New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-18

been cabled here. is freely commented upo"
by military men, member OF the french ra'-
| liamentary Army Commission. being asked io'
| his opinion the BILL replied:
| A standing army for the United states OF
| 100 600 men is not nearly large enough tane
| az a basis our own colonial experiences IN IN III
! onin. Madagascar and elsewhere. You Will ma
10000 men minimum estimate Tor me inn fp
| pines Hawaii and Guam. besides the 49, 80 ~, y,
/ Cuba and Porto Rico. and at least fo,vVV "a, az
| home TO man the Atlantic, Pacific ana Gun
coast defences and the Mexican ir0nIieI az
keep the Indians In subsection. ms aa mar me-
10000 men TO be kept constantly under the
| cOlors To maintain such a force IN eitect.e
| condition a reserve Of 10000 must be kept IN
hand to supply the colonial forces the he@s
WAYS been found greatly to exceed the e eSoi-
mates. In my Judgment 2OoO0O, and not IuV;
600. will be found TO be the minimum s'I Isoa
| absolutely necessary for the Army OF the unted
| States.
| General De Gallifet. member OF the supreme
| Council of War and General Saussier. recently
! Commander-n- Chief of the French Army have
both expressed the opinion that 2ooooo men
should be taken as basis for the military re-
qurements Of the United States.
Among the questions under consideration py
the French Military Commission is that OF OFF,
| GERS pay. which, snguarly enough. has under
| gone slight change since the rates established
In the reign of Louis XIV. and is 20 per cent
| less than the pay Of German and other Con-
| tinental armies, Notwithstanding the decrease IN
! the purchasing power Of money In the last
| hundred and fifty years. During the recent
| strikes in Paris II was found that many DAY
laborers earned almost as much as major In
| the army, the latters pay being ID francs
day. while a second lieutenant gets only three
! francs The pay tables Of the United States
Army are being studied by the French Par
| Ito mi
! form az being the highest rates prevailing In
any army in the world; but there is no chance
of the French pay being raised above that or
Germany which Is far below that Of the United
| States.
The social economists note with dismay the
increasing number Of divorces In France since
divorce was legalized by the Naquet law Of
1884 The number Of divorces. which was only
about seven thousand In 1892. exceeded ten
thousand in 1896, and last Thursday the Fourth
Chamber Of the Tribunal of the Seine. during a
single session. which lasted only four hours,
decreed no fewer than 294 divorces, thus beat
ing all previous records. The 5Ss persons mus
divorced profted by the law which accords
freedom of expense for divorce proceedings for
persons who pay less than 400 francs yearly
rent NM. Leroy Beaulieu. Hughes lie Roux j.
Cornely and Francisque Sarcey raise chorus
of Indignation against this state Of affairs
The conviction that the United States VIII
succeed in constructing the Nicaragua Canal
is gaining ground and to-day NJ Edouard
Drumont devotes half page of his newspaper
the "Libre Parole" to bemoaning the 1,oOG,OO,-
600 francs buried in Panama. and says Mica
ragua after Fashoda completes the Anglo
Saxon triumph along the whole line. 1t is an
industrial and financial triumph after poti-
cal triumph"
Loud and bitter are the comments OF the
French papers against the women of Grenada
for stoning the statue of Columbus. The Jour
nal des Debats" says: 1T is fit counterpart to
the ingratitude of Ferdinand the Catholic. who
put Columbus In chains on his return from the
New World" The Temps laments the relapse
of the Spaniards into medieval methods, and
compares the women of Grenada to the French
| Royasts who still throw stones at the princi-
pies Of the French Revolution. The journal
says the Spanish popuace to be logical. ought
| to throw the remains of Columbus into the sea
when they reach Cadiz and that the Spaniards
still fail to admit that all their colonial disasters
are due to the fact that they always regarded
their possessions in America and the Philip
pines as milch-cows for the ruling classes.
Some new play is brought out each night dur
ing the week. to say nothing Of o half-dozen
new farces and comedies produced at the little
theatres and concert-rooms of Montmartre
Among the most important first productions is
that Of "Georgette Lemeunier." a comedy in
four acts by Maurice Donnay at the Vaudeville
the objectionable fault Of which is that it Is
utterly devoid Of action. 1t is ultra-modern
and the characters enunciate their gracefully
written parts like many lecturers. The com
edy is too literary for the stage; 1T turns upon
the well-worn theme of a misunderstanding be-
tween a newly married couple, and affords Nine
Rejane still another opportunity for inimitable
facial expression and gesture; but like all plays
depending exclusively upon brilancy Of da
logue and brilliancy Of dresses, does not make a
| lasting impression. rather amusing vaude
vile in three acts called "Cheri," by Paul Ca
vault and Victor Cottens produced at the
Paas Royal is fairly we'll interpreted by Mile
Lavigne, daughter Of Nine. Lavigne, so popular
at the Palais Royal six years ago, but
blind. Polin, Of cafe concert fame, also has a
good comic role In "Cheri" which, In spite Of a
few droll situations and witty dialogue. has
consistency or backbone. and bears the marks Of
being too hastily written.
Nine Sarah Bernhard is naturally indignant
because cheap hotel syndicate has bought the
land overlooking her property the island of
Belle Isle, on the coast Of Brittany, and has be-
gun building a hotel there. Nine. Bernhard,
who is now acting In Milan. teegraphed yester-
day nstructing her notary to sell her Belle Isle
| retreat forthwith. and posters were placed to-
| day on the gates announcing IL for sale
| The American colony attended two brilliant
weddings this week That Of NJ. Vechter TO
| Mile Laurc de Kenck daughter Of Baroness
| de Klenck. who formerly Miss Mcneil. Of
New-York. took place at the Church of st.
| Honore Eylau. The marriage yesterday Of Mrs
| c. Could widow Of the late Louis Gould. 70
Lieutenant lie Francois OF the French Army