The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-31
.D|SL|KES FRANCES FOREIGN POLICY PelletOn Breads Present P0-
 litical Outlook I"B" POWDER LAUDED Scientist Claims It Is Best Explosive
 for War Uses-Messimy Has
 Prepared List of Military l Reforms
Ny GEORGE DuFREsNE

| r asked NJ. Camille Pelletan yesterday
 what he thought of the political out
 look for the year we are about to enter assuring him that my American readers were very much interested in the politics of the greatest and most powerful republic of the Old World, but the famous statesman was exceed ingly loath to express himself.
 "The greatest and most powerful re- public of the old world!' he said re- beating my words "Yes, I suppose
 France may lay claim to that proud title. but of late I have very often
 asked myself if France is really a re- public. So many recent revelations have show that our foreign politics, during the last 10 years have been conduct
 ed In anything but a republican man ner, and this fact sometimes makes
 me dread our political outlook
 France has in former days suffered great losses, because individuals in pos session of power have most careless ly engaged her in very risky under takings. History tells us how Louis KY, not satisfied with his absolute
 
 which very often was opposed to that of his official government, and we
 know how disastrous were the effects of this. Much more recently we have reason to remember with sorrow and regret the events of 1870 which proved how fatal it is to a nation to give a single individual the power to lead it into disaster. The strongest of all req ,if1, ,o lxo hn rA a n loyal to it today, is the confident be-
 lief that we are masters of our own destinies.
 Therefore it has surprised me- and a good many French people with me,
 to have discovered how a number of men who are neither of royal nor im- perial blood have mysterously decided the course of our foreign politics and repeatedly led us to the brink of war to satisfy their own individual ambi- tions. The revelation of the France Spanish treaty was decisive and this point. That in France a minister, in- forming only two or three high off cial personages. has been able, in the
 name of the country, and in face of the absolute certainty of continued dis orders in Morocco, to undertake the conquest a deuX of a part of Africa and the people of France hear nothy ling of this until seven years later, after this mysterious enga ement '.- q twice come near setting sell r mas 1-A~me is surprising. The personal pol
 icy of Louis ", apart from that of his government, was called '1e secret du roi." and now 1t looks to me as
 if we were to have a secret du roi"
 in the French republic
 You ask me what l think of our pros
 poets during the coming year and my
 answer to this is: The French republic
 is stronger and more powerful than ever.
 we are far better able to take care of
 our national interests than at any time
 during the last 30 years, and the only
 power which we are likely to get into
 conflict with, Germany knows this and
 will hesitate long before challenging us
 to fight, but if we are to have a secret
 du rolf ambitious politicians are to be
 sole masters of our foreign politics, then
 nobody can tell what may happen, and
 hope the people of France will realize
 this while the year we are about to enter is still young. The people of France |
 want peace and the destinies of France | are safe in the hands of her own peo- | pie. With the nation governing it's own | affairs. political prospects for 1912 are | exceedingly bright"
 We have heard SO much to the detri- | ment of the "F' powder, the cause of | the blowing up of the warship Liberte, | tf at it is cheering to hear something good | in it's favor. The "B powder is the best | of existing war powders This is the view of M. Daniel Berthelot, the famous | scientist, and has been arrived at after experiments.
 Professor Berthelot has for several | years been engaged in the study of ultra violet rays. He has found that they con stitute source of creative energy. He ,l..,- &l,o ;,.d AL. powders decomposed the same as under the influence of age and heat. The same gases in the same proportions were found II The professor obtained specimens of all -he war powders in use-English, Ger nan, Italian and other specimens, num- 1ering more than 20-and came to the conclusion that none were equal to the B powder. This resisted the destructive action of the ultraviolet rays longer than my other powder. III
 The professor hopes that in a fort night he will be able to place at the Il disposal of the army a sure method of it's powders. As to the de- olorable accidents attributed to the pow Ter, he considers that they were due to | he bad conditions under which it is kept n the navy. It is kept in overloaded magazines. he says, so that it is a diff ,ult matter to control it. But by means ,f his discovery he Is persuaded that in 70 years the B powder will be as stable IS when 1t left the factory. The pro- lessor will submit a paper to the Acad- smy of Sciences on the subject.
 M Messimy, minister of war. will short " submit to parliament number of re- 'orms which will mean that the military organization will be overhauled. One If these projects will aim at constituting III certain number of forces in which the army corps will no longer be considered IS elementary units. The effect of this 'eform will be that the number of gen. ,rals will be reduced and the age limit owered. Tn the infantry the present 'ourth battalions will be used in defend ng places. New battalions of Alpine ,hasseurs and cyclists will be created. As regards the cavalry. the incorporation of he Algerian native element will furnish wo more regiments Each army corps will have only one or two regiments, the est being formed in ten divisions. and ,laced at the disposal of the various 'orces. As regards the artillery. there will be no changes of importance. III
 The recruiting law is to be modified. Men will be able to re-engage for periods extending from three to six months. The pay will be increased so as to augment he number of soldiers who join the army ts a profession. The recruiting and ad- -ancement of officers will be regulated on new basis. The military schools will be