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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c757f3c --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53417 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53417) diff --git a/old/53417-8.txt b/old/53417-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b83b0c7..0000000 --- a/old/53417-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4022 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The French Army From Within, by Anonymous - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The French Army From Within - -Author: Anonymous - -Release Date: October 31, 2016 [EBook #53417] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRENCH ARMY FROM WITHIN *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from images made available by the -HathiTrust Digital Library.) - - - - - - - - - - -THE FRENCH ARMY FROM WITHIN - - - - - THE FRENCH ARMY - FROM WITHIN - - BY - - "EX-TROOPER" - - NEW YORK - GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1914 - - By GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I - PAGE - THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FRENCH ARMY 7 - - CHAPTER II - - THE FRENCH SOLDIER AT HOME 18 - - CHAPTER III - - THE HIGHER RANKS 27 - - CHAPTER IV - - INFANTRY 44 - - CHAPTER V - - OFF DUTY 51 - - CHAPTER VI - - CAVALRY 60 - - CHAPTER VII - - ARTILLERY 74 - - CHAPTER VIII - - IN CAMP AND ON THE MARCH 85 - - CHAPTER IX - - MANOEUVRES 104 - - CHAPTER X - - WITH THE CAVALRY SCOUTS 119 - - CHAPTER XI - - INTERNAL ECONOMY 133 - - CHAPTER XII - - SOME INCIDENTALS 144 - - CHAPTER XIII - - THE GREAT GARRISON TOWNS OF FRANCE 156 - - CHAPTER XIV - - SOME EFFECTS. ACTIVE SERVICE 171 - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FRENCH ARMY - - -Before proceeding to the consideration of life as lived in the -French Army, it would be well to have a clear understanding of the -constitution of the Army of France, the parts of which it is composed, -and the conditions under which it is organised and controlled. The -British Army is a growth of years, and even of centuries, but with -the changes of government that France has undergone since 1815 the -constitution of the Army has undergone radical changes, and the French -Army of to-day dates back only to 1871--that is, as far as form and -composition are in question. - -One of the principles under which the present Republic of France is -constituted is that "every citizen is a soldier." This principle has -been more and more enforced with the growth and consolidation of the -Republic since 1870, and successive laws passed with reference to the -Army have been framed with ever-increasing recognition of the need for -military efficiency. By the first law with regard to the constitution -of the Army, that of July 27th, 1872, every young man, at the age of -twenty, so long as he was physically fit, owed to his country five -years of active service, five years in the Territorial Army of France, -and six years in what was known as the Territorial reserve. On this law -the constitution and organisation of the Army were first based. - -The law of July 15th, 1889, reduced the period of service to three -years in the active Army, but the principle remained the same. A -further modification in the length of service was brought about by -the law of 1905, which reduced the period of service with the active -Army to two years, and abolished certain classes of citizens who were -excused from military service for various reasons. Up to the passing -of this law, bread-winners of a family had been exempt, but by it they -were called on to serve, while the state pensioned their dependents -during their period of service; the "voluntariat," consisting of men -who paid a certain amount to the state in order to serve for a period -of one year only, was abolished--"every citizen a soldier" was made -more of a reality than ever, for the nation realised that it must keep -pace with the neighbour on the east, who was steadily increasing its -military resources. - -From the age of twenty to that of forty-five, every Frenchman -physically capable of military service is a soldier. Each commune -complies yearly a list of its young men who have attained the age of -twenty during the preceding twelve months. All these young men are -examined by the _conseil de révision cantonale_, a revising body of -military and civilian officials, by whom the men not physically fit -are at once rejected, and men who may possibly attain to the standard -of fitness required are put back for examination after a sufficient -interval has elapsed to admit of their development in height, weight, -or other requirement in which they are deficient. Five feet and half -an inch is the minimum standard of height, though men of exceptional -physical quality are passed into the infantry below this height. - -The _loi des cadres_ of 1907 supplemented the law of 1905 without -materially changing it. At the present time about 200,000 men are -enrolled every year, this number including the men who have been put -back from previous examination by the revising council. The active -Army of France thus consists of about 535,000 men, together with an -approximate total of 55,000 men serving in Algeria and 20,000 men -serving in Tunis. The gendarmerie and Republican guard add on another -25,000, and the colonial troops serving in the French colonies amount -to a total of about 60,000. This last number is steadily increasing by -means of the enrolment of natives of the French colonies in Africa. - -These numbers