PARISIAN LETTER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1835, 8 May 1888, Page 4

PARISIAN LETTER.

(FKOM OUR PARIS CORRESPONDENT.) Not m Germany alone, but m Paris bb well, the chief event la atill the death of the Emperor of Germany. By the side of this decease, big wlih unforeseen oonsequences, all other polltioal bualnoaa has paled into insignificance. The French Press comments on the death cf tha German Emperor m a respectful, if not In a sympathetic manner. The impression, howover, is general that a em's ia at hand, m which France will bo called on to act a part one way or the other. It is admitted that the peace of jJEorope has been dne of late yeara to the direct action of the late Emperor, and doubts are expressed whether his snoces- j cora will have the B»me influence on events aB he poßeeseed. It ia, at any rate, mnoh to be thankful for that the " man of peace " 1b eucoeeded by a Sovereign of moderate and paoifio views. That his life may bn spared ia, m the Interest of peaoa, ardently to bo desired. It has now been arranged that France should be worthily represented at the ceremony on the occasion of the Kaiser V funeral, by the appointment of a military deputation constating of General Billot, who is m command of t o First Army Corps, General doSesmaisons, and Lieut.Colonel Kornprobet, who is attached to the Household of the President of the Republic. The German Emba3sy m Paris has ordered a special tervice to be solemnised at t.hi? Lutheran Church of the Redemption} at the) ntkve hour aB the obaeqnleß iv Jioilm. M. Oarnot, senator, and father of the President of the Republic, is Buffering from an attack of pneomonia. Hla medloal advisers reported that the malady was was following the normal course, aud that the condition of the patient was on the whole satisfactory. The Chief of the State has received from numerous members of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies expressions of their cordial sympathy with him during the illness of his father. M Carnot, senior was born on the 6th of April, 1801. The discussing of the military estimates m the Chamber of Deputies which has recently taken place, Illustrates the danger of frequent changes m the direction of the War Office. Each new Minister has naturally his own peculiar views on military matter?, and dur ng his brief tenure of effioe his principal work seems to be to ondo what his predecessor has done. The great preoccupation of every successive Minister would appear to be, to conciliate the political inquiries of dominant gronpa In the Chamber with Military requirements. uLb Soleil " Bays :- " The different Ministers of War have never been m any kind of agreement as to the manner m which the approptiatlons rated by the Chamber should be applied. General Loqerot, for example, believes that it ia incunabent for him to change an essential measure proposed by his predeoeßsor General Terron, and agreed to by the Chamber— that' of creating new regimentß out of the fourth battaltons belonging to the old regimentß. It would seem that this idea would cause disorder m care of mobilization. M. <3e Martimprey states that the law of 1882, creatiog a corps de contrdh, is doing considerable harm to another essential corpß, that of L'intendance, M. Keller the asserts that finanolaldlatreaahas reduced effectiveness of regimental oompanies. The j average atreDgth of a company is 110 men, and the peaca establishment 1b by 60,000 men leas than the effective provided for m the Budget. On the question of Inspector-Generals, there ia considerable difference of opinion among military authorities, and they Beem to be as divided m Parliament on military as on political matters." Italy has offered some farther cooceasions to France m the Treaty of Commerce question, and the negotiations, are proceeding m Paris between M, Flourena the Minister for Freooh Affaire, and General Menatrea, the Italian Ambassador m Paris.