THE GERMAN COMMISSARIAT.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 334, 3 February 1871, Page 2

THE GERMAN COMMISSARIAT.

Some notion of the magnitude of the work undertaken by an army engaged in besieging a city like Paris may be gathered from the following :—lt appears that every army corps has five provision columns, consisting of 160 waggons, 800 horses, 400 men, and 10 officers. At present thero are probably not less than seven army corps, 245,000 men, investing Paris. Taking the besiegers at the strength of seven corps, this would make no less than 1,120 waggons, 4,800 horses, 2,800 men, and 70 officers engaged in merely carryiug provisions from the magazines in tho rear of the army. The task of collecting and conveying these provisions from distant points, now that the surrounding country is exhausted by requisitions, must be still more onerous, and all this, it must be remembered, is over and above the work of convoying cannon, ammunition, and other material of war. These waggons, it is stated, carry on eacli journey no more than three days' provisions for the corps to which they are assigned, and they may therefore be assumed to be continually employed in loading and unloading, and in going to and fro. It i 3 obvious that under these circumstances, exceptionally severe weather, especially it accompanied by snow, might seriously endanger the besieging force. Although the position of France could hardly be more gloomy, it is evident that if the war is to be indefinitely prolonged, the situation of the Germans will not be without some cause for anxiety; for while Germany has put forth almost her entire available strength, a sickness which has greatly thinned her rank?, and the loss of men in even successful resistance to sorties, or in contests with the armies of the North, South, and West, must necessarily before many weeks tell greatly on her numbers.

A letter from Brussels, from a source which ought to bo well informed, states that tho exEmperor is quietly making his preparations for another visit to America, anticipating that

with the fall of Paris a peace will beefe+lj without reference to the restoration J-A* Empire. 0l «• In describing M. Thiers' visit to Paris it • stated that when he got to Sevres he under fire. In vain signals were made flags waved, tbe artillerymen were too b and too angry ; but M. Thiers is what /w? once called Lord John Russell—a brate litu man. He went on his *ay, although iua and then a bullet wbizzed by to vary the m ing rush of the shells and the crash of their ci" plosions, and got out to the rendezvous, wher the signals were at last seen and understood -! Dr. Russell. '~~ Upon the publication of the intelligence of tho surrender of Metz the following *,! clamation was issued at Lyons :—"Xh ß ' Municipal Council, impelled by the neceiiiti* of the time, decrees—' That, rather than suk mit to the disgrace of a surrender, the cifcr shall be defended until complete The old men, women, and children alone mw "' leave the city. Waverers before the e«ein T shall be regarded as deserters. Their nlm* will be stamped with infamy. The Maire of Lyons, Henon.' " -•"-*** The German infantry have been armed with i a new weapon, designed for mountainous jaj guerilla warfare, which supersedes the light field artillery. It is a small .portal, field-piece, weighing about thirty-firei pouJ, and was tested in the war of 1866. It can $ carried by two men, and ten shotst. mlimft h, 1 can be fired with it. Its range it at Iw^j-l 2,000 paces. Several thousands hare fan ; distributed to the army.