concern the Army on a peace footing. In case of a -national emergency the total war strength of the French Army is -calculated at 4,800,000. Of these 1,350,000 comprise the first line -troops made up of the active Army and younger classes of the reserve, -who would constitute the first field armies to engage the enemy on an -outbreak of war. The remainder of the total of nearly 5 millions would -be called up as required for garrison purposes and to strengthen the -ranks of the field army. - -The citizen is still expected to give twenty-five years of service to -his country; of these, two--or rather three, under the law passed by -the action of the war ministry of M. Viviani just before the outbreak -of the present continental war--years are expected to be spent in the -active Army, and another eleven in the reserve of the active Army. -During this second period of eleven years men are recalled to the -colours--that is, to service with the active Army--for periods of a -month at a time. At the conclusion of this first thirteen years of -service, men pass automatically to the Territorial Army, which is -supposed to serve for the purposes of home defence only. Service in the -Territorial Army lasts six years, after which the soldier passes to six -years in the reserve of the Territorial Army. After this the French -citizen is exempt from any further military obligation. - -Registered at the age of twenty, the French citizen is called to the -colours on the first of October following his registration, and passes -from the active Army two years later on September 30th. In old days, -when the period of service in the active Army was for five years, the -French Army was an unpopular institution, but the shortening of service -together with the knowledge, possessed by the nation as a whole, that -the need for every citizen soldier would eventually rise through -the action of Germany, have combined to render the Army not only an -important item in national life, but a popular one. There used to be -grousers and bad characters by the score, but now they are rarely found. - -In time of peace the active Army of France is so organised as to form -the skeleton on which to build the war forces of the Republic. The -system is one of twenty permanent Army Corps based as follows: the -first at Lille, the second at Amiens, the third at Rouen, the fourth -at Le Mans, the fifth at Orleans, the sixth at Châlons-sur-Marne, the -seventh at Besançon, the eighth at Bourges, the ninth at Tours, the -tenth at Rennes, the eleventh at Nantes, the twelfth at Limoges, the -thirteenth at Clermont-Ferrand, the fourteenth at Lyons, the fifteenth -at Marseilles, the sixteenth at Montpellier, the seventeenth at -Toulouse, the eighteenth at Bordeaux, the nineteenth at Algiers, and -the twentieth at Nancy. - -The strength of an Army Corps is made up of two divisions of infantry, -a brigade of cavalry, a brigade of horse and field artillery, and one -"squadron of train," the last named including the non-combatants of -the Army Corps. Exceptions are the Sixth Army Corps with head-quarters -at Châlons, the seventh at Besançon, and the nineteenth at Algiers; -of these the first mentioned two contain three divisions of infantry -instead of two, while the Algerian Corps has four divisions, one of -which is detached for duty in Tunis. - -In addition to the twenty stations of the Army Corps, eight independent -cavalry divisions have head-quarters respectively at Paris, Luneville, -Meaux, Sedan, Melun, Lyons, Rheims, and Dôle. There is also the -military government of Paris, which, acting independently of the rest, -contains detachments from four Army Corps and two cavalry divisions. -A cavalry division is made up of two brigades, each consisting of two -regiments which in turn contain four squadrons and a reserve squadron -of peace. - -The infantry of the French Army consists of 163 regiments of infantry -of the line, 31 battalions of Chasseurs à Pied, mainly stationed in -mountain districts, 4 regiments of Zouaves, 4 regiments of Turcos or -native Algerian tirailleurs, 2 regiments of the Foreign Legion, 5 -disciplinary battalions known as African Light Infantry. - -The cavalry organisation is 12 regiments of Cuirassiers, 32 regiments -of Dragoons, 21 regiments of Chasseurs--corresponding to the British -Lancers--14 regiments of Hussars, 6 regiments of Chasseurs d'Afrique, -and 4 regiments of native Algerian Cavalry known as Spahis. - -The French Army is rather weak in artillery, its total strength -consisting of 445 field batteries organised into 40 regiments of field -artillery; 52 batteries of horse artillery, the greater part of which, -however, have been transformed or are in process of transformation -to field batteries; 14 mountain batteries; 18 battalions of garrison -artillery, together with artificers to a total of 13 companies. Six -regiments of engineers are divided into 22 battalions, and there is -also a department of engineers known as the railway regiment. The -non-combatant branches of the Army are formed into 20 squadrons of -train, which contain the equivalents to the British Army Service Corps, -Army Ordnance Corps, and the _personnel_ of units connected with the -upkeep and maintenance of the Army in the field. In addition, there is -an Army Corps of colonial infantry, service in which is a voluntary -matter. Its strength is about 30,000 troops in France and over 60,000 -distributed throughout the various colonies. - -The officers of the French Army receive their training at military -schools established in various parts of