Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-05-06
P4sEcs ard ossmauy.

1t Is apparently only question oftime
and not long time at most-when
France and Germany win again come TO
blowa. The French people have never
become reeoneiled 70 the loss Of the
beautiful provinces Of Alsaee and Lor-
rainc which were taken from them out
Of the Illuminating defeat Of the Frankie
PrussIan war.
Neither have they forgotten the strug-
gle that followed to pay the war indem-
nity OF 5000 millions Of francs which
was demanded by Germany and which
enormous obligation the French people
discharged between March l. 1871 and
September 1871 the latter month by the
terms Of the peace, the German troops
that had been qaartered In France
to enforce the payment Of the Indemnity
were removed from French soil. Their
presence among the French people, how
ever, had been a constant humiliation.
It left bitter memories that time has not
healed. Should war occur today France
would be in full better condition to wage
IL than Germany. A statement pre-
pared by Lieutenant w. r. Hamilton
Fifth Artillery, United States Army,
and corrected from the latest OIL
cial reports on file at our War
partment, December. 1880, shows
the armed strength of these two coun-
tries TO be IA follows:
Germany. France
0tieers .......,............. 81 sl2 500
Non. Com office, and men. q. s6l as7 $40, 597
Horses. ff!.o ti.s1s
Guns '.-..'-.-- foE WEI
'Ineladipg fortress guns on the fFontier.
Eleven million seven hundred thou
sand of the population OF Germany
and 9,550,000 Of the population OF
France are capable Of bearing arms.
IL will be seen that today France is the
b. tier prepared of the two countries for
the waging OF war. In another contest,
too, the powerful country OF Russia
would scarcely fail to be factor. Ger
many has certainly strong reasons for
desiring to maintain a peace. but her hot
headed young monarch appears to be
DESTROYS of war. The death OF Won
Moltke, the mastery general who plan
ned the campaign Of the Franko-Prus-
sian War, and carried it through,
with wonderful rapidity, to a sue
eessful issue, is dead. There are
doubtless others In the German host
qualified to succeed him, but this is yet
to be shown by the test OF war.
In the Franco Prussian War France
WAS overborne by the weight Of super
Tor numbers and generalship. Her SOL
diers fought with desperate valor, but
were over matched by the strength OF
the enemy Today, as we have shown,
France has larger army than Germany.
1t Is equipped with the most approved
modern weapons and thoroughly dis
ciplined. IL Germany again comes in
contact with her, it will find a vastly
condition Of affairs than it |
found in 1870
In view of these facts the proposed
maneuvers of the French armies near
he German frontier assume a porten
.ious significance.
The Kaiser is about to make a thorough
Of the fortresses in that direc-
ion, and the garrisons will be materially
strengtiie ned. From Alsace-Lorraine
comes word that not less than fifty per
cent of the young men In the frontier
owns eligible for CONSUMPTION the com
ug year have made their escape from
he country. and that many Of them
are known to have enlisted in the French
army. Should they be captured in war
hey would be dealt with as traitors.
The repugnance to everything German
seems to be growing in these two pro-
vinces with the years, instead of the
population becoming reconciled, as had
been hoped, and it is stated that many
Of the people there quietly observed the
funeral of Won Moltke as holiday of
pleasure.
The German people look upon the pro-
posed action Of the French armies as an
open menace TO their country. War
talk Il common in both countries. The
civilized world will hope to see the hor-
rors of another struggle between these
p ,werful nations averted but there ap-
pears to be little chance for permanent
peace between them so long as Alsace
and Lorraine remain in the possession Of