New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-06
TIE MINISTER OF WAR.
~ SOME COUNTRIES HE, AND IN OTHERS
TILE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, IS
SUPREME.
SEANUI-"S ARMY TIE ONLY ONE WITHOUT a.
GENERAIJSsIMO IN TIMES OF PEACE.

No little establishment was created at the
grand review at LOngchamps the other day by
The fact that the Marquis de Gallifet, although
Minister Of War, well as one Of the most
celebrated Of French generals, should have oc
cupied a seat In the Presidential equipage like
4 mere civilian instead of being on horseback,
snd attention was drawn to the fact that where
Generals Blllot and MERCER when Minister'S
O. War Invariably headed the parade sur
rounded by brilliant staff taking up their
position opposite the grandstand after salutnG
the Chief Magistrate, the veteran De Gallifet
was almost concealed from public view by NJ.
Loubet and the Speakers OF the Senate and Of
the Chamber Of Deputies. behind whom he stood
On the Presidential stand. His place as ranking
officer Of the review was taken by General
Brugere, the newly appointed commander Of
the metropolitan district and governor of the
capital officer who neither in military pres
tige in point OF distinguished service can
for one moment be compared to De Gallifet. The
reason for this is that whereas Generals Billot
and MERCER were still on the active list at
the time when they held the office OF Minister
CT War, General de Galfet on the contrary has
already been retired from the army on
count Of age, and could not legally resume his
place the active list save in the event Of
war Only in that case could he be assigned 10
any command, since the outbreak OF hOstiities
and the calling out of the reserves are the sig
nal for the acceptance by the Government of
offers Of service, irrespective Of age The re-
view at Longchamps on the national festival,
therefore served to demonstrate a fact ignored
to a great extent abroad and of which sight
has been to large extent lost by Frenchmen
themselves namely, that the French Army is
alone among the civilized Powers of the world
without a commander in chief. Here in the
United States the office Of generalissimo Of the
Army is vested in the President Of the Repub
lie. But Frances Chief Magistrate has no such
prerogatives powers, and while the admins
tTatioD Of the army is directed by the Minister
Of War for the time being, who is sometimes
officer and often a mere civilian. the troops
remain without generalissimo in time of
peace
CAUSE CT THE LACK OF DISCIPLINE.
This in the opinion Of foreign military ex-
r,rts, is one OF the principal sources Of weak
ness Of the French Army. 1t is true that the
plan of mobilization in the event Of war provides
for the chief command of the entire French
Army and for the composition Of the head
quarters staff But the members Of the latter
are at the present moment scattered all over
France and Algeria, some Of them being even
stationed in far distant colonies, and if war
should break out considerable time would be
REQUIRED TO summon them from every point Of
tho compass in order to join their chief and 10
assume the posts to which they had been as
signed. Ii must be remembered that everything
H. connection with this scheme Of mobilization IS
what may be described eventual 1t is
only in the event" of certain things coming to
lass that il will be brought into operation ana
while on the one hand the commanding gen
erals have knowledge Of the characteristics
Of those who are to constitute their STATS, the
members of the latter are for the most part not
even personally acquainted with one another.
As in 1870 all the preparations and arrange
rents TO resist invasion are on paper and only
On paper. The result of this is that at the pres
eut moment the commanders Of the twenty
army corps composing the standing army nave
absolutely no one above them excepting the
Minister Of War, who changes with every
Cabinet crisis and whose time, as rule, is far
too much engrosscd with the drawing up OF
the budget, with political questions, and with
what NAV be described as the economic ad-
r,inistration Of the army, to be able TO super
wise and control TIE twenty generals command
ing the various army corps. The consequence
IS that these generals have developed into
species of military satraps, subject 10 no RUE
but their own good Will and pleasure. More
over. they are almost entirely Independent OF
any central authority especially as regards
fYeetione Of discipline, about which the MIN
,ster Of War when he happens TO be d CIVILIAN
Lroue lille or nothing and they are naturally
y-ithout any system Of cooperation or cohesion
,.i,b ono another 1t is this condition Of affairs
that is largely accountable for the numerous
dole xrhi during