EUROPEAN SITUATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 29, 19 September 1911, Page 7

EUROPEAN SITUATION.

FRANCE’S SPIRIT

CALM BUT WATCHFUL. Writing on July 29 th, tiio Paris correspondent of the “Daily Express” said:—“Tin's is not the first occasion by many, since the war of 1870, on which Frenchmen have, seen before them the bogey of another war wit 1 .; Germany. But I never remember them to have taken their precautions sc quietly, so philosophically, and sc systematically as they; have taken them in this year of the heat wai-e of 1911.. , }., . “On former occasions, .as a matter of fact, they took- no precautions hi all. They were told -in diplomatic language ‘Germany does not like this, insists on that, and, if she gets' no satisfaction you had best take care.’ The result was-diysteria, but this year the result of the bogey’s appearaneef has been very different. Nurse Entente Cordiale is there to keep Mademoiselle La Republique from over-excitement, and Mademoiselle La Republique has shrugged her pretty shoulders at the grimaces of the bogey-man. But she is not treating the German attitude with mqre contempt : she knows that would he foolish, and quietly, practically, and openly in the full light of day, so that Germany should see what she is doing, she has made her arrangements in case there -should be trouble. :

“The first- to step into the breach was little M. ,Delcasse. He has nothing to do : with foreign affairs nbw as he had when the hogey-man rattled his chains the last.time, hut.,ho controls the ,nq.yy, and his hy-word is ‘Aye, aye, sir, we are quite ready.’ There waq ,po fuss, there was no excitement,” the crisis occurred, M. ])elcasss;jdecided to go on a tour of inspection. “He has made his tour of inspection, 'And found the result eminently -satisfactory. -When the situation has calmed down, I dare say that one of the reasons for the calm will be because'M. Dclcasse’s trip did look well >in 'the papers.' Ho did more than i merely inspect, too. I have heard'bfrom several Davy men during the >last week or two that M.' Dalcasso astonished everybody by his wonderful grip of detail and his really technical knowledge of naval matters. “And while M. Delftasse was tightening the screws of the navy machine, Ids colleagues put on their considering caps, and came to the conclusion that it would do no harm for Germany to see that France had a practical man at the head of her army. The Com-inander-in-Chicf of the French Army was on Thursday night General Michel.

Late that evening General Michel was removed from the post and General .1 off re appointed to take his place. At the Cabinet Council of Friday the new Commaiulcr-in-Chief’s app9ntmcnt was signed, and the army of France got a strong man at its head. “There is no Chauvinism about Franco’s preparations. ;; France does not want to light. But those who govern France were anxious to show England, the friend, and Germany, . the passible enemy, that her defences were well oiled and in good working order. They have done so speedily and rather well.”