THE ARMED STRENGTH OF FRANCE.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2847, 30 March 1878, Page 4

THE ARMED STRENGTH OF FRANCE.

A volume of 300 pages was recently published by order of the Secretary for War. It relates to to the armed strength of France, and has been compiled in the Intelligence branch of the QuartermasterGeseral's Department at the Horse Guards by Major East, 57th Regiment, D.A.Q.M.G. The only colony in which France has any regular troops is Algeria; all other celonies are garrisoned by marine troops, which are under the administration of the Minister of Marine. The detailed and elaborate information contained in the volume is obtained from various sources, and Major East has been assisted in his work by Lieutenant Lloyd, of the 82nd Regiment. The volume treats at great length of French land forces under various heads, such as military laws and decrees, the War Ministry* military hierarchy, the positions of officers, recruiting, the strength of the army, the general organization and territorial distribution of the army, commands, mobilization, the administration of the army, the 1 active army, special Btaffs, departments and establishments,. mililtary schools, military justice and discipline, remounts and horse discipline, the suplpy of provisions and forage, clothing and equipment, arms and ammunition, promotion, rewards, pay and allowances, and customs, pensions, and forest guards. The naval forces are treated under the heads of central administration, arsenals and establishments, recruiting for the navy, the different corps of the navy, naval schools, maritime justice, naval expenditure, the composition of the fleet in commission by naval stations, the ironclad vessels of. the navy, Ac. ; Tbe . strength of the army is as follows: —Ac« live army (five classes), 719,366; reserve of active army (four classes), 520,982; territorial army (five classes), 694,736; reserve of territorial army (six classes) 038,782; total, 2,473,866. The above figures include only trained men. More than 23,000 men are told off annually for auxiliary services, but do not fervo during peace. There are already about, 90,000 of theso _ men available, and when the law of 1872 has had time to take effect, the nine classes of the active army will-give more than 180,000 men classified as auxiliaries. The following figures represent the strength of the infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers, and military train, as provided for 114 1878 in the annual budget -^Infantry, 282,122; cavalry, 68,696; artillery, 68,702; engineers, 11,005; military train, 9.53 G. In tho French navy there arc 50 ironclads afloat, and the number of ironclads now being built is ten.