The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-09-24

WITHOUT warning on Europe, a social
list member Of the chamber Of depu-
ties in France arose in his place to
inquire II the supposedly great army
of h country was really prepared
TOT actual warfare at a moments no.
uce.
The reply came from the ministry
that the army could a k the field i'm
mediately If need be and fight indeh-
nltely with any power.
Appearances today and events that
nave transpired in the past month fall
SO far short OF fulfilling that, COM
placent prediction that a are act
ually voicing suspicion Of the ministry
and its motives.
Each year since the inglorious de-
feat which accrued to France in 1870,
the government a appropriated vast
sums for the maintenance Of the army
OF defense. The people nave stood for
the expenditures because of patriot
ism n because of q never-dying fear
OF Germany. There have been but few
questions asked. Reports Of modern
improvements IN armament and fort
iflcations have been made frequently
and those of the French who watched
the military with interest, believed
firmly that the army of France would
compare favorably with n armed
force in the world.
TTonCn FooFly Snoo.
There was n little matter that the
statesmen and socialists Of France
overlooked, however. That concerned
the commissary department, one of the
most expensive and necessary depart
ments of the army.
When the war began, France showed
herself to be greatly inferior to Ger
many IN the ability to mobilize quick
~. All the reservists of the nation
have not yet been placed under arms
and equipped. 1t Is stated on official
n reliable authority that the reason
was lack of clothing and equipment.
The French of this generation had not
profted by the bitter lesson og 1870.
when hundreds Of soldiers were in
Ing to march barefooted cross coun-
try. The ape soled shoes, issued by
the commissary, endured only a few
days Of marching.
Depended on Belgium.
Reports that have come from the
front already mention the pitiful made
Quacy of the French footgear. Every
reservist in France should have been
called out a month ago. The reason
they were not it seems is made quite
plain by those reports. Half-staryed
French soldiers have been written VI
by correspondents at the front. It is
no wonder that the ministry has hest
tated about calling out reserves with
conditions in such shape.
Because the comparatively puny
Belgian army held in leash for a few
days what has since turned out TO be
merely the advance guard Of the Ger
mar army the French general staff
or the politicians controlling it. imag-
ined- apparently, that Belgium could
effectively hold back the whole Ger
man army until or while the French
made a sentimental counter attack IL
Alsace and Lorraine.
Should Have Helped.
The French Intelligence bureau
should have been better informed as
to the strength Of the Germans before
Liege. and with all the Belgian rail.
roads at their disposal they should
have taken ample steps, as they had
ample time, to reinforce the temper
arily victorious Belgians and thus pre-.
pare that cheerful little army to resis
further the advance Of the Germans
It should have been seen that thu
check at Liege must have the newt
able result Of bringing UP behind thi:
advance guard at Liege the whole
strength Of the German army, Ehicl
was then prepared to crush Its wa.
through any opposition hat all Bel
GUM could offer. A check to an enor
nous force Just beginning its forwart
movement Is often as much of an in
direct advantage to its nobilizers as
Is a direct opportunity to the enemy.
The opportunity neglected, as it wa
here, the indirect advantage accrue
into a positive gain-which has hap
pened In the case Of the Germans.
To devastate Belgium, with onl,
Belgians to oppose them, was child
play for the kaiser's legions. and whel
they arrived at Mons and Charlero!
to face the French and British troop
for the first time. the German genera
staff had gained ample time to max
over their slightly halted plan of cam
paign and to use hundreds Of thous
ands where they probably had orig
inally planned to use only tens Of thou
sands.
The inevitable followed. Faced b
a veritable sea of men, whose oncom
ing pillows, though broken here an
there by the rock-like formation c
British troops, could not be stayed, tn
allies have had to give way, have ha
to forsake all the advantages whic
the French frontier fortresses and tn
formation of the border country CAV
them, and are now interposed betwee
the frontier and Paris.
Profit by Enr!ish Example.
With such an overwhelming mas
tory by the officers Of the kaiser
would have been the worst kind {
folly and an invitation for anothe
Sedan had the British or the Frenc
cooped themselves VI in any lare
numbers within Maubeuge or b &C
Joining frontier fortresses. There a.
plainly enough Germans available
be detached to mask or surround sue
a fortress and the allies would sinpl
have deprived themselves Of SO man
thousands of men. In their present ST
uation they need every man they ca
get to stand between the Germans ar
Paris.
The change In the French polite;
situation. though coming late, ST
promises well, for at last the strong
est men in France are united togetht
at the helm of government Franz
might have profted by England
example here at the very uutset Of Il
war.
In thai ease the Alsace-Lorrair
.expedition-which was of a mo
hazardous kind ven If properly a
tempted with a force sufficient to ell
gage a strong enemy. and only fol
in the circumstances under which
actually was attempted, with a sms
and insufficiently equipped force
would never have beer tried.
Tn position OF the allies now. wi
their backs on the first defenses
Paris, is technically stronger than