THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, MAY 29; 1913. THE FRENCH ARMY BILL.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13735, 29 May 1913, Page 4

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, MAY 29; 1913. THE FRENCH ARMY BILL.

Despitb the tumult created by the Socialist, Syndicalist, and other antimilitarist organisations, the French Chamber of Deputies has, by a substantial majority, voted ■ the grant necessary to enable the proposals contained in tho Three Years' Service Bill to be carried out. The outcry that has latterly been raised by these organisations is not, evidently, an indication of popular feeling on the subject. Tho remarkable increases provided for in tho recent German Army Law evoked an extraordinary manifestation of patriotic feeling in tho neighbouring republic, which was evidenced in. a widespread and insistent demand for progressive measures in defonce in keeping with the Gorman developments and their possible object. The situation, as presented by a French military periodical, shows the relativo strength of the two armies, the effect of the ccntomplated increases, and the necessity for the measures proposed by the French Government. In two roars

Germany will have an active army of 860,000 men. At present the Oennan active army is .720,000 stroirg, consisting of 544,000 rank and file, 14,000 oneyear volunteers, 95,000 non-commis-sioned officers, 30,000 officers, atd 40,009 officers and men of tho Army Service Corps, etc. On December 33 st, 1912, tho French army numbered, Lesides 25,000 men of the gendarmerie and 25,000 colonial troops, a total of 595,000 officers and men, including 70-000 -in Algeria'" and Tunisia." This force of 595,000 men comprises 485,000 rank and filo, 42,000 non-commissio'ied officers, 29,000 officers, and 39,000 officers and men «f %h& auxiliary services. Tho rank' and file 1 include about 44,000 men who volunteered for three, four, or five i years. On December 31st i.ext the Gorman army will have reached an active strength of nearly 800,000 mon, and the French army will hare 601,000 officers and men, including 70,000 in Algeria and Tunisia, and including also the 39,000 non-commissioned officers.' Supposing the throe years' service to be re-established for the cavalry alone, thoii the toal strength would be raisod to 616,000 men, all told. Even under these circumstances the German fighting strength would be noarly 225,000 men more than the French at the end of the present year. At the close of 1915, under the present law, the French army will have been rather ro'duced, while the German strength on a peace footing will have reached 860,000 mon, an excess over tho French of 285,----000 men. If the three years' service be re-established at once, and be applied to tho French troops now with the colours, the French army by Docomber 31st next will be 810,000 strong, including 81,000 in Algeria and Tunisia. That is to say, by the end of this year the German and French active ,armies will be practically equal. Apart from the extreme anti-militarist opposition, the chief criticism of the three years' service provisions of the French Army Bill is based on the absence of exemptions. Tho only exemption is to raejthbers of large! families. Youths belonging to families of five or six children will be favoured by a reduction of from six monihs to a year in the term of their servicij. Apart from some privileges with regard to the_ date of service and promotion to tho rank of non-commissioned and commissioned officers conferred upon students of a restricted number oJ universities and higher schools, "this jpurtailment of service in favour of large families is the

only exemption granted by the Bill. The Paris corresponded1!?* of "The Times" said recently, in dealing with the questiom of exemptions from service and other privileges which the Bill does not afford, that a number of deputies who favour the Bill and desire to see it in operation with all speed, nevertheless feel that certain classes of skilled labour in France will keenly feel the burden of the extended period of service. The case of a young watchmaker was instanced. Heavy-handed toil in the army will' unfit him even more than three years' want of practice for the delicate manipulations' of his trade. He will not soon, if ever, be able to reacquire the delicate touch which is necessary for successful work in his calling. In view of the large number of such cases —France is pre-eminently a country,, of highly-skilled handicraftsmen —it is thought by many patriotic deputies that the Army Bill was somewhat too hurriedly drafted, and that those avlio are familiar with the conditions of all kinds of highly-skilled labour ought. to have been consulted as well as the generals. It is evident, however, that the objections on this score are regarded as a minor consideration in comparison with the need fpv i increased military efficiency, and the Chamber is apparently not prepared to accept tho compromises, which have 'been suggested. The nfbst serious feature of the anti-militarist agitation is tho revolutionary element which is making a vigorous effort to sap the loyalty of the army, and to circumvent which the Government, found it necossary to adopt the drastic measures reported during the last fow days.