The morning news., 1889-05-31
MAINTAINING THE FRENCH ARMY.
How the Nation Keeps up the Numeri-
cal Strength of the Military.

Henry Hdylie in NeW Orleans Picdyune.
Let US turn to another subject. Mr.. De
Young, editor and proprietor of the San
Francisco Chronicle, and Mrs. De Young
have arrived in Paris, and are staying at
the Hotel Continental Two or three
days ago De Young and | rode up the
Champs Elysees on our way to the Bois,
aud, lust as we got to the corner known as
the Decaves, our coachman had to to pull
up to let 200 or 800 conscrlpts for the French
army march pas1. They were being es-
corted by a few regular soldiers, and were
on their way to some barracks in another
part of town. This, as / told Mr. De
Young, was part of the annual "mpot
de sang" of this country. Lass year there
were thus recruited for the army over 300,-
0JO youn.s men, anu this yearly contingent
has varied during the last ten years from
100000 to $4,000 persons France has an
annual military contingent on the average
in round figures, of go, JOJ men, and as the
term of service lasts twenty years, this rep
resents for that period ), 100000 OF the pick
OF the country, the bone and sinew of the
republic, compelled to put on soldiers uni
form. 1t is claimed tnat this country
could call to arms III case of war an army
of 4, 900, 900, but some say that 100000
would bo nearer the mark. This means al
most tenth of the entire population
women and children included, under arms;
but would France be able t. make good use
of 50 large number Of soldiers were war
to break out? Moreover, besides the mill
tarv question there is that of finance Dur
ing tho great wars Of the first republic and
the empire France was able to equip, feed
and keep for time an army of a million,
but this number has until the present time
| never been exceeded. 1t is true that under
| the government Of the national defonSe tae
army was more than million strong
but it was 50 on paper only, and in 1871
! they took anybody they could get hold of
! and thrust them into illkep0 camps, the
! souvenirs of which are very sad, and where
a great many suffered with hunger and
! cold in snow drifts aad mud ruts, without
even having seen tie eaemy. TX France
| could do no better than that with less than
Il lalllion OF mol, how Will she be able to
! support an army OF 3,5JJU0J in war timef
| Why, IL means n cost Of l,OOO, ,0O0, 900
francs every three months.
But the government SAYS there are not
! enough meI, and its declaration TO the
| Chambers is that there shall he added TO
! these 3, 100000 about another million, many
of whom have recovered from wounds or
| illness The cabinet asks that all men be-
tween the ages OF ~ and A. years. able TO
/ carry gun aud kuapsack, be made part
! OF the regular army, and this means a
seventh part ul tue population OF tie cOun-
try Ia tho ranks. There Will be only one
other resource left them. and that ls tho
women folk. when France organizes regi-
1leuts Of nmaZJns 1 am going 10 crr out
Iyt Tor peace, but for war, war, ana ask
in modlaIeiy t. be- seut 10 tIs front as spe-
cal cIriosp0ndent with Nine. ua hastys
bfi gade, Tor tho countess Is one uf TIE love
lies indies in this Iuntry.