The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-05
FRANCE 5 GREAT ARMY
No Matter How Corrupt it Is,
Is a Fine Body.
IN ANY WAR ON LAND
1t Would Give England the
Fight of Her Life.

New York, Nov. 4-The French army,
to save whose honor human beings were
the face, is really a noble organization,
Notwithstanding the corruption that may
exist among some Of its superior officers.
The army is organized on laws passed by
the national assembly Of 1872. These have
been modified, enlarged and adjusted by
additional laws voted by various legis-
latures from 1878 to 1892. To understand
the very deep concern that is felt about
the army by the French people-a con-
Germ similar TO ours about the volunteers
one need only remember that by law
there is universal liability to arms, and
that substitution or enlistment by pay
ment Of money is forbidden Any French
citizen between the age of 20 and IS
who has not been pronounced unfit for
military service may be called upon at
any time to become a soldier, either in
the active service or in the reserves.
Thus it viii be seen how personal a mat
ter the military becomes for every
Frenchman.
There is law QSs2). supplemented by
laters laws, providing that the yearly con-
tingent must serve three years in the
active service, ten in the reserve peril
nent TO the regular army, six in the terri
torial army and six in the territorial re-
serve. The army in active service is
made UP of all the young men-"the
flower of France"-who have reached the
age of 20. The reserve that is held i'm
mediately behind this active army con-
sists of the men who have served out
their time in the active army. These two
branches of the French army-that is, the
actives and the active reserves are
drawn from the whole of France and are
distributed over the whole of France. The
territorial army and its reserves, how
ever, are assigned to locations fixed by
the administration from time to time.
It is freely admitted that if France and
Great Britain should go to war over the
Fashoda incident the quarrel would be
settled on the water, and that France
would be no match for the lion. If the
fighting had to be done on land the re-
suit would be in larger doubt. The fol-
lowing figures will convey a very correct
idea OF the present strength of the French
army: In infantry France has AS divis-
ionai regiments of the line, each of
battalions and companies. Every regi-
ment has g. officers and 1881 men. There
are is regional regiments of the line, each
with 81 off ers and 1850 men, scattered
in the various forts of France. There are
80 battalions OF chasseur-a-pied, each
with 10 officers and $50 men. Four regi-
ments of Zouaves have each Y officers
and 2551 men. There are four regiments
of 'tirailleurs," each with 1O3 officers and
2,632 men: regiments "estrangers" and
Oattaqions of African light infantry.
There are is regular regiments of cav
airy and companies of cavaliers de
remonte," of 229 men each. OF artillery
there are 40 regiments of field-42S mount
ed batteries, and u batteries. mounted and
mountain. IN Tunis and Algiers. For en-
gineers France has regiments of sappers
and miners. OF which ) contain each
battalions and 1 company of sapper con-
ductors. There is also a regiment OF rail-
way sappers. There are also 20 squad
ronS of train.
The budget for the present year shows
that the peace strength of the French
army amounts to ga men. Of this
total number 26402 are officers. These
figures describe the home army alone and
means that the nation has that many men
at hand in France. The army In Algiers
consists of 55,9l1 men. OF whom 21e7 are
officers, and the army in Tunis consists
ma Of tubn of
Add the number of the home army TO
that of the army abroad, and the total
will be 615,413. of whom %, Isl are officers
Including all the departments. the French
army has 142.03s horses in the service. II
France were called upon to engage in war
with any European nation at this time
she would be ready TO put into the field
81. 026 for the active army alone, and D.
100 for the gendarmerie and the republic
can guards. That is a pretty good fight
ing force to throw into action at once.
We though tive were doing capitally by
our big volunteer army in the
Spanish war, but had our enemy been
France instead Of Spain, what another
story We would be telling now. France,
back Of her superb army has a grand
store OF men 20 draw from. The number
Of men liable to military service in France
Is estimated thus: The active army and
its reserves, all we'll trained soldiers. .
$50 900; the territorial army (active). 990.-
poo: the territorial reserve. I1e1.c90. These I
give a grand total Of $4,000. Such a ire
force as this would not Of course
be available al once. But # France were
caalled upon TO put forth its best military
strength quickly she could bring into
action with no trouble whatever an army
Of at least 2,5o0coO men.
The coast line OF France extends 1.7s1 /
miles on the Atlantic and AS on the I
Mediterranean. It's frontier on land I
covers 1875 miles. OF which lbs miles 4
stretch along me German. Belgian, Swiss 4
and italian frontiers and z19 along the I
Spanish frontier. The country Is divided 4
into eighteen military departments Eaca 4
Of these departments OF regions IS under 4
the command CT a division general. and /
zach is cut CD into districts governed ~ 4
origadier generals. The cities OF Paris i
and Lyons have seperste military govern 1
nencs Of their own. Paris is considered 4
the center OF military defense and e .
therefore ne strongest fortified position /
a the country.
Dewey VIII Make n Clean Job
Washington. Nov. 2-Ad1sVal Dewey 4
las cabled the navy department thzt to-
lay the Charleston lad Ssiled from Ma