing ex-
eeeds by SO 600 men What vAs deemed
sufficient On the same basis Immediately
before the outbreak of the var With Ger
Many. The Preach War Odice has spared
no pains to become acquainted with the
working ofevery military system in Europe.
Il 10 portsntous fact that according to the
estimate of Major East, Notwithstanding
her immeaee loss of territory, money, and
population, France ut this moment pos-
sesses total available land force, con siss
ing exclusively of trained men, num bering
2. .E3. .s55. This vast aggregate includes
the "aetiEe" and f'teErisorial" armies, with
the reserves belonging to them respectively.
Consequently mighty force, drawn from
this armed host, under the new regime,
could be put in the field in q comparatively
brief spaee Of time. Of course, it is only
she modified plan of recruiting introduced
subsequent TO the Franco German war that
could render possible she mobilization of .
foree 10 enormous. By the acs passed in
1872 every FrenchmAn between twenty and
forty years became liable to personal mill
tarT service. without the chance Of receiv-
ing any kind of bounty by way of ccmpen
sation for enlistment. So stringent are
the regulations enforced in respect to this
N after that no substitution is allowed, and
even dispensations from service, ob:ainAbie
& Hder certain conditions, do not necessarily
secure exemption. A table, showing the
number of young men domiciled in each
canton having completed their twentieth
year, is drawn mp by the Mayor of the
district. This table is regularly piaeArded
10 each Commune at . given period, and
on day fixed for the purpose it is exam
ired. The drawing of lots follows at the
chief town of the Canton, in the presence
Of the sub-Prefecs, assisted by the Mayor
Of the canton, and when once these are |
drawn 70 causes of exemption are admiss- |
able, except in csses of bodily infrmity, |
deficient height, urgent domestic elaine, |
and some other specified contingencies.
Every German capable of bearing arms |
% compelled to serve in ehe standing army |
Of his country for seven years from the |
end Of his twentieth year, and five years |
more in the Landwehr. So every French
nan got declared unfit for military service
IS now bound to serve in the regular army |
Tor Eve years, in the reserve of the regular |
army for an additiona! four yeare, and in |
he reserve of the territorial army for six |
iceship so protracted and varied, French
soldiers can hardly fail in a few syears to
Ittain the highest proficiency In their
profession. From 1878 to 1876 the average !
early rumber of young men who drew
ots, oct of a population of &c oOO, 900,
vas 292 eco OF that number las 500 were
Exempted on various grounds; 80 that
I46, 500 we're lefs available every year for
actual service with the colors. The grand |
tsief the active army, including those
q disponibilite, is 7l9 366 sub. officers and
men. The reserve Of the active army,
four classes between the eixth
sud uinth year of service. numbers, 500 9S2;
he territorial army, which embraces mec
between the tenth snd fourteenth year of
service amounte to 594, 736; and the reserve
,f the latter army, which representa- those
between the fifteenth and twentieth year
IF service reaches total of 635 7e2. If
his united force be compared with the
JcEbou army OI the Atuey Iuo reserve,
he Lsndwehr and the Landsturm, it viii
De found to be very much stronger Dumer-
cally. The French army is distributed
throughout the eighteen "regions" into
which the country is divided, and q corps
8 stationed in each of them, besides one
ocated in Algeria. Each region possesses
general supply magazines, containing
stores of arms, amm ouition, clothing, har.
1ess, and equipments; and each army
;orps is made up of "two divisions of in.
antry, a brigade of cavalry, brigade of
battalion of engineers, a squad
,on of military train, together with the
necessary staff and departments" When
! ia determined by the Government to put
he forces of a region on a war footing, the
Minister eends the order to the General
the army corps. Men who
IRE called out to serve proceed to the depot
If their corps, and it is considered that
body of troops should be ready TO start
rom i's q0arteTs in a canton for the poict |
Of concentration on the sixth day of mobi- |
ization. If the minute rules DOW impera-
lively binding upon the directors of diff |
Ferent departments of commissariat be |
observed, snch ruiRous mistakes as were |
committed UhaO NJ 0Ilivier nm the laat |