Conscription.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13892, 1 May 1909, Page 1 (Supplement)

Conscription.

HOW FRANCE HAS SUFFERED. (By Miss„ lietlia ni-EUwards.) " Conscription ioster' patriotism?" was the reply of a young Frenchman to my question; " quite tne contrary—conscription testers Socialism: Look at the evidence of recent, events.": 'My young friend might have added, '' Look at tlio growing popularity of the 'lnternationals,'" tne people's hyinn, with its stirring melody and violent,, antimilitary sentiments, fast supplanting the " Marseillaise in the cabaret sind workmen's club. • r lo understand tlje effect'of the refrain we must hear it sung in chorus as only French men, women; and children can sing it. : To realise- the' social aspect of conscription in France we must glance at its history .during the last 38 years — namely, during the Third- Republic. Whilst - patriotic voluntaryism was never niore magnificently displayed than in the Franco-Prussian war, divergencies alike social, political and religious, being, forgotten, one striking featureJras peaceful,prosperous. period lollowing tiiat supreme " Acli, die tapfer'Kinder!" (Ah, the brave boys) exclaimed the old Emperor William as he watched regiment after regiment of young Frenchmen rushing to their death. The brave boys thus apostrophised can fight: like tigers wheii"- their blood it hot,' but one . and all rebel against conscription. THE " BLOOD-TAX."

On: the one band we ftncl legislators gradually compelled to reduction of the blood-tax; on the other, the most desperate efforts made to .avoid, enforced service altogether. Gan stronger proof show the unpopularity of the system? Let me make clear both points.''' . : - ■ ':' First we must bear iir mind that until the latest military laws, exemption from enforced service bad remained as strictly a privilege as 1 exemption from taxes under, the ancient regime. Until 1855, avoidance was a" mere matter of money. Tlie marcharid d'hommes, as he was called, had his status and office, his business being to find a substitute, ' "acheter, uii liomme "^r-in, other words, buy a substitute for any client furnishing £IOO. Thus the defence of the country was chargeable to the needy only,; rich and well-to-do getting off scot-free. , . , In 1872, M. Thiers, the: third greatest little man in history; brought about sweeping reforms. True that, owing to National exigencies, military service was fixed at five years, but the new. sche.me more nearly approached democratic ideals. Substitutions by money or otherwise were suppressed, the priesthood no longr offered means or escape, and only ' a certain numbercould get off with a year. By a clause, called the " voluntariat d am an," young men preparing for the liberal professions and having passed certain who also . paid 1500f. for their equipment, enjoyed this privilege. r , The democratisation of enforced service has been shown in successive enact-, ments. In 1889 the five years were reduced to three, the voluntariat was abolished, and exemptions, reduced to the minimum, were drawn, for. 1 opinion demanded much more. We have lately seen the three years service reduced to two, and the 28 dajs exercise to 23. EVASION-AND WIJL\. / , Let us now consider the desperate efforts made by young mea of all ranks to avoid the blood-tax. Luter ariy (Trench church and study the ex-votos in chapels dedicated to patron saints. Here we fiud prayers for intercession, there passionately grateful outpourings, the boon thus entreated and acknowledged being success in examinations, in other words, remission of two , vears' service. What lias the author of that fjimous book, " A la superiorite des Anglo-Saxons. ( lute Edmond Demolins) written on tlus subject ? lu his last volume, which appeared five years ago, and which, like the former work, is a plea toi tarvisni, he saysWe may safe y aver that from one end ol France to the other fathers and mothers .uo possessed, nay, hypnotised, y _ fixed idea, that of getting son | three years' military service lttluceu t0 Among the classes to wl,om a liberal education is impossible, o,thei mea evasion sire tried, mutilations, s duced indisposition, and the 'ke fra.uds being-severely punished, men accused of these couises. ic brought before military and medical commissions, a General once informing me that nothing could be more curious than the 'physical divergences .thereby revealed. " You would suppose, lie said, "that each individual, belonged to a separate race,' so lioterpeneously made up is -the pooulation of France. ■ When we consider the interruption of careers caused by conscription . can hardly wonder at its unpopularity.

Three or even two years' withdrawal, from active life, whether professional, commercial, or agricultural, is no small matter. It must also be borne in mind 1 that, as M. Hanotaux' points but •in his great work on contemporary Fr'aii<je, the nation is wedded to peace. Tlio bitter lesson of 1870-71 has altered* notions of la gloirc." Intellectualconquests, pacific enterprise,' victories iiofc over men, but natural forces; such ar© the ends .to which" French energies ar© now directed. ' . ■ \

Finally, let us look. at garrison life and what it means to a conscript. As M. Hanotaux remarks in the abovenamed work, the French mind readily accepts the sense of equalitv. But iriiagme what equality means in the barracks. A well-bred, refined, or, say, respectably brought up youth, for instance, is first of all fitted with a uniform that another, perhaps btliers, have worn before him; lie is allotted a. bed in » dormitory with fifty comrades, some belonging to his own class, some drawn from the very dregs of society; he 110 longer certainly spoons Jiis Boiup or ragout from a common dish," but sits down day after day to the same monotonous fare, soup and ragout washed down by water. These things are, - however,, trifling compared to the loss of liberty. " From the moment of enrolment to that of discharge," said one young friend' to me, "we are prisoners, nothing .more nor less, the slightest infringement of rules or acts of carelessness being punished by solitary confinement.. Thus, if I lost a„ button from my-tunic I should beput ina cell. Conscription is degrading, tjiat. is the word for it. Thjen, although ovir . officers and souS-officiers are never al- • lowed to touch a soldier —the body, the person in France is sacred —we are often subject to torrents of abuse,- especially from the latter. Again, take the grand manoeuvres arid reviews. Think of the loss of health, and of life s often, of young nien and heads of families iir their prime." THE MORAL VIEW. There is yet another question to parents of far. deeper import than loss of time, consequent injury to prospects, . and danger to health. Universal suffrage, means. of course, universal citizenship. -The most degraded members of society, the " pauvres gifeux," or Beggars, so dear, to M. Jean R'icliepin, "inspirers of his wonderful anthology, share patriotic burdens > with the rest. Imagine garrison life shared with the rag-tag .and bobtail described . by the poet; imagine a. decently br.ed youth hearing their terrible . language, listening to their fearful. stones; nor is another set of deblasses less dreaded by anxious fathers and mothers, that of the dissolute boulevardier, the young roue:-reared in luxu'r-y. . All things considered, is it any wonder that, in the . words of M. Demolius, French parents are ' hypnotised by • tho bugbear of conscription P I Avill conclude this paper Avith another citation from the same writer who knew our country almost as well as liia own: " Cricket and football, these, are the best military schools." The writer's to 6 short life .was. devoted to educational reform in France from th l * point of view; the principle of individualism and voluntariness as opposed to coercion and routine. The . Ecple Nouvoile, founded by this indefatigable 2?ioneer on English models at Verneuil, Eure, was described in these cp- . lumns two years ago. Not only liavo •his efforts effected many desirable changes in Lycees arid schools generally. Without doubt his propaganda. lias, had some share in the trradual reduction of imlitary service.—Home pttper. 4 ,