The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-01
Suffered Fate of Unprepared-
ness First Two Months.
100000 MEN IN UNIFORM
Meanwhile Has Lent Help to
Other Ally Nations.
Mechanical Perfection of Artil-
Iery Secret of Success.
BY HENRY WOOD.

Paris, Aug. 1.-Wltnln TWO years,
despite the handicap of maintaining
her own unequal end in the world s
greatest war, France has built up a
military machine that today the
French contend is superior to the or
ganization Germany was forty years
in preparing.
France is not military nation. She
does not boast of her war engine, but
she takes credit for genius in organ
iZation and resourcefulness which she
would have preferred to employ in
pursuits of peace
That her armies today are superior
to those of Germany, France feels has
resistance to date. Germany has had
to divide her organization on various
fronts, but has opposed man for man
on the French front, and there is rea-
son to believe that in most combats,
she has had numerical superiority.
Barring the first two months of the
war; when unprepared France fell
back under the impetus of this worlds
Colossus she. has held her own. Be-
fore the war ends she expects to have
demonstrated that she can do more
than that. -.- .--.
Verdun the Real Test.
France feels Verdun is the supreme
test of the present relative efficiency
of the two fighting machines. Best
estimates available here place the to-
tai German troops employed there
since the beginning of the battle at
100000 France can give the names
and numbers of German regiments to
establish this figure
France has had no more than half
that number. The Germans them
selves place the total of French troops
at Verdun at 100000. Some neutral
military experts give the same figure
while the Swiss and Argentine military
attaches with the crown princes army
place the figures so low as $4,000.
Yet the French have more than held
their own at Verdun.
This intensive organization has cost
France tremendous effort. Since the
beginning of the war, 100000
Frenchmen have worn the French
Uniform in actual service With a
population of fewer than 10000 900
one person of every eight in France,
regardless of age. sex or physical abiI-
ity, has served.
Could Call Another Million.
Before the war, each class as it was
called to the colors with its attain
ment of military age, gave France but
the classes of 1916, 1917 and 1913,
the last not called but its number
known, have yielded 100000 hen
each. The explanation is that when
France had to create a military ma
chine in hurry societies for military
France began in these societies a
course of rigid military training large
ly athletic with the result that $4,000
more soldiers in every class have 1T
tanned the physical perfection neces-
sary for the military requirements
than attained it before the war
France can still call another million
men without recourse to a call en-
masse which would seriously affect
the French industrial, economical and
i'll
smoothly as her military machine. She
does not believe she will ever have to
do it.
The French military engine has at
tanned its present perfection without
terrible toll of human life. The
class of 1915 was called out and pre-
pared but 1t has never been sent to
the front; the class of 1917 still is in
training, while the class of 1918 is
simply in the hands of private So
cieties for military preparation.
Frances new steel helmet alone has
reduced the head wounds SO Ia per
cent. France has spared her men by
superior genius in organization.
Sent Succor to Serbs.
Upbuilding the material side of the
French machine involved greater
genius. There is not one French SOL
der who is wearing the same uniform
or using an ounce of the same ma
tSTldI he eHLoreQ the war with. All
have been entirely refitted many
times. Beside the munition and artil-
lery accomplishments. the above fact
is not even worthy of mention.
Not the least military accomplish
ment Of France has been the generous
help extended her allies, especially
the little ones
In November. 1914, when the Ser
bian army retreated for three weeks
before the Austrian invasion owing to
lack of ammunition. it was the steam
ers of the Messaggeries Maritimes
and the flagship Waldock Rousseau