the Republic, or else are -recruited from among non-commissioned officers. Not less than -one-third of the total number of French officers rise to commissions -by the latter method--Napoleon's remark about the marshal's bâton in -the private soldier's knapsack still holds good in the French Army. -The principal training schools are those of St. Cyr for infantry -and cavalry officers, the École Polytechnique for artillery and -engineer officers, and the musketry school at Châlons. The schools -of St. Maixent, Saumur, Versailles, and the gymnastic school at -Joinville-le-Pont are intended for the training of non-commissioned -officers selected for commissions. - -The rate of pay for men in the first period of service is very low, -ranging from the equivalent of a halfpenny a day upwards; but the law -under which the Army is constituted provides for the re-enlistment of -such men as wish to make a career of the Army, and on re-enlistment -the rate of pay is materially increased, while a bounty is given on -re-engagement, and at the conclusion of a certain amount of service -re-engaged men are granted pensions. It is only reasonable that, with -the adoption of the principle of universal service, the rate of pay -should be low; voluntary re-enlistment, however, is a different matter, -so the Republic rewards the men who re-engage at the conclusion of -their first term. From among them are selected practically all the -non-commissioned officers, while, considering that all necessaries of -life are provided for them in addition to their pay, even the rank and -file are not badly off. - -The armament of the French infantry is the Lebel rifle with bayonet, -this pattern of rifle having been adopted in 1886. It is understood -that an automatic rifle is under consideration, but a serious drawback -to the use of such a weapon is the fact that, with a rate of fire -three or four times as great as that of the ordinary magazine rifle -with bolt action, the automatic rifle would require more ammunition -than its user could carry. The weapon of the Field Artillery is a -shielded quick-firing gun of Creusot pattern, with a bore of 75 -millimetres. On this gun the field-guns of all nations have been -modelled, but, although it was the first of its kind to be put into -use, it still gives the artillery of the French Army a decided -advantage over that of other Continental nations, when reckoned gun for -gun. The French cavalry is armed with a straight sword, in place of the -old-fashioned curved blade which the French discarded some time ago, -but which remained in use in the British Army up to the end of 1907. A -carbine and bamboo lance are also carried. - -In all matters of military equipment and armament the French Republic -has led the world since its reconstitution after 1870. The Lebel rifle -and its adoption inaugurated a new era in the armament of infantry; -the 75-millimetre gun, as already noted, was the first of its kind -to come into use. The Lebel carbine which the cavalry carry is still -unsurpassed as a cavalry weapon. Further, France led the world in the -development of air craft; the lighter-than-air machine, certainly, -has developed into a German specialty, but the heavier-than-air -machine, or aeroplane, owes its development to French enterprise, and -very largely to French military enterprise. In all branches of the -service, and in all matters affecting the service, the French Army is -the home of experiment, and to this fact is due the greater part of -French military efficiency to-day. The bravery of French troops is -unquestioned, and, in addition to this, the French Army has nothing -to learn from the armies of other nations as regards _matériel_ and -equipment. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE FRENCH SOLDIER AT HOME - - -British soldiers, serving under a voluntary system, have little to say -for the conscript system, but a glance round Paris in time of peace -might persuade them that there are various compensations and advantages -in a conscript army which they, serving voluntarily, do not enjoy. -It is a surprise to one who has served in the British Army to see -the French Republican Guards stationed on the grand staircase of the -Opéra, and also at all entrances and exits of this famous building. In -practically every theatrical establishment in Paris the Guards may be -seen on this class of duty, for which they get specially paid. There -are military attendants at the Folies Bergères, at the Nouveau Cirque, -at the Moulin Rouge, and even at such an irresponsible home of laughter -as the Bal Tabarin. As the darkey said of Daniel in the lions' den, -these men get a free show. - -But it is not only when on duty that the French soldier is to be seen -in such places of amusement as these, for the non-commissioned officer -is to be found in company with his wife or _fiancée_ in every class -of seat. It is no uncommon thing to find among the most attentive -listeners at the Opéra a number of _piou-pioux_, in full uniform, among -the fashionable people in the stalls. The Republican rule, which makes -of every man a citizen and an equal of all the rest, leads to what, -in such a country as England, would be considered curious anomalies. -Beside the newspaper critic in full evening-dress may be seen the -private soldier, in uniform, taking notes with probably greater -intelligence than the newspaper man; for the soldier may be anything -in civilian life: the son of the rich banker occupies the next bed in -the barrack-room to the son of the Breton peasant, and the Cabinet -Minister's