OUR PARIS LETTER.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 511, 7 June 1881, Page 3

OUR PARIS LETTER.

[FROM OUR OWN COURKST'ONDKVr.]

Pakis, April 20. The Tunis expedition follows its natural course ; the French will march into the bowels of the land, disposing of the Kroumirs en route, and whether the latter lay down their long Hint rifles or not for the moment—to be supplied With Martinis and Remingtons in case the French, after an historical precedent, having marched up the hill—the Regency will be occupied till indemnities arc paid, and material guarantees for amicable relations being continuous established. Now, as the Bey is as poor as Job in his worst days, and has no credit to run into debt, the French must resign themselves to the T-iaxim.that where there is nothing the King loses his rights. The logical consequence is, that Tunis will be annexed. It is only for the sake of observing all diplomatic etiquette that the French do not commence by dropping in, Paul Pry like, on the Bey, hoping they don't intrude. The matter presents no difficulties ; no State seriously intends contesting the claims of France to have Tunis as her scientific frontier, to round off her colony, later, with Morocco, and so command the homogeneity of her possessions up to Senegal.

Italy has lost the results of all her years of intrigues to oust French influence from Tunis. She has compromised her good relations with France, cooled the sympathy between Hid Latin sisters, and destroyed her French market for obtaining the contemplated loan to square her paper currency. It does appear strange that the cause of the acute relations between the Bey and Fiance, the Italian Consul, 11 Maccio, has neither been Warned nor disowned by his Government. It was ho who blew ttie coals, organised the fanaticism, checkmated the Gauls, and yet not the less swears by the innocence of Juno's doves that he has never so acted. Credat Jtidams.

The military preparations for the Tunisian expedition present this singularity ; while impartial and foreign observers find them excellent, a certain section of the French Press assert they have been detestable. This section consists, of the extreme Radical Press, that object on principle to every net cf every Minister of War, so long as this functionary is not a civilian. The other comprises those organs which are discontented because the party they represent is out in the cold, but were their friends in office, they would sing the same air, and p:rhaps not so well. Formerly the French said, " The eyes of Europe are upon us " »—to envy their glory understood. The eyes of Europe are to-day more than ever fixed ou France, and in the kindest sens;?, to observe what progress the country has made in military organization since J.S7O, and how the young Republic will make war. There can be no doubt as to the result of the campaign ; if the enemy shows in the open, the fate of arms wili be quickly decided : if he remniiio in iris mountain fastnesses, f';e enifTM/iso will be serious, n.nd, without bobu: very long, will riot bo exempt from dangers and perils. To accuse their gonci-fti.-; of incapacity and tr;.:;K:o::. I:, liave ontcrou r.w.o the blood of 'tin; French. Lining the

First Republic, each corps cVarmee was followed by a guillo me, so in case a general went wrong, liis cisc was soon disposed of— pour encourage/ Jes autres. Not a few writers believe they best defend the country by reflecting on thos.> professionally entrusted w'th its defence. In the case of the Tunisian expedition the end is to chastise semi-barbarinn tribes ; n few days more or less before commencing is not important ; the grand point to keep in view is that the first blow will be vigorously delivered, and next, energetically followed up. The War Minister had then only to select—. an affair for his office'of only twentyfour hours—■the troops best suited for the climate ; the horses, naturally, could not be shipped as quickly as men ; transports were, however, requisitioned and fitted up within five days. Jt was not a matter of mobilisation of troops, of calling out married men, aid stopping all business life, to defend hearths and homes ; that necessity could only occur in case of Continental war, where the Power that can concentrate the most men at strategic points within the shortest period may safely count upon winning the first campaign, and perhaps deciding the fate of the war. The is not accused of having left Algeria without its normal strength of defence, nor of its arsenals being unprovisioned. There the Minister of War would bo culpable. As-it is, it may be said truly on the present occasfon not a button on the gaiter of a soldier is wanting. The little war will not only have a beneficial effect on the whole army, but it will also test the organization of the troops, and will help to frame the measures still in suspense. Chamber strategists and journalistic tacticians must be prepared for deceptions in the coning struggle, which will resemble very much the first conquests of the French in Algeria, and their latest serious conflicts with the Kabyles. The task for the French is not as easy as opinion concludes. A holy war like gunpowder, is in the air. The enemy is rapid, unseeable ; he will harass the French columns, cut communications, await the approach of the invaders at every defile—and in the Atlas Mountains the defiles are numerous—he will avoid serioti-j engagements ; driven from one valley, he will re-form in another ; he has neither towns nor villages to be burnt : his habitations are tents ; he has need of no roads ; he is as much at home on an inaccessible site as in a valley of easy access, on a mountain as in a plain : he knows the remotest corners of his region, will make each the centre of a resistance, and will have for ally the soldiers of the Bey, prudently lent. Hence the French tn ops will require much patience and agility ; much will depend on each soldier's responsibility and sung froul, that at any unexpected nit ment he may be called on to exhibit. There is a likelihood that the capital may bo found—in time—-to erect the contemplated Crystal Palace in the reserved portion oi the park of St Cloud. ( For the success of the scheme a railway fc direct from Paris into the Palace—is a necessity. The Municipal Council of Marseilles j has cancelled the vote according a site j in that city to. Thiers —"the massacrcur of the innocents of March 1871." The widow of Balzac complained that her house near Versailles, was looted in IS7O by the Prussians ; the latter after con- l siderab'o search returned her a telescope. Mr Parnell recently boasted that three-fourths of the journals of France 1 are with him ;he would be more correct ( in stating, that three-fourths of the c journals ignore him. He has all Com- {■ munists papers on his side, plus a few f totally ignorant of Irish grievances or „ English remedies. '