DEFENCELESS FRANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 167, 15 July 1914, Page 5

DEFENCELESS FRANCE.

I AN INCOMPETENT STAFF. OBSOLETE GUNS AND DEFECTIVE AMMUNITION i l3y Cable.—Tress Association.—Copyright) I PARIS, July 11. i A rensation was caused in the Senate | yesterday when M. Charles 'Hoi'inbert, re- •' porter for the Army Committee, sur- I pried the Coverii'incnt by disclosing ad- j jninistrativc scandals. He accused the general -tall' of grue-, incotnp -tencp and lhc manufacturers nf supplying arm- 1 ourcd turrets inferior to those furnished by foreign cotiniries. The supply of .gun ammunition, he de- . dared, wa.- insufficient. Tlie chells were old and dangerous tn handle. The .How- | itzcr- were old and inferior to those j Germany post-csbed. INVENTORS NEGLECTED. French inienlors. he complained, were not encouraged. The Government had j arrange,l to spend C4.0U0.U00 upon a mortar invented in France in 1010. Nothing had yd been done though ii was now employed in the services of Germany aud Russia. Communication.- between the fortresses in the Bastern frontier were 'hopelessly deficient. The army ua- t'hort .of two I million pair.- of bouts, 'in the event of war. the soldiers would have lv start i for the front with none except those on' their foot. The army at present had | only siitlicient pontoons and oilier equip- ; mcn t tv cro-e the Moselle and the Rhine. HEART-RENDING ADMISSIONS. | 'I lie millions \otcd for defence had i been wasted. Parliament would consent to any indispensable -acrilice. ibul it was essential to reorganise. The 'Minister for War. M. Meting, admitted that must of M. Humbert., facts. ' if taken separately, wore correct. He j promised rigorously to control the execu- j tion of the fortlicoiming projrra.mnie. M. Cletnenccau described the -itting ' ' as the most heart-rending he rcmem- j 'Ucred -mcc IS7O. He exclaimed :«We | ' are neither covered nor defended. The j [ Government must uphold tiie situation j ' and indicate a remedy." The debate was then adjourned, ,