The National tribune., 1903-08-20

ment was taken back by the Government
i'll need of funds in 1892 and the expenses
transferred to the war budget. During
the wars of the Consulate and the First
Empire the number of "Invalides" to be
taken care of increased so rapidly that
Napoleon established three other homes
at Versailles, Client now in Beigium) and
AvignOn. At these various homes, which
are now out of existence, as many as o.
600 crippled soldiers We're quartered. To-
day the Hotel des Invalides" has only
go pensioners CAST census of 1900, and
the number is constantly decreasing. This
is due to the fact that there has been no
great war since 1870; besides, soldiers
are not permitted to re-enlst, everybody
being compelled to serve three years in
the active army, and until 40 years old in
the reserves. The officers alone remain
in the army, and they prefer to live on
their pensions. The privates and uncom-
missiOned officers themselves do not take
kindly to the 'Invalides," and many of
them who have been admitted with great
difficulty, demand to be discharged. They
are entitled to this, and naturally receive
again their pension, which is very modest,
seldom exceeding 500 a year in case of
privates and $3.50 in case of non-commis-
stoned officers.
From this it may be inferred that the
Hotel des Inyalides" as home for in
valid soldiers will soon be n matter of the
past. The probabilities are that it will
be tranformed into a sort of Pantheon for
illustrious soldiers. 1t contains already
the remains of Napoleon l., Jerome Ma
poleon, ex-King of Westphalia, with sew
eral other members of the Imperial family;
Vauban, the great engineer; Turenne, the
great commander, etc. The last military
commander of note buried in the "Inva-
lides'' is Marshal Mcmahon, Duke of Ma
genta, eXPresident of France. As al
ready stated, the body of the Great Ma
poleon is buried under the dome. The
sarcophagus is in the middle of a crypt a
few steps below the ground. The statuary
at the "Invalides" may be said to be peer
less. These are the II statues of Victory
by Pradier, an heroic statue of Napoleon
by Limet, other statues of his Marshals,
among them Duroc and Bertrand, and also
a group on each side of the crypt repre-
senting Austerlitz and Valor, Angouleme
and Victory. The library, of an exclusive
military character, contains 1900 vol
umes, with the gallery of the fortified
cities of France. In the chapel are the
numerous flags taken by the French SOL
diers from the foreign armies, also the
French flags disabled from service by the
fire of the enemy. 1t may be added that
iiiss are given 10 TeSiIiieulS oI new Aol-
nation at the "HOtel des Invalides." In
contrast with the impending fate of this
last home for French soldiers, there is the
solicitude shown by the Government for
the education of their children. The sons
of ''Legionnaires" (members of the Legion
of HONOR are educated at the Prytanee
Militaire Ua Fleche): their daughters are
educated at st. Denis. Ecouen and Les
Loges, these institutions controlled by
the Legion of Honor. The sons of navy
officers and sailors receive their education
at the naval schools. called "PupiIes de
Ia Marine" and "Ecole des Mousses."
Naval veterans, however, never had any
'homes;" they have always lived on their
pensions, which are slightly more liberal
than the pensions of the army.