Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-03


trousers on the hook Fold them ON the
sneI and your coat and your cloak. too"
10 you call that a package? IL must
nor De out OF regular line a quarter of an
inch. This is your bread shelf Ne,.n an
leaNe your bread on your bed Now make
your ped over again." He shows him how \
ana now, before you so TO get measured
| drinks?" SCI UP 'iie
Being measured" for clothes is a gentl.
irony. All prirates' uniforms are ready
made In certain types and sizes Those in
charge of them glance at the new man and
throw out to him the size and type that
ought to fit Are trousers too tight? ca
10 the captain.
My captain. they are tight all overt
Ihen why do you wear them? Want
10 have fun with me? Go change them"
Tight
Too tight, Are you man or a barely
Take these"
The new trousers will he certainly. too
loose,on principle The captain when he
sees them curses.
Name of a little good man, Where is
me imbecile who tTicked you up like that?
Did ii yourself? That's Your idea of stvlry
a scarecrow of a man, That won't do in
my company. ] tell you, Mon Dieu YOU
must be a fool, But that's no reason To
get yourself up like Patagonian zou,tve,"
Discipline and Routine.
The conscript's first lesson in this way is
to bear undersigned blame without answer
ing back. If he learns 1t the first day so
much the better The soul OF discipline
seems to require it. French life is fun
of illusions to it. And they say that 1t is
worse in Germany.
1ne daily confinement and routine Of bar
racks life is like that of a prison The
reveile is at 6 am. The morning coffee"
and daily loaf of rye-and-bran are served
Immediately in the dormitory Various
military exercises take up the time till 9
am, the hour for the soup" II is
interchangeable stew, served in pans.
From to IL IN. the men are free TO lie
about their rooms smoking, reading. chat
ting or sleeping, loaf in the cantine
drinking or playing games, or to skylark
in the open court of the barracks These
are the hours for recting military the
ory by those who are studying to become
non-commssioned officers
At II 80 am. there is the guard reunion.
with the nominations for guard work and
'corvees" or Jobs for the next day
From l to pm. there are military and
gymnastic exercises The men then
free until 4:30 pm. the hour of the second
soup" which is the last meal of the day.
Twice a week the routine is varied by
long military parades or ''promenades" I'm
the country, to habituate the feet To
At pm. the clarion sounds the ''sortie
general" when all not on duty or under
punishment may quit the barracks until
3 pm, at which hour they must be back
in their beds.
Plenty to Do.
This program gives more ease I'm appear
ance than in fact. A good portion of the
conscript's ostensibly free time must be
given to the daily care of his arms and
clothing. He must ask himself each morn
ing: Am l of the guard today?" and Am
| of the corvee or the firewatch?T Around
a country barracks there will he but little
guard work. but in a great town-and I'm
Paris In particular-there is an immense
amount of this monotonous work, at the
various ministries. at the Elysees. at the
Bank of France, the prisons and what not.
The ''cOrVee' is the daily dirty work OF
the barracks-the lifting, hauling, cleaning
and carrying. Some one must peel the po-
tatoes clean the courtyard, keep the fire,
do laundry work and all the other house
keeping.
Guard work and "corvees" come in due
rotation to each man; and the paying out
of money can only alleviate it-not abolish
it-for the rich. Moreover, young men OF
the learned professions Gas most well-to-do
are). having but single year of active
service, must put in two hours extra, from
3 to pm. in the study OF theory and tao
tics Lastly, the ''consgne' Introduction to
leave the barracks) and the bloc" Ohe po-
lice halD are frequent punishments which
cut into the conscripts so-called leisure.
These Are in Luck.
Still. the rich young man regularly buys
nlmSell certain SOllu dlltNidAlbllS. I1S may
engage one of his poor companions COR two
of them to act practically as his valet.
His non-commissioned officers are tender Of
him. because of his cigars, drinks, news
papers-and cash disbursements, They and
the poorer men will screen him and be
ready to take his blame themselves.
He may eat expensive dinners in town
every evening and frequent cafes not pat
ronized by officers. He may divert himself
socially-where there are not likely to he
any officers. He may even have rooms in
town. and in them dof his uniform and
receive guests I'm frock coat.
The poor conscript on the other hand,
has hard time for sure. He has no pocket
money and no way Of earning il except by
serving as the valet of some richer con-
script The government gives him one
cent a day pocket money and weekly ra-
ton of tobacco
Some Seek Promotion.
In order to distract his mind the poor
conscript may undertake the studies which
lead to the grade of corporal or seageant-
Such non-com officers have privileges; they
order other men about and they receive
gifts from the wealthy. Or the poor young
man may try to get into the regimental
band. to ease his soul with music and get
rid of hard work or he may become an
officers orderly and eat stolen dainues from
fat cooks and flirt with slender servant
maids But however he may manage he
finds the time long
1t is a sentiment that has gone through
the whole country. Almost as strong is
the sentiment against the enforced service
of the reserve. Three years after he has
done his active service every Frenchman
must do one month in the field aga-n. regu-
larly in maneuYers made up of forced
marches, attacks and defense only a triife
less rigorous than the hardships of real
war. Three years later every Frenchman
does another month of such hard active
service. Then twice. at intervals of three
years always, he must do eighteen days.
A Rea Hardship.
BY the time of his second call to the re-
serve the average Frenchman has attained
the rank and age of solid citizen and bust
ness man. For him to put on his old uni
form, become too tight, and wear down his
restaurant fat in forced marches under the
hard discipline of imperious young lieuten-
ants and coarse sergeants comes to him as
a hardship. Each reserve service after
ward becomes more repugnant to him. The
harshness of 1t touches his dignity. When
the moment comes to repel the invader he
will be ready. Meanwhile he desires to be