The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-10
A typical Arab encampment.

French stand in the brains of this
allied fight.
This superiority of the French is
shown, too, think, by the spirit in
which the French are conducting this
war. They went into the fight unwill-
ingly not desiring war, but peace, but
determined when attacked to sell their
lives dearly in the way of self defense
And they are careful defenders always.
Before Verdun especially appears the
tactics between the French and the
Germans. There the German policy
is to squander lives.
To Save Lives.
The French idea is to save lives. The
French hold a place as long as they
can do SO reasonably but when il gets
too hot, they retreat little and throw
up another trench for the Germans
to waste ammunition, saving their men
always, but never really being beaten.
Had they been willing to pay the price
in men they could undoubtedly. I
think, have held on to DOuamOnt,
Vaux and Thiaumont much longer by
giving it, to the Germans in costly
counter attacks For you know that
a position once gained is not easily
held for some hours afterward, and it
is as hard for the conquerors to stick
in a stretch of ruined trenches as it
was for the defenders, until new holes
have been dug in.
But the French have been content
to hold the Germans at bay, not con-
sidering great sacrifices of men worth
the ground to be retained.
Democracy of Army.
Again, one cannot escape the I'M
doubted democracy of the French
army You see no staggering; AFRO
CANT French officers in Paris, tho
the streets are blue with them at all
hours of the day. Moreover, between
men and officers there is the most
friendly sort of comaraderie, respect
full and dignified, but not overbearfng
on the part of the officers or servile
on the part of the men. And you see
it everywhere-streets, theaters,
homes, parks. You see men wearing
the cross of war as modestly as most
of us wear a pair of shoes. I have
yet to see a swell headed" French
man.
There are a few persons in France.
of course. who for some reason or
other, seem to be escaping military
duty along with the rest but they are
really very rare. Everyone between
the ages of 19 and As who is physical
ly fit has to go, be he the son of
ditchdigger or of the president of the
Republic. However, some few per-
sons have escaped rigorous service
on somewhat slim pretexts; certainly
some men in the higher positions
can't be spared for soldering; others
in important clerical positions have
nominally been mobiliized but have
not been to the front
Don't Like Home Mon.
These men in general are called
"hommes embusque,' which is about
the worst epithet applicable to a
Frenchman at the present time. OF
course among the real fighters and
the real patriots there is considerable
feeling against those who do not run
The other day 1 passed some young
sters on the street quarreling. When
the saw me. military age and evil
IDENTIFY able bodied, they dropped their
quarrel and l heard them agree
among themselves that 1 was an
''homme embusque."
Now, however, it is said that even
among the clerical forces few men
escape service at the front Men in
offices are being sent to the front
and their places filled by "reformes''
in the way of cripples and others unfit
for heavy service. There are so many
of these latte men around now, indis-
tinguishable in many ways from men
able to go out and fight. that some
men have been uniustly charged with
being "embusques' This led the
other day to an interesting debate in
the chamber of deputies. and now
the government is going to give every
discharged soldier n medal to wear.
This shows that he has done his bit
and is not a shirker. OF course there
is no such thing here as hiring a sub
stitute; as many people in the United
States did in the Civil war. In fact. If
there had been any means of escaping
service, or il any one thru pull" Were
able to show favors one might
imagine that many of the best fam
lilies in France. the wea1thiest. the
most influential in military social, and
political circles. might not today b..
mourning the loss of son or father
at the front when by little pull these
might have been assigned to less dar-
gerous posts. No. the French army is
about as near to real democracy az
anything 1 have ever seem
Wen, SO much for this. 1 do not