St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-10
THE FRENCH GENERALS.
The Men Who Would Lead the Armies
in a War.
BoULANGER AND FEvRIER.
The Old Men Dropping Out and New Hen
Coming rorward---A Dearth Of Ex-
perienced Commanders.

Paris Letter.
Spite of the pressure of senators,
deputies and newspapers, NJ. de Freyci-
net. minister of war, is decided to make
no exceptions to the application of the
law in virtue of which generals of brig.
ade aged sixty-one, and generals of
division who have passed their sixty
fifth birthday must be withdrawn from
active service. Granted, for the sake
of argument, that some of these are,
like Gen. Fevrier, physically and intel
lectually vigorous, still their number is
very limited? By whom is their eX-
pediency to be judged? w hat guarantee
is there against fayoritism in selection?
Theoretical capacity is not everything
in war. and few French generals have
had an opportunity of handling masses
in the field. l do not deny the exist
ence of talent, and even genius, among
them. Circumstances will, doubtless,
bring both qualities into notice, but
since 1874 no such circumstances have
occurred. How many of them ever
commanded so much as single regl-
ment where the adversary was more
formidable than the mythical KrOumirs,
the Black Flags of Tonquin OF the gro
tesQue hordes of John Chinaman?
NO EXPERIENCED COMMANDERS.
If war should be escaped for another
five years there will not be one general
officer IN the French service whose eX-
perience Of European enemy has been
gained in a higher rank than that OF
captain, or, at most, of major. In one
sense this is unfortunate, but in another
it may turn out to be advantageous.
Probably the new school will be free
from that devotion to red tape, routine
and tradition which now tends to the
destruction of all individual initiative.
But there is little hope for the long
breathing time counted upon by the
apostles of peace at any price. | do not
predict war within six months, nor
within year; but when international
chords are as strained as they are at
present a rupture may be expected at
| any moment.
The question is asked: Are the French
prepared for this inevitable conflict?
Yes! materially. Their small arms.
ammunition and artillery are superior
to those available to any other power;
their officers are we'll educated in their
profession; their rank and file is quite
up to the average. On those points the
outlook is most encouraging, but the
ability of the men who are to direct the
movement of the national forces is an
unknown quantity, which can only be
determined by actual trial. Until then
it would be unfair to pronounce in any
| way; the most that can be done is to
give brief sketch of those who will be
first in view when the ball opens.
BOULANGER.
Though not in active service, Bou-
ic Ia xxrhn
eyes of the majority of the French peO-
pie are turned; the French may be mis-
taken, but the fact is undeniable that
he will be the popular choice as leader
at the outset of any continental cam
paign in which the French shall be en-
gagged. With the generals political
situation and aspirations we have moth
ing to do. Perhaps he would have been
wiser had he retained his command of
the Thirteenth corps; the soldiers uni
form carries with it more prestige than
the medal of the deputy. but those who
feared him, though they affect to despise
him. so hedged about his path with
snareS and pitfalls that to remain the
passive butt of their attacks was simply
an impossibility.
Gen. Boulanger was born in 1887, and,
considering the exalted position that he
has occupied, is still a young man.
Every step in his career has been won
by some act of conspicuous gallantry.
Promoted general of brigade in May,
1880, he was, at his own request, at
tached to the cavalry service, in which
always displayed with foot troops
When the French government sent over
its delegates to assist at the cOmmemo-
ration of the capture of Yorktown.
| Boulanger was chosen as the chief of
| the mission. There he was, as he is al
ways, the courteous gentleman, and his
| tact and high breeding were appreciated
| by all who met him.
MINISTER OF WAR.
Soon after his return the general was
| placed at the head of the infantry board
| at the French war department., where
| he managed to realize a great many of
those useful reforms which had so long
remained merely as projects in its
pigeOnholes. Promoted lieutenant gen
eral in 1884, he took Gen. LogerOt's
| place as commander of the division of
occupation in Tunis. Soon afterwards
| he was called to the ministry of war,
where he remained during two success
i've administrations. always gaining in
| favor with the nation, which hailed in
| who dared to consider himself other
| than whipped man. With the fall of
M. Goblet, Gen. BOulanger was re-
| moved to Clermont-Ferrand; there it
was supposed he would speedily sink
| into oblivion, like the majority
of his predecessors. He did not; the
people and the army still give him all
their confidence. and because they did
so he was marked down for sacrifice.
Nothing, however contemplate, was
left undone which seemed likely to ruin
this bugbear of the parliamentarans.
His private correspondence WINS seized;
acts which, if contrary to the strict
letter of the regulations, are nevertheless
of common practice, were distorted into
crimes; an attempt was made to in
criminate him in the scandals of Nine.
Limousin and M. Wilson; a duel was
manufactured which it was fancied
might be his ruin. 1t was all in vain.
Boulanger worried through every
thing, and the triumphant results of
he at whom his detractorS scott is any
thing save negligible quantity.
GENERAL FENRIER.
Probably Boulanger has splendid
future before him; at all events, he
will be given the chance to prove his
value, and it is for that reason-because
he is the most prominent military man
in France--that [ speak of him first
and so lengthily. And for an anao-
gous reason do | place next Gen. Few
rier, whose passage from the active
army to the reserve on the 21St of Octo-
Der has so inspired the pens of anna
teur military critics. He was born in
1928. Gen. Fevrier's antecedents have
been most creditable. In the Crimea
he was severely wounded and re-
ceived his first decoration thirteen
years after he put on his first
epaulette; during the retreat from
Forbach to Metz he was shot
through the, head and left for dead
upon the field. Thanks to the care of
Sister of Charity at Metz he survived;