New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-21
Military Efficiency Surprises
Foreign Experts Watch
ing War Game.
CRITICISM UNF0UNDED
Field Artillery Still Maintains
Place as the Best in Eu-
rope, but Cavalry Arm
Shows Weakness.
rBv cable to The Tribune. !

Paris. Sept. 2O.-Foreign military at
.ocbks returning TO Paris from the
Grand autumn manpuvres in Southern
France. where two armies, each OF
CITY thousand men. have been OPP
Grating against each other under con-
djtions nearly as possible resembling
sctual war. speak in the highest terms
n the increased efficiency and dis
c,pljne and the extraordinary marching
ouautles Of the French soldiers.
The field artillery especially is most
highly praised, the unanimous opinion
If the experts being that IL is superior
in auickness Of firing, range. destruc-
tive power and mobility to any artillery
in Europe on the contrary, the
French cavalry, which ten years ago
was admitted to have been the best in
Europe. is greatly reduced in value.
owing 10 two years Of service, and at
least two wears will be needed before
the new system can re-establish its
former supremacy.
one Of the most competent and eX-
perienced military observers who fol-,
lowed the manpuvres. in conversation
with The Tribune correspondent. thus
summed up the lessons Of the cam
paign:
THE conissariat for the first time
depended almost exclusively on auto
mobile service for supplying the army
with fresh meat and food. even on the
fighting line. This revolutionizes and
solves one Of the most complicated
problems Of modern warfare. The sec
ond lesson was the increased value OF
the aeroplane and dirigible balloon SER
vice in scouting, and the third lesson
was the overwhelming tactical success
OF the new methods OF vigorous and
rapid attacks. even when fighting on
the defensive or against superior
forces"
The criticism OF several observers,
that the commanding generals operated
with too thinly extended lines, leaving
gaps that might have been taken ad-
vantage Of by quick and audacious
adversary. does not hold good, because
during the operations in Southern
France infantry companies, instead OF
being $50 strong, as would be the case
in war. averaged only 100 strong. but
the generals regulated their moves and
positions as instructed on basis Of
2j0 men 70 each company. and this
fully explains the apparent faults in
leaving vulnerable gaps, for which both
Generals Pau and Chomer have been
so severely criticised.
The real shortcoming OF the French
army is its small proportion Of non
commissioned officers as compared with
the armies Of Germany and Austro-
Hungary. singularly enough, France
and Russia each have 30 per cent
smaller proportions Of non-commis-
stoned officers than the armies Of the
Triple Alliance"
Taken all together the efficiency and
fighting strength Of the French nation
never before in time OF peace has been
SO brilliantly demonstrated as during
the experiences OF the last ten days
near Toulouse.
An example Of the uninformed criti-
c!sm referred 20 above was heard in
the Senate on Friday, when ~ Gervais
declared that the mannuvres indicated
that the effective striking power Of the
army was far too weak, that an army
corps Of 1900 was numerically about
half as strong as II should be, and that
the artillery service was deplorable,
being horsed in haphazard fashion from
various regiments.