New-York tribune., 1909-09-19
TREMEAU as A LEADER
FRENCH ARMY CHANGES.
Radical InnoUdtions at MandsuUres
-Value of Dirigibles.
NV cnhls to The Tribunal

Paris Sept. 1S.-The French public is just
watching with exceptional interest the
grand manoauvres going on in the Bourbonnais
country, In the triangle between Lyons Dion
and Nevers. because they give an insight into
the methods Of the new commander in chief,
General Tremeau who represents the younger
school of the French army more thoroughly than
any of his predecessors. Moreover, General
Tremeau has already made radical innovations,
first by giving full freedom OF action 10 the COM
manders of the two armies opposing each other;
second. BY greatly simplifying the hitherto COM
plicated rules for the decisions of the umpires;
third. by utilizing for the first time in French
panGuvres the drigible balloon: fourth. by the
triple increase of the mitraileuse machine guns
of the .907 model: fifth, by doubling the num-
bers of flying cyclist squads for reconnoltring:
sixth. by adding half dozen horsemen to each
infantry regiment. and seventh, by testing the
new systems of signalling and field telephoning.
No aeropIanes have as yet been made Of
in the operations but the splendid results OBJ
tanned by the dirgibe Repubique yesterday de-
cided the fate Of the defending army. the posi-
tions of every important unit of which were OBJ
served and communicated by means of sig
Mailing from the balloon to the headquarters
staff. This enabled the invading army to turn
an impending defeat into complete victory by
brilliant operation, by of which the
entire infantry and artillery fire concen-
trated on the weakest point of the defending
army. which was not provided with a dirigbe
balloon. This accomplished with such
rapidity that the umpires decided that the de-
Tending army was annihilated 1t was indeed
fine sight to see tie dlrigibie circIlng over the
army at a height of thousand yards and IN
Simultaneously transmitting the movements and
positions OF its regiments. batteries and squad
rons.
The advantage 10 the force possessing a dlri-
gible estimated by the umpires at % per
cent over an army without one. Consequently.
General TTemeau. TO equaIiZe matters during the
remaining operations. ordered that one-half OF
the invading army be transferred to the home
army.
Another striking feature OF the present
manGuvres was the splendid work Of the new
French mitrailleuses. four Of which are attached
20 each infantry regiment. These wonderful
weapons discharge. without renewal of aim. six
hundred ordinary infantry cartridges a minute.
This result is obtained by automatic device
based on the action of the gas created by the
explosion. which Is utilized to work a piston
which puts the whole mechanism in movement
The noise made by these mltrailleuses sounds
like short. rapid blows made By steel hammer
upon an Iron door.
The foreign military attaches were this year
Loi llla iltSN Lliile the CflLiQu9 Wntcn
takes place at the close Of each days operations
All were favorably impressed by the new French
generalissimo. who cvnces masterful compre-
hension. alert penetration and youthful nervous
quckness OF thought and action. and whose
terse criticisms are remarkable for their lucidity
as we'll as for their cruel severity. one OF Cen
eral Tremeau's maXims is that the best manceu-
vres are those during which the minimum OF
forces is visible. and this rule Is vigorously OBJ
served by all under his orders. The middle aged
reserves who mobilized for the present
manoeuvres show remarkable endurance. dlscl-
plne and esprit du corps, The foreign observers
admit that soldier in Europe to-day can
equal the French iniantryman in mixing long.
rapid marches The experts agree that the
French field artillery Is not surpassed IN ma
terial or efficiency by anything IN Europe. but
there is not enough OF It. General Brun. the
Minister Of War. and General Treneau are ran
idly putting into effect the new law which in
creases by 20 per cent the number of batteries
II