THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1908. THE FRENCH ARMY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3080, 30 December 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1908. THE FRENCH ARMY.

The report on the French Army Budget was issued recently. M. Gervais, the reporter, observes that the hone which prevailed for a moment that it might be possible for nations to reduce somewhat their expenditure on warlike preparations must now, it seems, be abandoned. He makes a calculation of the average military expenditure of the six Powers, namely, Russia, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Japan, which can mobilise the largest armies, and finds the total amount spent annually to be no less than 5,037 million francs (£201,480,000), and the number of men which they can put into the field to be 31,700,000. The army which England can mobilise comes seventh, and is given

as 555,000 men, though her average annual expenditure is the same as that of France, namely 700 million francs (£28,000,000). Comparing next the expenditure and the effectives of France and Germany the report states that the German Army Estimates show an increase this year of 69 million francs (£2,760,000) being fixed at 1,067,862,437f. (£42,714,406), of which 838,037,151f. (£33,521,484) belong to the ordinary budget and 229,825,226f. (£9.193,008) to the extraordinary budget. The French Army Estimates for this year, are 742,443,745f. (£29,697,748). The totals ' on either side are: Germany, 34,118 officers and 602,670 men; France, 27,310, officers and 511,939 men. The average cost per man in Germany is 1,398f. (£52), and in France 1,150f. (£44). Amidst a mass of other interesting information, M. Gervais points out once i again the fact which arouses the anxiety of many thoughtful Frenchmen more and more as time goes on, namely, that not only is the French army between ninety and one hundred thousand men smaller than the German army, but, owing to the diminishing birth-rate, a serious decrease in the annual contingent is to be expected in the future. The male birth-rate has fallen in 30 years from 430,000 to 395,000, last year. This year's contingent .was only 210,000 men; in ten years' time it will have fallen to 201,000; in 1.928 it will be only 182,000. The effective strength of the army, that is to say, the total of the two contingents under the colours, and not including the permanent force of volunteers and the like, which may be estimated at between 120.000 and 130,000 men, will apparently fail from its present figure of 433,000 men to 402,000 in ten years' time, and to 371,000 in 1928. M. Gervais proposes to meet this deficit by encouraging re-engagements and volunteering in the permanent force (which will, of course, be expensive), and by increasing the number of native troops. In an article published in the newspaper "Matin" he expresses the opinion that the situation, though serious, need not cause alarm. The future alone can show whether the difference between the strengths of the two armies will tend to increase. No one nowadays would be foolish enough to repeat the phrase that the army is ready to the last gaiter button. No army nor any human organisation can ever be so perfect as that. But the army is in an excellent condition, and the reforms which are already in progress will justify the confidence which France places in it.