SHORT MEN AS SOLDIERS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10390, 13 July 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

SHORT MEN AS SOLDIERS.

The new law reducing the accepted height for service in the French army to only an inch or so above five feet is already being pat into practice, and will probobaly result in 6000 more men\ being passed into the ranks per annum. In France, as in England, doctors claim that short men, if sturdy, and in good health, will prove as good and capable soldiers nowadays as their taller brethren. There seems no reason why this should not be bo; but judging from the experience of the Recruiting Committee with conscripts ordered up to join the colours this year, the average French youth, is a very poor specimen of humanity, despite the increased attention pnlil to athletics and the rapid extension of sports in recent years. M. Gaston Mery, on ultra-patriot of the D.OW Nationalist order, and consequently not likely to overdraw the picture, makes melancholy reflection upon what he saw in April when acting as examiner of several hundred young fellows called for service in Paris. They were nil country-bred, and, coming from all parts of France, may ba considered fairly representative of the nation. "Out of 800," says M. Mcry, "who passed before me, not ten cpuld be rightly termed well-made. Pigeonchested, round-shouldered, and weaklegged were nearly all, whilst when they had no particular deformity, they were wanting in muscle. It seems the Paris-bred boys are even worse. Alcohol, smoking", and over-indulgence have done their deadly work. No need to look further for the cause of such decadence. -How can a nation increase and multiply with a rising generation such as this? We hear a great deal in France of what is done for the improvement of horse-breeding; if you ask my advice, it is time — ay, and high time!'— that we set* about finding some means of improving the human race, or, at any rate, that portion of it represented by young France !"