OUR PARIS LETTER.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3876, 1 June 1881, Page 4

OUR PARIS LETTER.

.1 Ppns, April 20.;.;; The Tunis w&bdftdMtfotiUkNil mni*K^ Eaaadh-!Viir>narch into the J^JW^tfiodng of the ltrtmn»irß^nlo«e,n»nd!wSetheip the Ikter Jay down"««*««4rt*¥rffi.4)'W rn rDt for the" a*4i***to feee^ptKe*"tftu^krtinVs^ •B historical precedent, laving marched QjpQiMiuUHfthecSfl^eney will foe occupied titV: iUlJetti^itteii are p,^ an( j material , gAtßanreW for amicable relations, being ewrtinnqut; established, Now, as the Bey is as poor as Job in bis worst days, •^oW^tto, credit to vxm into debt, the French must'wngn'Uhemselveff to the Uttnnvwthaf where there isl nothing, the l&fig^Jbwir' hi§ rights. The logical con-, sequences is, that Tunis will be annexed. < It is only for the Bate of observing all diplomatic etiquette! "that the. French do not c*fa**Bce by dropping in,* Paul Pry like on the Bey. hoping they don't intrude. Tji* matter no difficolties ; no JStatqjaertqaaly, intends contesting the claim* 1 bf Malice" "to "have.Tunis as her toientific frontjfe^,;to:round off her oolony kter.'^ftlr'Moitoeeo, and so command the ! hoffiogentity" of her^ possession up to Senegal. "1 ' 7 '=> Italy has lost the, results of all her years of intrigues to oust French influence From Tunis. 8 She'has compromised her good' rplations - with .France, cooled' the sympathy between' the Latin sisters, and destroyed her Frentth market for obtain-' ing the contemplated loan, to square her 1 papegkMtveoey. It;4oes appear strange *tha#H»B*cauße of the' ecuw., relations between the Bey and Frine*4tne Italian Consul, II Maccio •— has, neither been blafefted nor disowned by-, bis Goyernmet. It was^e'^wb'o bfew the coals,'organised tfaerluiatpeifco,' checkmated the' Gauls, and yet not) the less swears by the innocence of i3tnwV 'doves, that he has never so MteAr* > CtHlat Judegut. Tfc* <? inifitary .preparations for the Tunisfafr, expedition present this singularity;' .^while . impartial and foreign observers' find them excellent^ a certain section of the.French press assert they hare been detestable. This section, consists of 1- the extreme radical press, that objeet'in principle to every act of every Minister of War, so long as this - functionary is not a civilian. The other comprises; those organs which are-discon-tented, because the,party they represent are out in^the cold ; but, were their friends in office, they would sing the same air, and perhaps not ; so [well, * formerly the French; *s»id '* the eyes of-Europe are . vpon us "—to envy their .glpry, understood^ The eyes of Europe are to-day more-thaw-ever-fixed -on France, and in the kindest sense;.' to observe what progress the country-has made in military organization, since 1870,. and how the young Republic will maice war. Tkere can be no doubt as td the 'result of the campaign ; if the enemy show's in the open, the fate of arms will be quickly decided; if he remains in his mountain fastnesses, the enterprise will be serious, and without being-very long, will not Jbe exempt from dangera> and, perils. '' To,accuse,their Generals of incapacity and treason, appears to have entered into the blood, of;'the * French. During the first '{Republic, each corps d'armee was followed by. a guillotine, so in case a General Wentr wrong 'his case was soon disposed of, pour encourager leg entires. Not ariftir writers believe they best defend the cj^fttrjf., by "reflecting- on those, professionally eatrqstedwith its defence. In the cage, of the Tunisian expedition, the end is^Xo chastise semi-barbarian tribps. A fewj u 4»ys,-nipre or less, before commencing is not important; the grand point Itarkeep in view is, that the first blow will be vigorously delivered, and, next, energetically followed up. "The War Minister had then only to select— an affair fqc his office of only tweuty-four hours-^the'^ troops best suited for' the olimate r .The horse s^ naturally,-could not be shtpp^Ujas.quickry^as." men. Transports were,' however,, requisitioned and fitted up within five days. It was not a matter of mobilisation of troops, 6f calling (hit married men, and stopping all business life to defend hearts aud homes. That necessity could only occur in case of Continental war, where the. power that can concentrate the most men at strategic points within th«-^hortest period -may safely count up6n winning the first cam- ' paign, and perhaps deciding the fate of the war. ! the.Minister is .not accused of having leftPAlgeVia without its normal strength of .defence, nor of its arsenals being unpravjsioned. , There the Minister of War 1 would be culpable. As it is, it may be said truly on the present occasion not a button on the' gaiter of a soldier.is wanting. ■& *J" '"■''" The little war will not only have a beneficial effect on the whole army, but it will alsdt&st the organization of the troops, and wilf'hejß to frame the measures still in suspense.' Chamber strategists, and and iouxtjaliptic tacticians, must be prepared fpr'^" deceptions in- the. coming straggle^ ijthijch will resemble very. much the firsjfcljeftnquests of the French in Algeria (i»4)itbeif latest serious conflicts with theKdbyW taskbf the French is not a^.easy, as opinion concludes. A holy war, lifce, gunpowder, is in the air. The enemy is rapid, anseizable; be s will harass the Fre,nch ; columns, cut communicatiqflaji a |i|ait the approach of the invaders at every defile-tnd iirthe Atlas mountains tbe-defiles are n«me.nma; he will avoid^ unraa engagements:driven from one valley, he will reform in another • he has neither towns nor villages to b» burned, bis .habitations are tents: he has no need of roads; he is as much at . home on jin inaccessible site, «g i n a valley of easy access; on a mountain, £ as in a plain; be tnowsthe remotesl cornefs^ of bis region ; will 'make each the centre of a resistant c, and will have for ally—the soldiers of the Bey, prudently lent. Hence, the French, troops will require much patience and. agility: much will depend b^nieach'soldier's responsibility and tangfrmdi Lthat at any unexpected moment he toaybe called on to exhibit.