lad, when in uniform, is on a level with the gamin of Paris. - -It must be confessed that the average French soldier, when off parade, -looks rather slovenly. The baggy trousers go a long way toward the -creation of this impression. Then, again, the way in which the French -soldier is trained to march is far different from British principles. -The "pas-deflexion" does not look so smart as the stately march of the -British Guards, but it is more effective. This bent-knee, slouching -method carries men along with a swing; the step is shorter than that -of British troops, but the rate is more to the minute than that of the -British Army, and the men swing along, to all appearances tireless, at -such a pace that they cover about thirty miles a day on manoeuvres. -This, too, with a pack at which a British infantryman would look -aghast, for the French pack is proverbial for its size and weight. It -confers a great advantage, however, with regard to marching, in that -it lessens the amount of transport which must follow on the track of -infantry, and is necessary to the well-being of the men. - -A British infantry regiment on the march, and marching at ease, still -looks imposing; a French infantry battalion, on the other hand, is the -reverse of spectacular when marching at ease. The band comes first, -with its instruments carried anyhow so long as they are comfortable; -the rank and file, following, carry their rifles as the band carries -its instruments, in any fantastic position that makes for ease; step is -not maintained; the set "fours" which British troops maintain at ease -as well as at attention are not to be seen, for a man drops back to the -rank in his rear to talk to a comrade, or goes forward to the rank in -front to light his cigarette. They smoke and sing and joke; they eat -bread and drink wine by way of refreshment, since the evening meal -is yet a long way off; alongside the troops as they march may be seen -pedlars and hawkers offering their wares, and it is all quite the usual -thing, quite legitimate. The fetish of smartness is non-existent here; -comfort and use are the main points. - -But, at the given occasion, comes the word from the colonel; correct -formations appear out of the threes and fives of men as if by magic. -The band is a corporate body, marching to attention, and playing -the regiment on with every bit as fine a military appearance as any -British band. The men resume step, and, with their peculiar swinging -march, follow on, a regiment at attention, and as fine a regiment, in -appearance as well as in fact, as one would wish to see. Work is work, -and play is play, and the French soldier does both thoroughly. - -This attitude of the French soldier toward his work, and the fact -that he is permitted to maintain that attitude, are due to so large -a proportion of the officers having themselves served in the ranks. -There is a sufficient leavening of "ranker" officers to enable all -commissioned men to understand, when on a route march, what it feels -like to the rank and file. Unlike the British Army, that of France is -a Republican business. The very circumstance that discipline is more -severe arises from the fact that all men are equal, and both soldier -and officer know it. And, if ever the French soldier becomes conscious -that he is really suffering from the severity of discipline, he knows -that he is suffering in good company: under conscription there is no -escape. - -The training of the French _piou-piou_ in marching is a scientific -business. At first he is required to execute 160 steps to the -minute--very short steps taken very quickly. In this way the recruit is -made to cover 3000 yards at first, and then the distance is increased -to 12,000 yards, the increases being made a thousand yards at a time. -As the distance increases, the length of the step is increased, and the -number of steps to the minute decreased. The full course of training is -reckoned at three practices a week for three months, and the infantry -recruit, before being dismissed from training, is required to cover -twelve miles at the rate of seven miles an hour. There is no doubt -that this scientific training in marching, and the teaching of the -half-shuffling trot, characteristic of French infantry, add enormously -to the marching value of the men. One battalion of Chasseurs-à-Pied set -up a record in marching while on manoeuvres by covering no less than -68 kilometres (equivalent to nearly 40 English miles) in the course -of a day. This constitutes a definite record in marching, for any -considerable body of men. - -In the matter of smartness, it is hardly fair to compare a British -infantry battalion with a French one, for the point arises yet once -more with regard to the difference between a voluntary and a conscript -system. The English battalion is made up of picked men, while in the -French service all citizens are included; the fact of choice in the -case of the British battalion makes for uniformity. The recruits of the -French battalion include every man who has been passed by the revising -board, and there is not the same chance of maintaining that uniformity -which alone is responsible for smartness. And smartness itself is -but a survival from the days when a soldier was trained to no more -than unquestioning obedience, the old days before warfare became so -scientific as it is at present, when initiative was not required of the -rank and file. The only purpose served by smartness at the present day -is that of recruiting, and, obviously, a conscript army has no need