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Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1914, Page 8

A youth frosli in I'aris from the pro-vim-Ps was lately invited 'to a small dance by one of his mother's friends. writes tiie correspondent "J the London Daily Telegraph. Ah his dunce repertory contained nothin? mm-" novel tlia'i the waltz and tlie quadrille', the rustic cavalier solaced hi* solitude with frequent visits to the bullet. Towards the end of the evening lie felt -encouraged to take the floor alone and attempt a country jig. Three time?- round went the merry guest, and then staggered to a sofa. Tlis friend*, who saw what was wrong. pot him out of the room iiit.t a call, and so to lied. N'cxt morning. sad arid sober the youth was writiii'.;- a letter of humble apology to his ho-tes-wheu one of his friends cant" in and asked him what he was doing. "Don't, do that, for heaven's salce,'' said tl.e friend, when told. "You created quite a sensation last Jiiglit.. Your hostess implored me to ask you the name of the new stco you danced, as even body had found it so original and charming." "What astonished anil plea-cd me more than I can tell," remarked Colonel Itobin in an interview telling of his observations of the French army, "was the fine spirit- of camaraderie which existed between the officers and Ihe men. Tint is the outcome of conscription—compulsory training. Evcrvone has to serve his term in the army- they mli»t. all go through the ranks, ami that creates a certain social relation between ali ranks. The caste distinct ions are not marly so clearly defined a~ in England. Every ofliecr may live according to his means. As a matter of fact, the officers rarely live in barracks. They (the iiarracks') are usually in charge of non-commission-ed ollieers. 1 questioned many of the men about conscription, but they all seemed-to like their armv work, and took it in the best of spirits. While 1 was there tile term ut service was lengthened from two to three year-, and one-third of those engaged in the manoeuvres had to serve another, year longer than they CMiected. but thev took it lihilosophicallv. and never ,T ave any evidence that it was distasteful to them. There was a disturber here and there, such as you have in Labor circles, lint they were really a negligible quantity."