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Show FRANCE FEARLESS OF Willi MRU Military Experts Not Alarmed at Imperial Proposal to Enlarge Army. CAN PROTECT FRONTIER Million Men Available for Border Duty; Pekin-to-Paris Aviation Contest. BY GEORGE DXJFRESNE. Special Onhli to Tho Tribune. PA1?IS. May 4. France is as firm a partisan of peaco as she has been all theso years, but she ib not afraid of war. Time was when the idea of the possibility of an outbreak of hostilities hostili-ties with the puissant noighbor on the eastern frontier created a feeling akiu to trepidation among the population; but all that is over now. U' such a war is over to come, it will bo accepted with resignation but also with confidence. confi-dence. Such is the effect of tho serious seri-ous crisis which caused so much anxiety anx-iety throughout tho civilized world in the latter half of mil. The decision of the Gorman government govern-ment to increase the imperial array is naturally the subject of a good deal of comment aud speculation on this side of tho border, and, naturall', different dif-ferent views are crpressed on the matter. mat-ter. General Bonnal, than whom no higher authority on mllitar questions exists in this country, has just given his opinion, and it is both clenT and omincntry reassuring. The gallant officer offi-cer bcginB with the argument that as France's ensfern frontier Jjs of limited cxtont, and as even, if the neutrality of Belgium and Switzerland wore violated, violat-ed, it would not exceed 130 miles, 1.000.000 men would suffice to cover it And this million Trance possesses. Behind Be-hind this force there would bo a number num-ber of Teservists, almost equal, in fact, lo the German army so tho increase that has boon decided on would not make so groat a difference after all. France Is Prepared. General Bonnal 6ays that tho importance im-portance thus paid to more numbers is a survival of tho terriblo year, whon tho. French' had often to fifht at the rate of one to ton, but this is riot the case now. Granted that the Gormans have Uioir plan, tho French have thoir plan, too. Thoy will havo enough men. Their railwa3'B will bo busy all the time, and even if tho French could send 50,000 more men into the field they would do well not to 3'ield .to such temptation. o They have something better than mere numbers. Without spea"king of their aviators, their commanders aro admirably trained and fit. There is a close union between officers and troops. "Go to Germany and sco the gulf that separates tho officer from his men, and you will return fnll of confidence in our companies and our regiments," says Bonnal. Ko, France need not be disconcerted nt tho "folic du nombre" which prevails pre-vails iu Germany, and which only serves to illustrate the framo of mind In official of-ficial quarters. "They feol that war is approaching, and perhaps they oyoh desire it, mdor tho impression that accounts miiBt bo settled once and for all,'' concludes Bonnal. Armistice on Frontier. The new aviation chief, Colonel Hirschauer, is already making his plans for the future of tho "birds of war" which shall be intrusted to his cure. It is suggested that one of those daj'S all the aeroplanes scattered through Franco will be grouped and concentrated concen-trated in tho east, not far from the frontier. Tt is also hinted that the aeronautic scrvicos will be incorporated in the army corps. Each commandant of an army corps will have at his disposal a number of aeroplanes. Aviation is to bo separated from ballooning proper. The aviatortj will be formed into a distinot service; the aeronauts will also havo their separate department, though, of courBO, aeroplanes and airships will bo able to work together. Pekin-to-Paris Flight. Much interest has boon aroused by the proposed aoroplane flight from Po-kin Po-kin to Paris. Tho contest will tnlce placo this year probably iu August. According to present arrangements the itinerary will bo Pekin, Kjarbiuc, fr-kutsk, fr-kutsk, 'Tomsk, Venice, Genoa, Marseilles, Mar-seilles, Lyons and Paris. The contest will be confined to tho French firms that construct ueroplanos. Each firm will havo the right to enter three aeroplanes, aero-planes, and each aeroplane will bo piloted pi-loted by two aviators. Tho Matin will crivo prizes amounting to $40,000. Theso will only be given to those aviators who completo tho journey. If, however, no competitor fulfils the conditions con-ditions of tho contest that is to say, aftor leaving Pekin no ono is able to reach Paris, for some fault or other a prize of $10,000 will be given to the aviator who reaches Europo first. |