FRANCE BEADY FOR WAR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1652, 20 January 1913, Page 4

FRANCE BEADY FOR WAR.

VALUE OF A MISTAKE.

; Tho curious mobilisation incident, when Itwelvo eastern frontiei 4 were deceiyed into thinking that Franco , was at war, has ended in a storm of congratulation/ l. • The Brigrfdier: of Gendarmerie, Blion, is at'liberty. The fault for the mistake was not-his fault, at all. 'The telegraphic apparatus in 1 Arracoiirt post office woke the postmaster .up in tho middle of tho night, and, being half asleep, ho muddled his instructions; and transmitted; mobilisation order's to, twelve' villages,_without adding the word "exercise," which would have told thbso concerned, that was merely for manoeuvres' On a small scale. ; ,M. Default, tho postmaster, now been re/christened "'En . Fanlt .(..In fault"), and 1 has been, temporarilysuspended from his office. .. ; T ' . But,everybody else, has received warm congratulations from headquarters. All tho mobilisation operations wer'e carried Out without a hitch, , and wonderfully quickly. ' , ■ : , ... , Horses and: food ■ wero requisitioned, eVeirthing was don« in cajntal order, itho men camo : to tho colours singing—all the, reservists -from twenty, to forty-five-years old-and iriarched-'bnghtly and without excifement to their posts. "The result is an excellent object lesson in little of tha perfect r readiness of the eastern frontier if war Were to break out, and If, Millorand.- tho French Minister for }Vfir, telegraphed congratulations to; all conccrned. , .