FRANCE'S ARMY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 124, 27 May 1913, Page 7

FRANCE'S ARMY

POLICE BUSY THEMSELVES LABOUR UNIONS' PREMISES SEARCHED MONEY ORDERS FOR SOLDIERS, By Telegraph.—Press Association.— Copyright. (Received May 27, 9 a.m.) PARIS, 26th May. The police searched the headquarters of the Confederation of Labour and other unions and many houses in Paris and the provinces, and discovered antimilitarism publications, letters from sol* diei's, and vouchers for money orders sent to soldiers. "OUTSIDE PARIS. SOCIALISTS' DEMONSTRATION. PARIS, 26th May. Instead of holding the meeting at Pere Laehaise cemetery as intended, fifty thoummd Socialists held a demonstration outside Pat in. Speeches were delivered from fifteen platforms, and resolutions were passed denouncing the triennium service. There was no disorder. M. OLEMENCEAU. WILL HE BECOME PREMIER! "PARIS, 26th May. The newspapers discuss the possibility of M. Clemenoeau succeeding M. Barthou as Premier. Meanwhile M. Caillaux, another ex-Premier, whom M. Clemenceau denounced for secretly negotiating with Germany in 1911, is working for the Premiership, and advocating a two years' army service, with prolongations. [Under date Bth of last month, the Paris correspondent of The Times reported :— Notice has now been given of some ?Q amendment to the Three Years' Service Bill, and there are, in addition, the elaborate counter-proposals of the Socialists and of M. Reinach and M. de Montebello to be disposed of by the Chamber of Deputies, whose labours seem likely for a considerable time to come to be devoted to discussion of measures dealing with the national defence. The extraordinary credit of £20,000,000 for the army has still to come before Parliament, and further Bills, dealing with supply and the pay of army officers and non-commissioned officers, are to be introduced. There is at the present moment a great dearth of officers, and statistics show a falling off in_ the number of candidates at the two military schools of Saint Cyr and Saint Maixent amounting to close upon 50 per cent. There is a deficiency of 1600 lieutenants in line regiments and a serious lack of artillery and engineer officers, Who are resigning from the army in growing numbers every year to accept posts in private industrial establishments. To remedy this state of affairs M. Etienne intends to introduce a Bill providing for a general increase in officers' pay. At_ present a lieutenant with 15 years' service is paid approximately £11 8s a month. A captain receives £13 16s, a battalion commander £18 7s, a lieutenant-colonel £21 19s, a colonel £27 3s, a brigadier-general £42, a general of division £62 a month. The scale of officers' pensions is roughly 50 per cent, lower than it is in the German Army. An increase of pay of £8 a month for all officere would involve an expenditure of £3,200,000.]