FRANCES MILITARY STRENGTH
The awakening of .France to the necessity of increasing the effective military strength of the country lias lately temporarily ousted all other topics of public interest in Paris. Ow cablegrams have just informed us that the clause in the Military Service Bill providing for the re-estab-lishment of the three years' service system has received the approval of the Army Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. The necessity for such a measure was recently forcibly advocated by the Count de M-un, one of the most vigorous and polished of French orators. He urged the impossibility of remaining .silent and inactive in face of the formidable manifestation of Germany. "Let nobody talk of- provocation or imprudence," he .s*ifi. "The German Empire is doing what it deems necessary for its security, and the French nation in turn does what it believes to be required for its own. Both are exercising the'ir rights. The question is very and allows.of no other ■interpretation." General Bazaine Hayet says that France is not lacking in nlen, as she ha-s 4,500,000 callable of bearing arms. Regarding the question of the cost, after roughly estimating the expenses he concludes that it would resaiire about £-10,000,000 to thoroughly reconstitute the natioral defence adequately. General Pedoya, who, like Bazaine Hayet, originally voted for the two years' system, which has proved almost the rui.i of the French military strength, declares that the change in the .situation makrx- it absolutely imperative to increase, the effectives. The only discordant note comes from the Socialists, who. are protesting against extra ■ inilitarv cadets or the re-estab-lishment of the three years' system. As,, however, thev combine tin? with a protest against having any permanent army at nil, can scarcely produce much effect. The (inly comment that may be 'added (sa.ys the Paris correspondent of a London paper) is, that whatever measures may he taken will bo regarded by the most sober as well as the most ardent patriots as simply unavoidable, and in nowise as provocative, but, on the contrary, as calculated to make for a durable peace in proportion as they are- a thorough and adequate preservation of the balance of military strength.
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Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 21 April 1913, Page 7
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360FRANCES MILITARY STRENGTH Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 21 April 1913, Page 7
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