The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-31
FRENCH MILITARY DESPOTISr1.
Artists and Artisans Employers and LabOrers Have Annual
Period of Equality.

modern warfare of over-crowded. thickly-
built-up Europe the time-honored camp
and-tent play little part Troops are
lodged in public buildings. market houses
ana the like. whenever practicable. ana
the balance are assigned to every village
householder for sleeping room. The off1-
GERS are -'billeted" on the richer part of
the population. The common soldiers
take their chances, according TO the for
tune of war.
Billet de iogementr'-what a series of
time-honored sentiment and pleasantly
the phrase evoke in the French mind!
My, friend the Partisan dandy may be not
so lucky as my friend the Paris cabman-
l can see him stalking up the village
street the moment he Is dismissed from
the ranks to hunt his camping out
place. In his hand he holds a card, with
an address He scrutinizes the house
stealthily as he approaches. He tries,
with Sherlock-Holmes analysis, to read
the style and character OF those VINO
dwell in it: Enfini He rings the bell.
VINO shall appear? A pretty little coun-
try wife 10 whom he may pay compli-
ments and who will whisk around CO
quettishly to make him comfortable? Or
good woman, but stout and gone in the
vale OF years. who will slOp around quite
as coquettshly, perhaps-grand Dieu,
m3sSr-comme c'est degoutantl-to make
hin comforIable-mais non, mais non,
II one were to depend on song and
story for his information he would soon
come TO believe that the great autumn
maneuvres of the french army had for
their real object the promotion of cordial
lty between the sexes. AS the facts are.
no reservist of heart and courage refuses
sentimental adventures of the month s
campaign. He will dream of a shady
wood wherein to do his picket duty. inter
SperSed with chats with pretty peasant
girls: He will evoke the vision of a
hurried picnic in the shade of a sweet
smelling haystack. where the harum-
scarum women of a neighboring chateau
will conceive the charitable idea of carry
ing luncheon or o'clock tea to the poor
soldier. And If, in stern reality, he gets
no nearer to happiness than the sight of
a couple OF bicycle girls along n country
road as ne goes marching by. or the dis
dained attentions of an overripe hostess
IN the town, ne will philosophize, say that
II is evidently for the next time" and
then come home Dragging of his "con-
quests" just the same
The sober facts of the maneuvres ac-
cent, beyond everything else, the sacrifices
that people may be forced into through
a struggle for military supremacy It is
as If each French and German citizen
should deliberately agree to give up so
much OF his personal liberty and to take
upon himself so much discomfort, year
after year, through life. 1t is one thing
Tor those who like it to belong to militia
companies and go out to camp each
summer. 1t is a different thing for the
whole adult population to be forced out
INTO war, all but the killing. one month in
l., year after year. 1t has not come to
this yet simply because none of the
males must go out, and year after year;
but all do not go out each year.
To see the clerk leaving his desk, the
cabman his high seat, the mason leaving
his scaffold, and the clubman leaving his
oacearat; to see them all mix up again,
without exception, year by year, shop
keepers artists, sporting men, school
teachers. countrymen and city men, as
they old for three years when they were
youthful conscripts, gives one a stronger
impression OF the grim earnestness of
continental standing armies" than any
recitation of mere figures is capable of
doing.
England has never yet been able to
force her population into such "slav-
cry; nevertheless, today there are more
English advocates of consumption and
obligatory reserve service than ever be-
fore. 1t remains to be seen, in the ap-
preaching engagements on Cuban soil
how volunteer land forces will be able to
stand up against regular troops. The
theorists have often been found in the
wrong. STERLING HELLO.