The Washington times., 1905-07-02
FRANCES CHANCES
AGAINST GERMANY
'Zurlinden and Picquart
Take Hopeful View.
THINK KAISER WANTS WAR
Pessimists Believe Present Trouble Is
Only Pretext to Hit at
Frances Weakness.
THINK KAISER WANTS WAR

PARIS. July 1.-There are in France
at present many prominent statesmen
VINO. take a very pessimistic view of
the situation. and who. ais;aough it looks
ms If a conference may solve the Moroc-
co question without bloodshed, prophesy
that another war between France and
Germany cannot be avoided.
The Kaiser wants war. they say. and
he knows that the discipline in the
French army has been undermined by
the socialists. because he knows that
the eastern frontier of France is not yet
strongly enough fortified to Withstand
German attack. and because at present
he need fear no Intervention by Frances
ally. Russia
Needs Only Pretext.
If he fails to drive France to war over
Morocco he will take some other pre-
text
Against these people the former mill
tary governor OF Paris. General zurlin-
den, has written an article in the Gaul-
cis. in which he takes far more opti-
Histic view.
IF. in spite OF all the concessions we
have made he says. Germany should
attack us. she would find herself iso-
lated, deserted by the two other powers
OF the Triple Alliance. which was formed
for defensive purposes only
Austria would not and could not rem
der any assistance, and the feeling in
Italy today is far more friendly toward
France than toward Germany. Still. ad-
mittinS that, if the Kaiser should sud
denly attack US he would probably sue
ceed in driving back our armies and
cross the frontier, but this would by no
means end the war
France Would Resist
..Exaspcrated by the injustice of such
a perfdious attack and knowing that it
was question of our national exist
erce France would, in this desperate
str1ggIe. once more give proof of the
energy which irr >ioyious history shows
so many EXAMPLES of and which she
showed toward the end Of our last un-
fortunate war.
To-day France could make a much
more determined defense than in 1870.
Our soldiers are better prepared and
better equipped than they were thirty
Eve years ago. when they were as brave
as ever. but were poorly led.
advancing into France the German
arnies would find strongly fortified cities
I'm their path. and Paris today is inn
pregnable.
..I'he whole nation is drilled in the art
of wsr. our reserve officers are as capa-
bic as those IN actual service.
.'Orr nav. even without assistance
from England, would annihilate the
German Our colonial troops could
reach here on very short notice. The
English army would come to our as
sistance. and instead of new victories
the Kaiser would lose ali Germany won
In the war of 1s7o''
Picquart Hopeful.
Also Colonel Picquart takes very
hopeful view. In the Aurore he says:
s.Our artillery is the best in the world.
Our infantry is equipped with guns far
superior to those of the Germans Our
plans for defense are complete in every
detail and the railroads are in con-
ditfon which will enable them to carry
ouf their part of the mobilization of the
army without a moments delay and
without any possibility OF confusion
'.All our fortresses are in magnificent
oDndition. Germany has twentv-three
army corps; France has twenty-one. and
In time of war two of these at least
would have to remain in Germany. Sc
that the numerical strength OF the arm
les Is even
Eager though the Kaiser may be for
war. the German government will think
twice before running into one"