The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-11-16
ARMY OF FRANCE
CUT IN twain
one-Hslf i. Being Mustered Out,
Leaving But Few Half-season-
ed soldiers to
Fight.
DANGER POINTED OUT
If War Came Between Now and Next
April, the Country Would
be Handi-
capped.

respondent of the United Pfess.1
PARIS, Nov. 15-One half the
standing army Of France is now be-
ing mustered out to return to their
homes and jobs. Only 100000 half
seasoned soldiers, % years Of age,
plus double that number OF raw re-
cruits, aged 20 and 81 years, are left
to protect the country from her enc
mics. What is going to happen?
| For two years jingoes, and even
| the more serious element among the
citizens, have been saying that war
between France and Germany was
| inevitable for the very near future.
Germany, many of them insist, is only
awaiting the moment when Fiance
shall be off her guard, whereupon
hostilities will begin with sudden
and crushing bow from the east.
The time has now come to prove
these prophets right or wrong. NJ II
! tary authorities agree that from now
until April, France will be at the
mercy Of such a strong enemy as
4 Germany. which country boasts an
J, army OF nearly million men, and ii
: there is to be war between the two
countries, within anything like the
. near future, it will come within the
! next five months If military tactics
count for as much as hill of beans
J, General Maitrot of the French army
( has pointed out the danger. He has
, talked about it and written about it
Says he:
"My friends tell me: What's the
good of talking? The harms done
l and can't be undone; the best thing
: to do now is to keep quiet about it.
take no stock in such advise. If
: catastrophe occurs within the mex
r five months the public will hunt for the
: guilty, and what happened In 1871
t will happen again. Then, the public
r blamed the army when in reality thu
! lawmakers, the politicians were thu
/ culprits. So the guilty must be un
s masked now. And l wish to voice thu
k sentiment of the entire army agains
h a measure which it has condemnet
q from the very first: The liberation o
j, the soldiers this month instead o
|, next, spring"
d General Maitrot points out that tn
. mastering out of the older and let
n ter-trained. half of the French am
in November, leaves but about 240
900 men, with only a years militar
training, to face alone throughout TIL
Ave Or six winter months, the hug
> standing armies of Europe; that tn
new three-year service law was
IS blunder insofar as 1t liberated tn
best fighting men; that the $4,000
boys. aged 20, and the same humble
OF recruits aged 81, can have littl
1 training until spring, and so will b
e. practically useless as units in an a.
Is tive army.
s. what If war came between no.
g. and next April?" the gene al demand
IN ed. What would be done w tn thes
G. bands of recruits on the front'e r
d, They could not be utilized the
Would they be sent back into the i
lie terror Of France? If so, officers woul
I'd have to accompany them and wher
g. would these officers, already too fey
Or come from? And then who would |
n lef to face the fire?
to "The situation is deplorable ar
W filled with great danger; and the 81
lie 900 officers in the French army w
OF say the same thing, without OF
H. single exception"
ct With France admittedly at d.
he advantage throughout the five mont
T. from November until April, German
n. will have the chance many poop
n. here say she is waiting for. Will 81
use it2
Nearly 1900 delegates attended t
FL congress at the Serbonne here a.
on discussed ways and means fer
g." creasing the number Of foreign tol
as lists In France. Minister of Pub
IA Works Thierry stated that it was
ar timated that more than 100000 Am