of -this. Hence use rather than appearance comes first. - -An island people may well wonder that a conscript army could be so -popular as is the French, but then an island people could never -realise, although they might vaguely understand, what it must be like -to know that some day the army of a hostile nation may march across -the frontier. The absence of sea bulwarks makes a difference in the -temper of a people; an ever-present threat colours and modifies their -life, and, no matter how set for peace the conditions may appear, the -threat is present just the same. Since 1872 France as a whole has known -that the day of reckoning with Germany would come, and the knowledge -has grown more complete and more insistent with the passing of each -year and the increase in German military preparations, which could be -destined to fulfil but one end. France realised its duty to combat the -fulfilment of that end, and the nation as a whole set itself to prepare -against "The Day." - -By reason of this the French Army is popular; the discipline is severe, -far too much so for any English soldier to endure as a Frenchman -endures it; punishments are frequent, it is true, but they are -undergone in the right spirit by the great majority, who know that the -Army must be trained and kept in ultimate efficiency. The conscript -knows that his training is a part of the price that the nation must -pay for having a land frontier and a grasping neighbour, and he pays -his part of the price cheerfully and well. It may be said that no -conscript army in Europe is so popular as that of France; in none is -there a better spirit than that displayed by Frenchmen. The mercurial -temperament of the nation is yet another cause for severe disciplinary -measures, for in order to shape a Frenchman to military requirements -his extreme elasticity must be controlled, and this would be impossible -under such conditions as are sufficient for the maintenance of, say, -the British Army. - -Moreover, Republican rule and French military methods have forged bonds -between officers and men which never have existed and never will exist -in the army of their great opponent, for instance. I have devoted a -considerable section of a chapter to punishment, and possibly at first -sight this list may appear severe. It is, however, only necessary to -recall the fact that while Germany takes only a percentage of its men -for military training, and France takes the whole for the same purpose, -German methods are twice as severe. Yet again, it is not the quality -of the punishment inflicted, but the spirit in which it is inflicted -that counts most. The French soldier admires, respects, and will gladly -obey the colonel or captain who writes him down so many days _salle de -police_ when he deserves it. But the German soldier is hardly likely -to respect the officer who not only inflicts punishments according -to scale, but will lash him across the face with a whip until the -blood flows. Between French officers and their men is the spirit of -comradeship, and in this is evidence of the value of the French method -of training. Between the German officer and the man whom he commands -are hate and despite in the great majority of cases, and this also -attests the value of a system. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE HIGHER RANKS - - -So far as the rank and file of the French Army are concerned, no -officer above the rank of colonel is of consequence, for the man in -the ranks is not likely to come in contact with a general officer once -in a twelvemonth. The colonel is the head of the regiment, whether of -artillery, cavalry, or infantry, and his authority extends in every -direction over the men he commands. With the help of the Conseil -d'Administration he directs the administration of his regiment, and he -is responsible for discipline and instruction, all forms of military -education, sanitation, and police control, while, needless to say, -he is held responsible for the efficiency of the regiment and the -appearance of its men. He has absolute power as regards the appointment -of all non-commissioned officers and corporals, who, in the French -Army, do not rank as non-commissioned officers. - -Corresponding very nearly with the "second-in-command" common to -British units, the lieutenant-colonel of a French regiment acts -on behalf of the colonel, and is the intermediary of the latter -in every branch of the service. In the absence of the colonel the -lieutenant-colonel is empowered to issue orders in his name, and he is -also especially charged with the discipline and conduct of the officers -of the regiment. He keeps the report books concerning the officers, and -is responsible for the entering up of reports as regards their military -and private conduct and their efficiency. The colonel, however, -countersigns the reports, adding whatever notes he may think desirable. - -The French equivalent of the major of English cavalry is the Chef -d'Escadron, of whom there are two to each regiment, each in command of -two service squadrons. One is specially appointed to presidency over -the Commission des Ordinaires or arrangements for the food supply of -the regiment, while the other presides over the Commission d'Abattage, -which, in addition to the actual killing of horses, when such a step is -necessary, is concerned with arrangements for forage and all matters -connected with equine supplies. Each of the Chefs d'Escadron is -responsible for the culinary arrangements of his two squadrons, and the -management of canteens is also under