Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-07
CONSUMPTION IN FRANCE.
How the Official Allow no Young
Man to Escape.

parents are bound under severe penal
ties to register his birth at the local
| marie" or Town hall This formal
| ity accomplished, the youngster at
| once receives the visit of the doctor
| attached to the Register office. The
| ''medecin de fetat civil" as this func-
tionary is termed, verifieS the declara-
ticn made by the parents. and satisfies
himself that the infant is indeed a
man in miniature. This precaution is
necessary, as the father and mother.
were they left entirely to their own
! devices might be tempted to palm off
! rlyir by as a girl. with a view to
/ snahina him to escape his military
/ service. Until not so very long ago
| every child had to be taken to the
marie" shortly after its birth to allow
| the authorities to convince themselves
that no mistake had been made as re-
| CARDS the sex. Even now, however.
mistakes do occur. and every now and
| then case crops up of girl who by
| some unaccountabe error has got on
| to the books of the recruiting depart
| ment and is summoned to serve with
| the cOl)rS. =
| The existence of the youngster hay
ing thus been duly placed on record
! he is allowed to run loose for a score
| Of years. If he chooses to he can
! shorten this period of liberty by vol
! UNFAIRLY eniSting before his time, pro
| yidinE of course. his physique passes
muster. The marine infantry. a corps
that sees a good deal of actual fight
ing III the colonies, recruits a number
Of adventurous spirits in this way. and
not a few of IT,, Young men who pro
pose to adopt u. army as their career
improve their prospects by making an
carly start. The average conscript,
however, is in no hurry. and takes ad
vantage of the fun latitude allowed
him by the law. II, is We'll aware
| that he must begin to think seriously
| of his military obligations the mo-
mcnt he is out Of his teens. Even if
| this necessity had not been drilled
into him at school. he could not ignore
it, since it is the constant pre)ccupa-
ton of his relatives and comrades. In
| consequence, as soon as his twentieth
birthday is passed he begins to have
. keen eye on the official posters dis
played on the walls of the Town hall,
the schools and other public buildings.
These posters are white. like all other
official posters in France. but they are
of exceptional size, while. that there
may be no possibility of their escaping
notice among their many mis-
cellaneous fellows, they compel at
tcntion 10y a most apparent distinctive
sign. consisting of two tricOlor flags
placed croSSwayS above the reading
matter and printed in colors. One of
these military posters details the ar
rangemeuts for The departure n the
claSSe. or annual contingent and from
It the consCrpt learns the date OF his
Incorporation am other items Of in
formation.
In the course v his twentieth year
he should give hI~ .iress to the near
ct recruiting oii... ana see that the
mayor of his dis has put down his
name among tn conscripts Of the
coming class. The mayor however.
is bound to see that his name il on the
list. whether he concerns himself with
his inscription or not. The next step
| Is the tiraEe au sort, or drawing of 4
number. Since the Introduction If
universal military service the opera
| ton is practically a mere formality.
| the abolition Of which is contemplated
| II takes place in January and Feb
| ruary at every town hall throughout
| the country Every cOnscript draws
| his number in the district in which he
was born. il is not imperative that he
| should attend the ceremony in pars N.
| az in his absence the mayor will draw
a number for him The great major
| ity Of the consCripts make the occa-
| sion he
| With large square of paper. gor-
| ge"usly colored and bearing the num-
her h" has drawn. pinned t. his hat.
and hedccked with number Of tii-
| color rnsettes. the conscript. accom-
panied by his friends and fellow con-
scripts. tours from wine shop to wine
| shop, singing ana finally bawling as
he onrs along patriotic and
| reTi1 FIN Al songs. 1t should
/ ' lid that the cunsrript
( l.Ny his number in tho January that
| fl. lws the completion Of his twcnti-
| eth year In consequence. a conscript
| born in December has only Just turned
| twenty when tn" army claims him
| whereas a conscript whose birth IL
u January j. tWcnty-one at the time
| of the tiragc au sort The ONLY use AT
/ ~ ~ ~ - lilt lil CIV HE vi NUMBERS Is
| that when there is Il deficiency Of mon
| FIR the Marine infantry the vacancies
| are filed up from among the con-
| scripts who have drawn the numbers
| one. two or three.
| For the next six months Or 80 HE
| cnnscript is left to himself. but toward
| IN" middle of the year he makes ;c-
lquaintancc in earnest with the military
authorities. The occasion is the sitting
OF the councils Of revision the bodies
| that definitely decide the fate of the
| conscripts. The council of revision is
composed of two civil functionarics. of
a superior otfir"r and of an army doc
| tor, and it / H- tn" assistance of a
member of the recruiting staff and of
| several gcndarmcS. \ council sits in
the chief town o. very canton. The
| mayors OF the diff -r'nt localities e 1m-
| priScd in the distrirl are allowed to be
| present at its operations. with view
| To Safeguarding the interests of the
sons of their electors. The conscript is
| eXpcCted to present himself before the
| council. but should he abstain from
| putting in an appearance he does not
| incur a penalty. He loses the right
| however. should he remain away. to
| benefit by certain diSpenSations which
| will shortly he explained, and he is