MILITARY SERVICE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13483, 24 July 1907, Page 5

MILITARY SERVICE.

A CHANGE IN FRANCE.

United Press Association — By Electric Telegraph . — Copy right.i ght . PARIS, July 22. General Hagron, Comma nder-in-Chief oi the French Army, resigned as a protest against the proposal of General Picquart, Minister oi' War, to disbanJ the recruits of the 1903 class. General Hagron protests that such a scheme will 1 create a phantom army. General Lacroix has replaced General Hagron.

("Recruits of the 1903 class" are aprarently tho professional men and others who were till 1903 exempted from conscription. Before that time the period of compulsory service had been Uiree years, but there were many exemptions. In 1903 a scheme was agreed to, largely through the efforts of the late Minister of War, M Berteaux, vhereby the period of service was reduced to two years, while there were to be no exemptions except for physical incapacity. This scheme met with general approval as passed by the Senate tut it was modified in the Chamber of I/eputies for political purposes, and the result was not considered so satisfactory. Apparently the effect of General rtaquart's proposal is to return to th-3 old system with the exception that two j ears' service is substituted for three N .