The New France.
ARDENT SOLDIERS. | German officers are said to drink after dinner to "The Day." In France that kind of clieap theatricality Is laughed at. But quietly, without any bombast or bravado, the French Army, men as well as officers, is talking about "'Tiie Hour." Here is a characteristic passage, from a article by Count Albert de M.'.im. Academician and patriot:— "The ilag is threatened. That no one. doub.K. France stands erect, iv.mv lor 'sacrifices, but not resigned to annihilation. Her desire is that when t'he hour strikes her army shall he strong, not only because of its armament, ha capacity for work, and its technical skill. | but strong also by reason of its' firm discipline, of its confidence in its leaders, of its moral force." "When the hour strikes!" For some time ,he Conue de Man in one of the thief Paris newspapers has been proclaiming "Pheure decisive." A young staff officer who was lately in command of a squadron of cuirassiers in a garrison near the frontier reports that whenever "the coining w.ir .. uis cussed, which was not seldom, the men always spoke of it in this fashion: "Well, the aotmor the 'better. Let's stop them annoying us, once and for 1 all." "What struck me even n.ore than their speech was their physical attitude. Their eyes grew brighter and bardeT. Instinctively their tfliighs gripped their saddles more firmly, their , fingers gathered up the reins. They are ready for a forward move." Others have given the same account of the spirit of the -troops. It is not f a provocative spirit. It is the temper of men who have received provocation I and put tip with it over and over again, l' but had resolved to have it no longer. It is a very different spirit from that of ten years ago. Then the officers we.'c sick at heart on account of the political Wire-pulling that influenced promotion and discouraged efficiency. Then the mer. -were under .he spell of t'he Tolstoyan jdea—brotherhood, war v, relic of barbarous uges, "anti-militarism," A distinguished young writer, M. de Monvel, states that these vague and dangerous theories were much harbored dur- | ing his two years of service (1002-3). When he went up recently for his reservist training he found rhey bad utterly faded away. Even one who was an ardent To'stayon himself, Professor Paul Despardins, has discovered that "there is something uglier than war; the slipping of a nation into flaccid indolence, with only one motive, to live as cheaply as possib'.e on the fat of the land.'' There are still causes for which it is worth while to fight; and "the opposition to the Prussian idea, that idea which we see at work in Alsace-Lorraine,in SchkswigHolstein, in Poland, is one that might well persuade a man, with excellent reason to stand up and be slain." That is the spirit of the Army and the nation. But spirit, i-- not enough. Is the fighting machine i;i gtod order? Are the troops well trained ami the leaders competent—more competent than they wevo. in ISPiI? There are many reasons, chief among them the\ good words of all recent military observers, for believing-that the French Army was never in better condition than it is to-day. Tts high officers are manv of them 'distinguished intellectually. In tire licnver grades there is. vivid keenness and attention to duty. 1 One thing strikes the visitor to France —the army i s always in evidence, always at work. That is the' way to make military service popular. Let the soldiers be seen. In France they are seen drilling. Thev are seen /aute'-marching' Very early in the morning their tramping feet sound under my window. At KOon one meets them coming back ;o barracks. In the evening they are seen m a torchpght tattoo. "The more work the better," the young, of fleers say. They apply theirisevos to die traiuiier of their nien with untiring ardour. Usually thev are well liked. The plan of putting* them in the ranks for a year before giving themcommissions makes them considerate '" A £How-feclig makes us wondrous ei." They take as much , rouble as ou~ Guards' officers do to get to know their men. And they have a fine sense of responsibility. "Wo have to shape the souls of 'Our imen," writes a youn<* gunner, Lieutenant Regnauld, "to awak" en and train the military virtues/ This cannot be done by the example of his ch*r»eter, by bis practice of the qualities which nc wishes to see developed in 'them." , ~) Another proof of the eagerness to remove all possibilities of weakness can be seen in the growing dislike, both naval and military, to promotion bv seniority. Such promotion, says Lieut, ltegnauld, assumes that the (nicer promoted is jit for higher eomieand. That is frequently not" the ease. A nava: officer put the same point when he shrewdly said that promotion i Lght not to be regarded as reward for past' services, bur as a demand for services to How much difference'a good or bad Minister can make to the service in | France is shown by the excellent work 1 M. Milleranil' did for the Army and bv the sir.-ce-sfvil efforts of Admiral Germinet, M. Deirasse and Admiril Bone de Lapeyrere to undo the harm which M. PcllciHi did to the fleet. M. Milierand almost entirely smoothed a\v;v the bad feeling canned by the pers •cut'ion of ofiieeTs because they were Carbolics. A succession of excellent Ministers for the 'Navy have succeeded in 'imying (lie tangle left by the man who-e view of his duties to the State was not inconsistent with a triumphal entry into Toulon Dockyard, accompani.'l by a red Ilag and baud playing the "International," the 'Socialists' hymn. Upon the complaints of sailors, sent ■direct to the Ministry or to i'he newsI papers, officers were iried bv secret tii- ! biiiial. Criminals who should nave gone to African punishment ships were dral't- -{ de.liamlv into vessels oMho home i Heels. iStrikes were continuous, ••,<.;. i bo.age" (wilful damage) destroyed life as well as property. The grivest fau'.'U , were found with service material. . However, M. Pelletan did his country t.no service. lie disgusted You:-:g 1 France with '.he particular brand of . ' Ibiilieal Socialism which he '".'presents. , 'And now that the Navy lias recover,"! ' from his sinister reign, one can all'ord 1 ; to look back upon it us an ab-nr.lit,'. . i I'.u: it might have, easily bv-n a di-asler. < To M. Pelletan and lus'as-,K-i-ue. ; Voun;; i fiance says: "Never again."
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 72, 14 August 1914, Page 6
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1,083The New France. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 72, 14 August 1914, Page 6
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