FRANCE AND GERMANY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12896, 6 February 1906, Page 3

FRANCE AND GERMANY.

THEIR MILITARY PREPARATIONS.

A message from Berlin of January 3rd, to American papers to hand by mail, states j that the German railway administration' had placed orders for 20,000 freight cars, at a cost of 50,000,000 dollars, with manufacturers of fire countries, stipulating delivery by the middle of February, besides utilising the car works of Germany. The contracts were distributed among makers in Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, and Italy, which would not have been done unless some reasons for haste existed. Inquiries made regarding the reasons for urgency resulted in obtaining the statement that, the ordering of the cars was a precautionary measure, tae general staff desiring to be ready to move troops if necessary by March Ist. This is only a proper measure of prudence, it was asserted, in view of the extensive military preparations going on in France, -which, among other dispositions, include the movement towards the German frontier of six regiments of artillery, or 180 guns. The ordering of these freight cars,' each of which I would accommodate 40 soldiers, or would, enable the authorities to transport mate- ] rial, is only owing to the French prepara- j tions, and must not be taken to indicate] any hostile design on the part of Germany, whose peaceful intentions remain unchanged. The step taken is due to the conviction, long held and acted upon here, that the best- preservative of peace is complete preparedness for any eventuality. The word " war" is riot used, because such a word in itself would be a provocation, and every interest, both in and outside the Government, shrinks from such a possibility unless it be a. small group of military men. A related message from Paris, of the same date, says .that M. Etienne, the present Minister for War, represents the energetic element, which maintains that the country should be prepared to meet every eventuality. He immediately adopted a vigorous policy, not for belligerent purposes, but in execution of the geceral desire to-have the arxny in a perfect state of efficiency. He appealed to the Budget Committee of the Chamber of Deputies for exceptional military credits, the detaiis of which were discussed behind closed doors; and he also instituted careful inquiries into the requirements of the frontier defences, which the last inspection of General Negrier disclosed to lie in a lamentable, state of inefficiency. Etienne proceeded systematically to remedy these and other defects, thijs placing the army and all the equipments and defensive works in a proper state of efficiency.