New-York tribune., 1908-10-05
THE FRENCH ARMY
High State of Efficiency Sho7cn by
Recent Mon0ouTreS.
Paris, September %.

! Tourane. watered by the Lore ana us Huliiei-
GUS af1uents, are pronounced by military ex-
perts to have been the best organized anu most
instructive that have taken place in France
They were witnessed by General Palitzine, chief
OF staff of the Russian armies; Major General
Wood Of the United States army and by all the
military attaches of the embassies in Paris
! The theme of the manuuyres was of special in
terest for it was based the situation Of the
aeligerent armies in December. 1870. At that
time the French army of the Loire, in conse-
! quenee of the victory won by Prince Frederick
! Charles at the second battle of Orleans. had
been cut in two. The first of these armies was
being reorganized Verzon. while the second
| army, under General Chanzy, retreated toward
! lie Mans If as Chanzy desired. the first army
! of the Loire, instead of being launched on a
! useless mission to the east, had been pushed
| toward the left flank of Prince Frederick
| Charles and thus been able to cooperate with
:he second army of the Loire, it is probable that
I a success might have been recorded for France
1t was exactly this problem that was presented
in the manoeuvres, a description Of which would
here be too technical but the practical lessons
it afforded and. above all, these features of the
manpuvres giving the best insight into the
qualities of the French commanders and sol
diers that could be obtained short of actual hes
tties, are well worth noting.
Altogether. 10000 men and the field artillery,
comprising 430 guns, took part in the manoeu-
vres. The Red army, commanded by General
Tremeau was composed of the Eighth and
Ninth Army corps each of two divisions and
the Sixth and Seventh divisions of cavalry each
of two brigades). The Blue army commanded
by General Millet, comprised the Fourth and
Fifth Army corps, a division of colonial
infantry and a cyclist battalion. The Red
army represented the first French army of the
Loire in December, 1870, and the Blue army
was supposed to be a large detachment sent by
Prince Frederick Charles against the French
forces advancing from Vierzon. General de La
croix, vice e-president of the Superior War COun-
ell, and consequently the general who in event
of would be the actual commander in chief
of all the French armies, directed the manoeu-
vres, and General Picquart, Minister of War, was
constantly the ground. The operations lasted
eight days during which two battles were
fought, and the infantry regiments covered on
an average twenty-five miles day.
II is not indiscreet to say that General Wood,
fresh from the German military manPuvres IN
Alsace- Lorraine, expressed the highest admira-
tion for the extraordinary marching powers of
the French foot soldier, keen appreciations Of
the excellent discipline in the field of the indi-
vdual initiative and intelligence of subordinate
officers of the fine qualities of the cavalry
horses and, above ali, of the rapidlty and pre-
=
with their powerful rapid firing guns of 70 mil
imetres caIibre were handled and their fire
concentrated upon the eneny's vulnerable points.
According to the estimates made by a foreign
officer who had attended the recent German
manpuvres, no less than 20 per cent of the
German infantry fell out Of the ranks during
the forced marches of twenty miles a day,
whereas the same officer places at only per
cent the total number of French infantrymen
who were forced out by foot soreness.
All the foreign officers were greatly impressed
by the wonderful endurance of the French in
fantry The 31st and the 10th regiments of the
line, commanded respectively by Colonel Rabier
and by Colonel Cousin, each regiment number
ing about 900 men, over third of which were
reservists, sent only twelve the hospital.
The 135th Regiment of infantry covered twenty
five miles day for two days in succession,
marching over fields of stubbe, and out Of an
effective force of 2,240 only four men were laid
up from Iameness.
Colonel Matchida, the japanese military at
tache, expressed the opinion that the ma
noeuvres were a triumph for the French in
fantry, which has come out admirably from the
test of the two years service system. but ne
was doubtful whether it wise to limit the
service for cavalry and artillery TO two years.
Colonel Matchida also said he greatly i'm
pressed with the hexibty and cohesion with
which regiments and brisades were moved for
ward to an attack, withdrawn in rapid order
during a retreat.
The test of the famous cuisines roulantes''
was watched keenly These transportabIe
kitchens were issued to all the companies of
the 9th Infantry Division belonging 10 the 9th
Army Corps Under the old system, when de-
tails from each company did the cooking, it fire.
quently happened that the soldiers could not get
their dfnner until or 10 o'clock at night. be
cause long distances had to be covered to obtain
water or fuel. The transDortabe kitchen now
enables the to eat as soon as they reach
bivouac. The kitchen is composed of a large
cooking stove fixed a two wheel axle. which
is hooked another axle that supports two
large copper pots. each having a capacity of
three hundred litres One of these pots is for
coffee, and the other is for soup or for pot au
feu."
Before the days march the company cooks
load the stove with fuel and fill the pots with
the necessary amount of water and culinary in
gredients. An hour or two before reaching
bivouac the fires are lighted and the meal is
nicely prepared and ready TO be served out at
a moments notice. The advantages of the trav-
elling kitchens are apparent. Soldiers and non
commissioned officers are unanimous in their
favor on several occasions the travelling
kitchens had some difficulty in following the
regiments across pIoughed fields during the de-
Payments required in preparing for battle
There was some delay before they reached the
bivouac, but in any case the troops had as a
/ resource TO fall back the old methods But
in the long Inc travelling kitchens proved
their thorough efficiency, and will henceforth be
adopted for the whole army The Russian and
Japanese military attaches said that the first
use of travelling kitchens made in Man