Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-07
Army Nearly 100000 Men
Smaller Than the German.
Six Powers Spend Annually Over a
Billion Dollars.
NO PROSPECT OF A REDUCTION
Need Of a Naval Policy for France.
Only Twelve Battleships Re-
garded as First-Rate.

Special Cabegram TO The Star.
PARIS. December THE report on the
French army budget has been issued.
NJ. Gervais, the reporter, observes that
the hope which prevailed for a moment
that it might be possible for nations to
reduce somewhat their expenditures on
warlike preparations must now be aban-
dDned. He makes a calculation OF the
average military expenditures of the six
powers-namely, Russia. Germany, France.
Austria-Hunsary. Italy and Japan
which can mobilize the largest armies.
and finds the total amount spent annually
10 be no less than S1.OO7. 100000, and the
number Of men which they can put into
the field to be 31.70O.OO0. The army which
England can mobilize comes seventh and
is given as 555.O0O though her average
annual expenditure is the same as that
of France-namely. s14O.OOO,OOO.
Comparing next the expenditure and the
electives of France and Germany. the
report states that the German army es-
Inmates show an increase this year of
81. SOC. 600. being fixed at S213.572, $50
The French army estimates for this year
are S14S, ass, 40. The totals on each side
are: Germany, 34.11S officers and 6O267u
men: France. 1910 officers and 51l.@S
men. The average cost per man in Ger
many is SEQ. and in France 500.
NJ. Gervais points ont again the fact
which arouses the anxiety of many
thoughtful Frenchmen more and more as
time goes on-namely, that not only is the
French army between ninety and one
hundred thousand smaller than the Ger
man, but. owing to the diminishing birth
rate serious decrease in the annual con-
tinsent is to be expected in the future.
Gloomp Outlook for Navy.
The report on the French naval esti-
mates gives a gloomy account of the
present position of affairs in the French
service. The reporter. Nj. Chaumet, be-
gins by pointing out that, taking the
German basis of twenty years for the life
of battleship, France has ONLY twelve
battleships which can be regarded as
capable OF taking their place in the first
me. and three Others which might pos
sibly do so. There are FIVE coast-defense
ships which are still sufficiently modern
but which are Of doubtful value for Of
fensfve purposes. There are twenty-one
armored cruisers. of which six are in the
reserve Four of them are more than
ten years old, but they are all counted
as good in spite Of defects in the de-
sign or the more recent of them. AS for
the twenty-five protected cruisers, mo
one would venture TO put them in line of
battle
fhere are SOL tOrpedo-boat destroyers
and torpedo boats 80 suoma rines and 3S
suomersihles. but many of these can be
used only for defensive purposes. The
torpedo boats have smaller tonnage
than those of other navies. and 80 per
cent OF them are constantly under re-
pair. The navy. as a whole is wanting
in scouts and mining vessels There is
no floating workshop. The ships have
only one range-finder each, and that Is
unprotected.
The two active divisions of the Mediter-
ranean SQUADRON are. on an average. SEQ
men short of their complement. The two
reserve divisions have crews sufficient
only to keep them clean. and would re-
auire over 500 men to bring them I'D to
war strength There are constant COM
plants of shortage Of engine-room
hands and stokers A complete renewal
projectiles is desirable. The great naval
ports Of Toulon. Brest and Cherbourg
need to be brought up to date.
Need Of a Naval Policy.
VI. Chaumet contends that no serious
improvement Is possible without a funda-
mental reform of the existing organiza-
ton, and enters in detail into the changes
necessary for promoting the zeal and
efficiency of Officers and men. He points
out that without true naval policy
Frances naval expenditure of $84, OCO,COO
a year is largely wasted. The idea of
cheap navy has proved illusory. France
of the slowness of construction 1t will
be 1915 or 1916 before a new battlesh.p
is added to the French navy.
Conscription is thing of the past under
the new military law. Drawing lots
had for some time since become a mean
ingless formality, as every able bodied
Frenchman was called up to serve, what
ever number he drew, but it had been
kept UP as an old tradition. The two
years service law has now finally done
away with it. This week the city OF
Paris will put up for sale curious lot
of miscellaneous lumber. This consists
Of all the apparatus for rawing lots at
the CONSUMPTION. numbers. boxes. etc.
used for nearly century. The city of
Paris attaches no sentimental value to
the articles, and they will most likely not
bring much. Still. some curiosity hunter
may have fancy to buy up the numbers
as relics of the old conscription.