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Show French Trained for War Rut Franco has compulsory service in the army, but no nann person can even suggest that tho country suffers suf-fers from mllltnrlsm. Wo try unsuccessfully un-successfully to twist tho conditions suit our prejudice, falling to seo tho obvious fact, that tho Ills of militarism mili-tarism flow not from tho training system, but from a deeper spring. The nrmy training hns taught the liberty loving Frenchman tho valuo of cooperation In overy phaso of national na-tional life, but It cannot plant In him that foreign tiling, a lust for conquest. nut of course tho training hns Riven Riv-en to tho men of Franco a working familiarity with a practical manunl of arms, and when tho necessity burst upon tho unready world, when tho time camo for Franco to defend her brand of civilization for mankind, tho foundation wns thero on which to build a real army." Thero was no fever about It. Tho millions of Franco went obout tho work, calm, steady, Inexorable, and facing all tho fncts. Strength and unity were thero. Moreover, this strength Is not being be-ing wasted. In ono year of war a hundred nnd forty general officers havo slid quietly Into retirement bo-causo bo-causo they hadn't tho skill to got full value for tho lives they spent. The French officer holds his commission commis-sion by sheer ability; ho Is a professional pro-fessional and knows his buslnws. An ofllccr of rank remarked to mo: "In our nrmy an ofllccr Is an officor, not tho son of his father." And this ' nartlculnr man wan of noble birth. us was tho chauffeur of IiIb car. The French soldier, too, Is n trained train-ed man, and Intelligent to boot. Ho knows that ho can placo utter confidence con-fidence ln tho skill and devotion oT his ofllcers; that his equipment Is I tho very best, and ho knows what is to bo dono. An American army observer ob-server who has seen and analyzed both tho main forces ln tho Western field has arrived, nt' n definition of tholr salient characteristics. Ho calls I tho German army a magnificent bull, tho embodiment of force, cbnrglng with head down and with shut eyes. Dut tho French army ho describes ns n grent tiger, with eyes wido opon, crouching for tho spring. This mnn's i trnlno dlntclllgence perceived nt once tho great trait of tho French, clear vision American Itovlow of UovIowh for October. |