New-York tribune., 1907-07-14
THE FRENCH ARMY.
Its Reol Condition Sound at the
Present Time.

"a''aHons of infantry whose men deserted their
'arfaoks and sympathized with their kinsfolk
~ 'he wine growers revolt q. Narbonne and
Heziers, have aroused grave appre tensions as
'iPllhe and morale The law providing for
me premature liberation Of the conservation
classes of 1903 and 1904 Al dates m he deter
mined by the Minister Of War after Tul- u
next the operation of which will reduce in ths
'u. - 81 me present summer the effective force
today serving with the coors from 800 OnO men
70 4+oHUD men. and which on or after Septer,-
her -, when the class of 1904 will be liberated
VIII cause a further dmnution Of the effective
men serving With the Colors to 00h1 men IS
CONSIDERED by military experts like General
Lanslo1s, and General de NegriAr 7s marital
disarmament Between no" and next October
me number OF men IN an infantry COMPANY viii
ne reduced 70 sixty non-commissioned officers
aild men, and most Of the cavalry squadr0ns
vii consist Of only thirty men who will he called
upon ~ manPuvre mount and carA for 40
horses Critics dwell upon the acts contrary 10
discipline by the men. the alleged disunfon and
l8ok OF esprit de corps among the officers and
me effects Of the socialist anti -militarisr propa-
Eanda. Partsans Of the old regime who pre-
dicted that the reduction Of the term OF mill
tary service from three 70 two years would
transform the army into i'll conditioned. use
less national guard now assert that their worst
fears 5re realized and openly declare that the
fighting strength Of France is no longer ada-
qu9tA 10 protect The eastern frontier Core
spondents of reactionary newspapers who
watched the attitude Of French infantry soldiers
IN the south during the insurrection Of the wine
growers bring back impressions of elackness IN
discipline want Of respect Of the men toward
their officers and a general happy -Eo-luckv At
ttude entirely Inconsistent with effiCienCy
on the other hand. Prime Minister Cleuen-
Ceau and General Picquart. Minister of War.
maintain that the French army is nov fully
efficient and formidable as il ever was They
that the armv instead ~ being instru-
r7ent IN the hands Of q separate distinct class
I-Ir -1,.+
having al the characteristics of the nation.
They ssv that the army now for the first time
since the 1evies of the first republic has become
thoroughly demoCratized. and hold that the
duCtion OF the term Of service two years K
q strength rather than weakness. for -
''wIdens the blood tax and inparts military
Instruction with greater rapiditv among the
people They contend that the Notairian
searchlEht thrown upon rho iunernlost n7echan-
ism of the army BY the Dyevfus affair has
eradicate oldtime preiudiCes and feeling and
has developed the real lighting strength ~ tho
nation The foreign. and especially the German,
press. has been quick 70 reproduce the advers"
criticism Of the French army. of which certain
reactlonarv Partisan newspapers have served as
tho n0urhue
These violent and rarrisen depreCiatlons - tha
French army are nevertheless by no means
shared rv professional observers who enjoy the
reGt opportunities for knowing its true qualities
The arrliAe of the French Republic are essen
riaUv democratic and cannot hN Judged from
the CIerr0ar standpoint The French infantry
s'!'lef. IN ms +''-'' r'Es'.
sorry figure Z placed alongside Prusstan
Euards-nan or 2 British erena5ier Even "han
on sentry 7l'F '|l'f' ,''
H@'' fa.'i"reS 'i'' i'i
dsors -rho lined the straets during the arrival IN
Paris q fcuy weAks go - the King ana Queen
"f Denmark "er" seen ny 'Ne PL3-"H' Ni''
chatting enahlv With the crowd The infantry
man IS in'"llls@h'. anH-H' 'rtll'8i az"
20 answer haHK -" IS ''''. '- '
sl'''n SNF"'t' '' - go
ma'hio". 'n' - 81
type as was me ''iah'efI 9''u',i .
"rn armies in 0nr '''' N7' f'' 81. 'ii-
songs as T'0as"f h'n hha "t. '''I Ut.
D@rS ana VIII avon -,
GERS h'- 1"'' '''''.'''E +-,,, -
most r0s1s' "nz1r'HI. ''' .''1'''
ind's0iQ'mo In course NJ fh@ lnsufre'''h "l me
"i0@ growers ~ ''" N'''l go.
militarfsn1. hut 30 tn" faCf 'na' ''~ S''''''''S
we're recruited from the 9'satie e'''o '@S''' ai'!
refused ?" act agalns' 'h'F own lalI'', anu
brothers Tn" hattaH'h OF 'i-- ~" i''N''''.''.
- line 'haf mn'lIA"i At h'E'iS '''S ''-'
- Turis 70 undergo rigid punishment ne
breaches of discipline in the lZ6'h and 18th
regiments we've due % hovSh freaks 0i no S@r'-
GUS import group or soldiers lN1l'a'eH re
lig'ous procession y was an act ot 'f'"N"rencN.
and when roUrimanded ny tneiI oUi'''S 'l"N r'
171uetrated This was undouhfedl! serious
breach If discipline, and tho Young soldiers who
participated IN tho hurles1n@ procession W"T"
severely punished Nowhere are th@r" any S"7l-
oue signs of lack Of patriotism "r "'S'hS'" l'f
military duty hat the Fr"n'h h'F'.''@ H''
ing % their Old dash and im1e'u"sli' was m"
unanimous opinion 81 the foreign m'i'arV az
-ochhe during tho last autumn nanTuNres me
French iufantrvman can cover longer distances
on the march than any soldier in Europe. not
v.ithstandinc the fact that h" IS ioaao' No WIN