Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-20
FRA NCO-RUSSLAN ALLIANCE
FORMED ONLY FOR DEFENSE
Documents in Longoised Yelow Book Give French Estimates
OF What Germany Could Do in " ar and Contradict
Statements OF Mchaeis

documents at the present moment is a
report by the French General, De Miribel,
with the APPROVAL of NJ de Freycinet,
then French war Minister, which For
eign Minister Ribot forwarded February
4, 1902, to Count de Mountebello,
French ambassador to Petrograd, to be
handed to the Car. This report reveals
what was the original French view OF
the basis on which should be constructed
the military convention with Russia.
which was afterward on December 30,
1898. approved by the Car and few
DAYS later by the French Government.
General de Miribels report was as fol-
lows:
France and Russia being both ami
mated by the same desire to preserve
peace, the present note has been drawn
up exclusively from the point OF view
of a defensive war. provoked by an at
tack of the forces Of the Triple All
ance against either one or other OF these
two powers or against both at once.
The note assumes that the two powers
have decided to practice toward each
other the principle of entire reciprocity;
that is to say. If either one of them be
attacked. the other will go to her help
with every active means available.
"Rapidity being more than ever essen
tial to conditions of success, active meas
ures must be taken by both countries
Immediately the danger is known. Con-
sequently the note assumes that mobil-
izatlon will be simultaneous in France
and Russia and that Il will follow in a
few hours the mobilizing OF the forces
OF the Triple Alliance.
'As it does not appear that the other
European powers will have taken an
effective part in hostilities. calculations
as to the military forces below refer
only to the five countries, Germany
Austria Hungary Italy, France and
Russia.
Section l. Germany will place on
foot as field troops in the first line sixty
two infantry divisions grouped in army
corps consisting OF three or two diNi-
sions. which will be supported immedi-
ately by eleven divisions of landwehr to
a total of seventy-three divisions of in
fantry, nine divisions Of independent cav
airy and 1854 guns. or l,65O,OOO men,
who would be concentrated at the from
tier toward the fourteenth day The re-
mainder of the German forces will re-
main at first in German territory
Italy will place in the first line ir
addition to her Alpine troops nine army
corps on peace footing and four divi.
SlOnS OF mllltla, making lOtdl Oh t"ell'
ty-tw0 infantry divisions, twenty-five
battalions of Alpine troops, two divisions
of independent cavalry and 1892 guns
or 100000 men. who would be concen
trated near the Alps from the fifteenth
day. The remainder of the Italian forces
| will at first be retained in Italian ter
| ritory.
Austria's Forces 900, 900 Men
Austria will place in the first line
fourteen army corps on peace footing
of three divisions. brought up to wal
strength. making a total of forty-twc
divisions of infantry, eight divisions o
! independent cavalry and 1866 guns. OF
| 900, 900 men, who would be concentrated
on the Russian frontier from the six
teenth day as concerns the first ter
corps. and from the twentieth to the
twenty-fifth day for the last four The
remainder of the Austrian forces would
be held within the frontiers at first
either to keep surveillance on BOsnis
and Herzegovina or to guard military
centers and home defense.
The forces of the Triple Alliance IL
the first line therefore would be 13I
infantry divisions with their divisiona
cavalry, nineteen divisions Of inde