The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-02

Are Ns.,Sers worthless Aftsr Aut-A Cry
OF AIar-a IN Freneh military Circles.

From he ftqdrn
Tbere IL no mower on Garth better equipped
for war than France IL at tho present moment
But unfortunately, all our military orRanila-
tion is based upon. a dangerous sophism. me
i6rmed our army we started out upon the idea
that France was vanduished by the numerlca,
supcrioritv OF the Germans. whereas the real
cause Of our defeat must be looked for In the
incapacity OF our generals. me eVents were
fatalities maniiestly ipdependent o, tne t resl
sonably conclude that IL was the superiority
ofnumbers that defeated ua -,.-,.
he carried away by the magic OF numbers; aud;
IL order to get the mum bers, We have reduced
Now short service makes militia men It does
not make soldiers. The worship which we
gT2ss o has he osy are eSeep o
tional creatures. There IL 10 longer any army
when everybody Is n soldier: there IL no mill
there are no more heroes when every one IL
mohiized expressly to become one.
Take in the military hierarchy OF the Empire
the men who represent us in different degrees
from the general to the Rrenadier guard the
nSs fSsSe pa tine s0g 6ans
They were of unequal value. but their aouls
were the same. They were pretorians. They
one end war Their moral horizon was oon-
stanty ohscured by the smoSe Of hattles. They
progress. and one would lind absolutely moth.
ing in their skulls which would he worthy OF
omist. They were wicked and terrible but
also extraordinary enchnntets. superb and at
tractiye in the same way and for the same rea-
son that Hon Is attractive because he is
stronger and gtander than an OK or a sheep.
In order To forge soldiers OF that type. it
would he necessary to return 10 customs as
much at variance with our habits Of life as
with the now conditions OF warfare. But for
all that. II Is none the less true that the trade
OF q soldier Is n trade. lust like any other in
which one eNccls only through apprentice
ship and application: that the strength OF
armies ia prcpnrtionate with the training Of
tho soldier: hat numbers nre nothing IL they
are not made valuable by enthusiasm: that
the reduction oi the term OF service may be-
come - peril for the safety Of the country: that
economy realized 10y means Of furloughs and
anticipated exemptions amounts to IA diminu-
ton OF our chances OF victory, and that the
idea OF domurratzinR tho army IL a pure alb
Rurnity Tor the stint reason that everything
In the army from the top to the bottom OF thu
military ladder. Is servitude. hierarchy. and
Inequality
This is not merely an individual opinion It
is the opinion Of the majority OF our military
men. The military law under which we live
are accustomed To believe. on tho faith Of
sycophants. that such an army renders ua for
ever tnvinrible. Every professional soldier
devoted solel to his profession. believes that
II would 10 better for our defence II we had an
army OF twelve hundred thousand men. hav-
ing all i"rNcd i've years without n day's fur
Tough. exercised from morning I'LL night. In
deiHtgahle marchers. trained marksm on. clad
IN n brilliant uniform. and proud enough to
believe that one soldier OF their stamp is worth
several dozen citizens.