The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-01-30
WHO COMMANDS THE FRENCH7
Corps Commanders and Division Generals
Hold Equal Rank.

| corps NOmm8nOerD ana DlVlbAO0 uen0E1An
I Hold Equal Rank.
According TO the regulations the min
lister of war is commander in chief of the
! French army. But an act passed in 1888
] provides that this high dignitary must
remain in Paris if O war breaks out.
! The actual command will be assumed
| by a major general designated for that
purpose by the ministry--at present
Gen. Saussier. Well and good. But this
| officer has no right to prepare the army
| according to his ideas in time Of peace.
Hareceives the command over the differ
| ent corps from another man, with,
| whom, perhaps, he differs materially in
opinion. The responsibility for the
state of the army is thus divided and
cannot be fastened upon any ore person.
Further, the highest rank in the French
army is that of division general. There
arc some higher functions, such as the
command of an army corps and the
army inspection, but these functions are
attended to by the division generals,
who stand in the same rank with their
interiors in command. In times of
peace this causes unpleasant jealousy,
during war time it may lead to conflict
and disorder. With regard to the COM
manders of army corps the matter is not
SO bad, as they are in touch with troops
and leaders under their commands. But
how is general to command an army
if the chiefs of four or five army corps
and some 20 divisions all hold the same
rank as himself? VIII he be obeyed?
The impropriety of this state OF
things is well known to the French, but
the conditions of the republic exclude
the possibility of suitable reforms. If
any general were given an extra feather
for his hat or an extra star on the collar
of his coat he night use hisnew authority
against the republic. On the other hand,
the hundred or SO of division generals
hold each other in check. Yet the re-
sponsiblc heads of the army fear that
serious difficulties will arise in case of
war, and the present minister of war
has drawn up bin for the mitigation
of. the evil. He suggests the appoint
ment of a responsible council of war
and the creation of new rank, that OF
"army general" Twenty-Five of the
division generals are to be raised to it.
and they must be chosen from the Off
GERS who already act as army command
ers and army inspectors.
1t is. however, doubtful that even this
moderate reform will be allowed to pass
the chambers. Already the radicals and
socialists raise a row and declare that
Billot is preparing for coup d'etat. On
he other hand, the military press points
out that il would be much better to give
the future mnlanders Of armies
higher hierarchc position and to en-
able them to exercise some power over
the troops they are to lead in time OF
war. But the military authorities un-
sicrstand that, if IS commanders are
raised to higher rank the present diff
Guilty in the appointment Of chiefs is at
least narrowed down. More radical re-
forms would be likely to meet with still
yreater opposition than the proposition
-Yhsc Gen. Billot has formulated with
the assistance of his civilian fellow min
;sterS-Rerlin Rundschau