The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-10-08

Poincare to proceed to Russia with
fresh assurances for tne czar that
France was prepared to do still more
when the time came to enable the
partners In the dual alliance to crush
their mutual German zoe.
General Keim asserted that iusteac
OF being numerically inferior to the
German army at the present moment
France. with 100000 troops under
arms. was vastly superior. Her artil-
lery also was In no respect less effec.
tive than Germany's. In one or two
directions II was even superior.
An amusing incident throwing char
acteristic light on the unerring thor
oughness Of the French intelligence
service was learned. A German from
tier cavalry regiment near Metz was
recently alarmed early In the morning
and was ordered to carry out a make
believe war maneuver consisting In Oc.
cupying a certain strategic point on
the adjacent frontier.
Found the French Ready.
The regiment executed the order
with brilliant dash and with the great
est ~punctuality, but the officers were
astonished TO find as they approached
the spot that a full regiment of French
cavalry was also riding toward the
same point from the other side of the
frontier. The two regiments arrived
at the border line practically stimuli
%taneously. Both the German and the
French officers considered 1t a huge
joke and, dismounting, mingled for
agreeable conversation and exchanged
smokes for a matter Of fifteen minutes.
The French had prompt knowledge
of the maneuver and met 1t.
The death warrant for the French
soldiers famous red trousers was sign
ed in the chamber of deputies In July.
In the future the army of the republic
will go to war clothed In n neutral
shade Of gray blue, which, it Is assert
ed, will make the wearers invisible to
the enemy Mt 500 yards instead, as at
present. being plainly discernible at
1900 yards. The change Is expected
to take seven years and does not affect
the present situation.
Nj. Messimy. the minister of war, In
urging the necessity for the measure
was supported in his argument by cit
ing the example Of the British army,
which adopted khaki in the Transvaal,
and the experience Of the wars In the
Balkans.
In military aeroplanes the French
army outclasses any other. The mum
Der Of machines available for war use
Is put as high as 1000, with aviators
Of experience to man them.
For n century France has adhered to
the belief of Bonaparte that the artil-
fery. properly supported by infantry, Is
the most effective arm of the service.
Napoleon himself was an artilleryman.
and the handling of the big guns was a
study with him 1t will be re-
called that his placing of the guns In
the streets Of Paris during the revolu-
ton did much to make him the master
Of France.
In all Of the wars in which France
has been engaged since the era Of the
Napoleon-in I'll Crimea. in Aus
tria, in the unsuccesSiu .t with
In 1SIO-1-FrCi nave
distinguished themselves l.. q. hnn
ding of artillery. Their batteries Il
noted for their mobility and the eas,
and quickness with which the ammu-
milton is handled. In addition, the
of the batteries In time Of ac-
ton has been made a special study at
the French military schools. Various
observers have certified their
belief that In this branch Of military
work France leads the world.
Indeed. 1t was asserted that the over
defeat Of the Turks in the
recent war In the Balkans was due in
degree to the fact that their field
guns, Of German manufacture, were
by the artillery Of the allied
powers, which was made in
French military writer's ex.