The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21
ARMY OFFICERS IN
FRANCE POORLY PAID
Situation Has Improved Re-
b.. Gently, but Salaries Re-
main Small.
WIFE'S DOWRY Is FACTOR
Officers without Means Seek
Brides Who Have Good
Dots
wIFE'S DOwRY Is FACTOR
Special coryespo ns..c. .. TVS SECS

PARIS. June 1t.--As the question Of
making II possible for men without pri-
vate fortune to become officers In the army
has been much discussed In several coun-
tries particulars in regard to the situa-
ton of officers In France should prove Of
interest.
In the first place II should be said thlt
about two-thirds OF the officers In the
French army have passed through II mill
tary college and their period OF training
counts instead Of military service. The
remaining third have risen from the
ranks, bu; the ranks In France are not
confined TO one class OF society every
Frenchman not incapacitated by Ill health
or nfirmty who does not take up the
army ms "a profession and pass the exami-
nations necessary for becoming an officer
hos to serve In the ranks OF the army.
The majority OF the officers who rise
are young men who have tried and failed
TO pass those examinations and very
Few officers belong 70 the peasanyry or the
working classes. The supply OF officers
being Inadequate. especially since the
three years service law made an increase
IN the number necessary. great facilities
are now given to conscripts TO become
officers.
Recruited From Conscripts.
| am speaking of course OF what are
callei commissioned officers In England,
those OF the rank OF sub lieutenant and
above IT. the sous -officlers tnon-com.
missioned ofilcers) are recruited partly
from the conscripts and partly from the
soldiers In the ranks who have made
"A voluntary engagement for n longer
veriod than that OF compulsory service.
Il may be added that the sous OFFICERS
who are conscripts are usually popular
with the men and the others very unpopu-
lar.
Although officers OF peasant or work.
ing class origin are rare the social
sphere from which Officers are drawn In
France is much less restricted than In
England, They come from all classes
from the small bourgeoisle upward. This
arises. partly from the comparative cheap
ness OF higher education In France 1.-THE
best education procurablo costs only
about $50 year), partly from the fact
that the expenses OF an officer are much
smaller than in England.
Frenchmen do not become officers In
order to amuse themselves or TO improve
their social position, but in order to work
at their profession, and they have to work
at L. There are no crack regiments sourh;
after by the sons OF wealthy parvenus
The cavalry regiments are, IL IL true.
rather more expensive than the infantry
the artillery or the engineers, but such
hounds are unknown and would not be
tolerated for a moment. The life OF a
French officer is usually simple one.
and he has not all the extraneous ex-
penses which are practically. though not
nominally. compulsory in many English
regiments.
why Army Life L. Unpopular.
Nevertheless Il was until recently i'm
possible for q French officer 10 live on
his pay, Mt any rate during the nrs; few
years, for the simple reason that the pa
was so small that II did not suffice even
for the most simple life The bad pay
In no doubt one of the causes OF the un-
popularity of tho army as a profession
but there are others. such az the enormous
growth in France Of paciist opinions the
difficulty OF finding enough officers Is ont
OF the gravest military problems In
France and shows no Sign OF being
solved the supply OF officers Is and has
been for some time considerably less thar
the demand.
Untn the end OF 1875 the officers pay
was regulated by an imperial decree of
1868, and the pay of each rank varied
ia the different arms. \ series OF de-
crees. beginning In December, 1875. and
ending in December. 1890. equalized the
rate OF pay for each rank In all branches
OF the service. but, instead OF levelling NJ
they levelled down. and reduced the rate
OF pay for all officers to that OF the in
fantry, which was the lowest. by this
change the cavalry officers and the en-
gineers, especially the latter. suffered a
| substantial loss, as the following table
will show
Highest Universal