THE FRENCH ARMY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1658, 27 January 1913, Page 6

THE FRENCH ARMY.

WAR MINISTER'S PROTEST AGAINST ANTI-MILITARIST CAMPAIGN. '

In the French Chamber on December 2 M. Bonnefous asked for tho immediate discussion of his proposal to deprive' of electoral rights deserters and men rejected from service in the army. ,M. Jaures declared that this proposal was merely the .continuation of the evil and phantasmagoric work undertaken by M. Messimy, formerly Minister for War. against the working-class. He denounced M. Messimy for, having, in his speech in the Chamber during the previous week, furnished unreliable figures, especially with regard to the cases 1 of insubordination during the past forty years, for saying that France was two army corps short, and for stating that the number of cases of insubordination hod increased because the law of 1005 regarded oases of young men resident abroad who. did not do military service as coming under tho description of insubordination. 11. Millerand, Minister for War, in reply, declared his complete approval of M. Bonnefous's proposal. Referring to M. Jaures, tho Minister asserted that the member had no right to apply the word "phantasmagoric" to the stato of affairs 'exposed by M. Messimy, when the Socialist' Part itself did not raise a word of protest. (Loud applause except on tho Extreme Left.) ■ M. Millerand said that it was certain that the anti-militarist campaign would not in a moment of danger have any effect on any appreciable - number .of young Frenchmen. On that day cveryono would do his duty, even thoso who were allowing themselves to be lod away by the. antimilitarists. But it was no less true that when appeals to insubordination and against mobilisation wero published broadcast, it was not sufficient to protest. All parties ought to rise against so abominable a campaign and to put tho people on their guard against incitement to the most abominablo of crimes against tho Fatherland.' On the motion of M. Millerand, the proposal of M. Bonnefous was referred, to a committee for consideration.