The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-10
THE FRENCH ARMY
ON PARADE.
Review at LOngchamps, Paris, ON
the 14th of July.
Opinions Expressed by Foreign Generals-The
Giffard Gun offered for Use by French
sOldiers-No Powder Used.

nGARIS, July Is, 1S90.-Apropos of the
- French national fete, there are two
1S*A observations to be made: First the
people quite forgot this 14th Of July to cele-
brate the republic. Paris streets were less
decorated than usual, there were no
triumphal arches with symbolical figures,
no plaster busts representing the republic,
in the form of a woman with Phrygian cap
of reddish hue, and very rarely.dd we hear
the .Marseillaise." But the rabble in the
streets danced until daybreak this morning,
all of which proves that the people have
forgotten the heroism of their ancestors,
and think of their anniversary only as an oc-
casion for merry-making. Republican jour-
nails try to excuse this change in sentiment
and pretend that the lack Of interest in
July 14th proves only that the people are
SO firm in their convictions there is no
necessity for demonstration to show their
sentiments. / do not quite believe this In
depreciation. The real truth, 1t seems to
me, lies in the fact that the anniversary
OF taking the Bastile does not awaken the
same sentiments in the hearts OF all French
men. If some danced last night they did
so because their ancestors danced before
the terrible conquered fortress July IA.
17S9 But many Frenchmen sulked, be-
cause this date is to them reLugnant 1t is
not the fete of a nation" say they, 1T is
the fete of a sect" And. in reality, the
Government deserves the reproach that 1t
has not chosen date which unites the
French instead of widely separating them
n date that recalls struggles for the country
instead of civil war
Another observation is that the French
i. HE orb a nnUphnmnS
review were 600 men, and it makes no
difference to what party, to what country
one belongs. it must be recognized that
these d. 900 men did honor to France. To-
day the French army has the best equip
ments in the world, its artillery incompara-
BILE, its infantry furnished with guns
superior to those of other armies and the
evolutions of its cavalry are marvellous.
| asked some officers passing through
Paris their opinion OF the review, ana tneir
answers proved the superiority Oh the
French army. A German officer said:
"The infantry evolutonS interest me in the
highest degree The uniforms are better
cared for than in the past and the troops
defile in perfect harmony. The march is
not equal to
THE PARADE OF THE GERMAN
Infantry. but this parade has never been
understood in the French army. The re-
serve infantry, in campaign dress, has also
an excellent appearance, and TINS army OIL
the second line is fine as the active troops.
/ may say the same of the artillery; here
lies the force of the French army, and well
is this understood at Berlin. The cavalry
makes great progress each year, and the
heavy cavalry is prepared to do good
service in time of war. The light cavalry
is represented by the Chasseurs d Antique,
and every foreigner must admire their
coquettish blue uniform. The horses OF
the Chasseurs dAfrique are light but eX-
cellent animals; they are a cross between
Hungarian and Arabian Steeds, and they eat
eat straw. and if there is no straw they are
satisfied with chaff." An English officer,
General Thomas Clarke of the Royal Ar
tillery, corrOborated all the statements OF
the German, and added Were L
Frenchman, | should have no fear for my
country; with such an army, were there
war, France could astonish the world"
If the French army Is so near perfection
now what will it become should tile Giffard
gun prove to be all its inventor claims?
been awarded gold medal for his inven-
ton of new gun. Nj. Gitfard has an en-
tirely new theory with reference to the fir
ing Of prOjectileS. Until the present time
powder has been used, and military engl-
neerS have tried only to perfect the lnven-
ton of the famous Schwartz.
SmokeleSs powder seemed to be the utmost
that could be accomplished by pyrotechni-
cal science, ard now NJ. Paul Giffard wishes
to suppress powder altogether A very
small steel reservoir. placed under the bar
rel OF the gun, contains three hundred drops
of liQuefed gas reduced to the smallest
volume. Each time that the trigger acts
valve opens and allows drop of the liquid
to fall This drop assumes an expansive
force greater than that of powder, and
drives before it ball. lead, bullet or obus
The inventor says that this system may
we'll be applied TO large pieces of artillery,
and in this way charges of dynamite may
be silently hurled. The arm, shown by NJ.
Giffard, contains 800 drops and when these
have been used it is only necessary to re-
move the reservoir and replace it by
another. containing the same amount
With two reservoirs in his cartridge-box
soldier has
ENOUGH AMMUNITION
For long campaign. The size of drop
OF liquefed gas is measured by regulator,
and after the 300 drops are used there is no
necessity, as in other cases, to clean the
arm. The heat produced by the passage of
proiecties is counteracted by the cold COM
ing from the evaporation of gas and the 800
drops may be used one Immediately after
the other, or at a distance of months.
General Lewal, one of the celebrities in the
French army. is not very enthusiastic about
Nj. Giffard's invention. He says: The
fact that the arm is neither soiled
nor heated by the liqueied gas does
not prove the superiority of the latter
over powder. Ten or twelve shots may be
fired by the Lebel gun, and if. afterward, a
white cloth be passed through the bore, it
will in no way be soiled. In all guns there
must be what is called a metallic 'greas-
ing for the ball in its progress through
the barrel must make indentaIlons. and
these fluctuations must in time become
cogged To remedy this defect, leaden
balls are abandoned, but steel ones are i'm
possible because of the friction. In these
respects the Giffard gun must be like the
Lebel gun when il is said that with the
Giffard gun there is no danger of explosions
here is also mistake, for in order that the
liQuefied gas act there must be great press
ure, and wherever there is great pressure
there is danger of explosion.
''The reservoir that contains the gas is in
the butt end of the gun, and must neces-
sarily be very solid. AS the envelopes are
unavoidably metallic. the gun is immedi-
ately too heavy, and the regulator makes it
OF very complicated mechanism.
Il am not sure yet, Notwithstanding the
experiments, that the speed of projectile
hurled by liquified gas can be equal to that
of one thrown into space by powder.
IN. Giffard's gun may be excellent. / see
no reason why we should change an arm
really remarkable for one of which we
know but little.
Americans have pneumatic gun, so that
NJ. Gitfard's idea is not new one. l sim
cerely hope that the Minister of War will
make no change until he has seriously thor
oughly studied this new Innovation"
General LewaPs opinion will, in all proba-
bility, affect the decision of the French
Government, but the Paris papers say that
the Colt Company of Hartford, Conn.,. has
bought the American right for S1,000,000.
BARONESS ALTHEA SALVADOR