New-York tribune., 1896-03-29
"YOC" AND "THOU."
THE CURIOUS ORDER OF THE NEW FRENCH
MINISTER OF WAR.

THE CURIOUS ORDER OF THE NEW FRENCH
MINISTER OF WAR.
decree has Just been issued Paris by the new
Minister Of War forbdding officers to address the
soldiers under their orders by the familiar pronoun
OF thou" Henceforth the more forma. you .
alone be employed It Is needless TO explain
that the Minister OF War is a civilian. for solder
would never have made the mistake OF imagining
for that the feelings Of self-respect Of
a private or non-commissioned officer would be AZ
fected by the use OF the familiar pronoun 'tu"
"Tu" and 'du' and thou terms not OF con.
tempt but OF familiarity and intimacy. and their
use implies lack OF consideration for the person
10 whom they are applied. but on the contrary.
feeling OF aYectionate regard In monarchical coun-
tries the Sovereigns have always made a point OF
addressing their troops with the pronoun thou
In the same way that they apply the word chi!'
dren' to even grizzed and batte-scarred veterans
twice their age. The men like TO be addressed
thus and feel a sort OF sympathy for those whom
they regard displaying IN THIS way aHection a'o
interest In their welfare.
By forbldd.ng the use Of the word "tu," the new
French Minister Of War has done far more harm
than good since he has rendered the re.ation De.
tween French officers and men more distant ana
formal and has, In fact, raised new barrier oe-
tween those who hold commissions in the Army and
those who do not. OF course. this new departure
has been prompted by the spirit OF republcanisn.
the Minister'S idea being that soldier Is just as
much a French citizen and entitled to as much re-
spect an oficer
In the German, Austrian. Italian and RUSSIAN
armies the officers not only the word thou 10
their men, but among themselves as well. and inc
Youngest lieutenant may use 1t TO his colonel OF
even TO his general when of duty. the idea being
they are brothers and comrades In arms OMeeIS
meeting for the first time use thou even thousn
one be a prince and the other the son Of petV
shopkeeper; one the colonel OF some crack cavairy
regiment and the other a subaltern In mere ilne
OF regiment. In the aristocracy. that s 70 say:
among the old nobility. whence the parvenu ana the
nouveau richie element is severely excluded every
one calls the other thou" even young girls stynnS
old dowagers thus, Monarchs and royal pe.sonsSes
in their Intimate intercourse with one another. IN.
varably use the pronoun thou" The Prince, q
Wales addresses the Emperor Of Austria as du
and the Emperor Of Germany makes use OF tns
same pronoun when writing or speaking to King
Oscar or any other monarch. "Tu'' and "du' ana
thou imply social equality among the persons wno
use them to one another. and II the French Mnist@
OF War had been less hasty. and had taken me ne
trouble OF studying the history OF his country ne
would have found that during the early years OF tne
great revolution at the end OF the last century wnsp
the doctrines of equality were really enforced
everybody made Of the word "ci;oyen" and o.
thou in addressing one another. no matter wnas
might be the difference Of age or official rank