his supervision. The two chefs are -in charge of the barrack police and transmit their orders with regard -to this duty through a captain and an adjutant. - -The officer known in the British service as quartermaster is termed -major in the French Army, but the French major has more definite -authority than the British quartermaster. Under his charge are placed -the regulation of pay and accounts, the making of purchases, the -supervision of equipment and barrack furniture, etc. The French major, -in addition to these head-quarters duties which concern the well-being -of the whole regiment, has definite command of the fifth squadron, -which forms the depot for the regiment in case of war. - -From the major the Capitaine Trésorier receives the pay and monies -which have to be distributed to the regiment. He is a member of the -Conseil d'Administration, from which he receives his authorisation -to make payment. The pay of the men is handed to them every fifth -day, when the Capitaine Trésorier or paymaster hands over to the -sergeant-major of each squadron, or to the captain commanding, the -pay of the squadron for distribution among the men. He also makes -all payments and issues demands for supplies for the horses of the -regiment, and a lieutenant or sub-lieutenant is appointed to assist the -paymaster in his duties. - -The Capitaine d'Habillement is the head of the regimental workshops -of every description; he is held responsible for the well-being -of the armoury, clothing stores, and barrack furniture, of which -establishments he keeps the accounts. He has in addition to superintend -all the regimental workshops, including those of the tailor, -boot-maker, saddler, etc. His assistant is a lieutenant known as the -Porte Étendard, who carries the colours of the regiment on parade--for -in French armies the colours are still carried on parade and into -action, unlike the rule of the British Army, which has abandoned the -carrying of colours into action for many years. - -The Capitaine-Instructeur is deputed to attend to the instruction of -the non-commissioned officers of the regiment, and is held responsible -for their efficiency in matters of drill and discipline. He also -lectures junior officers on their duties with regard to drill, -shooting, veterinary matters, topography, etc., and he is specially -responsible that the adjutants of the regiment perform their duties -properly. - -Of officers of the rank of captain, two are appointed to each squadron, -the senior being the Capitaine Commandant and the junior the Capitaine -en second, or junior captain. The senior captain is in charge of the -squadron, which in peace time has a strength of about 120 officers -and men, but for active service has its strength raised considerably. -He is responsible for the military education of his squadron, for the -discipline of the rank and file, and the condition of the horses and -stables, and he is also responsible for the pay and supplies of the -squadron handed over to him by the paymaster and others. He has control -of the promotion of non-commissioned officers and the leave granted -to non-commissioned officers and men. He is responsible to the Chef -d'Escadron for the efficient performance of his duties. - -The second captain of each squadron is, as regards squadron duties, -under the orders of the captain commanding, and is especially concerned -with all matters affecting food supplies. In addition to his squadron -duties, he has to take his turn every fifth week as "captain of -the week," when he has to supervise roll calls and assemblies, and -the mounting and dismounting of guards. As captain of the week he -supervises the cleanliness and security of the barracks and the work of -the police. - -Of lieutenants and sub-lieutenants, four are appointed to each -squadron, each being responsible for a _peloton_ or troop of men. -Responsible to the senior captain of the squadron for the performance -of his duties, the lieutenant is expected to instruct his men at drill, -supervise their work in stables, and see that their barrack rooms are -properly kept. The lieutenant is empowered to hold such inspections of -kit and clothes as he may think necessary. - -To every regiment two doctors are appointed, holding the ranks of -captain and lieutenant respectively. Each regiment of cavalry and -artillery is also provided with two veterinary surgeons. As the -duties of these officers are of a non-combatant nature, they are not -materially concerned with the discipline or military efficiency of the -regiment to which they are attached. - -Corresponding to the warrant-officer of the British Army and standing -as intermediary between officers and non-commissioned officers of the -French Army, the adjudants are appointed in the number of three to a -regiment. Two of these known simply as adjudants have different duties -from the third, to whom is given the title of Adjudant Vaguemestre. -The two adjudants assist the work of the captain-instructor in -immediately superintending the efficiency of non-commissioned officers. -All sergeants and corporals are subject to their authority, and, in -alternate weeks, each takes turn as "adjudant of the week" under the -captain of the week. In this orderly duty the adjudant of the week -keeps the rolls of sergeants and corporals, and arranges their turns -of duty. He keeps the register of punishments of non-commissioned -officers and the rank and file, and is responsible for the sounding of -all regimental calls; he transmits the orders of the colonel to the -sergeant-majors of the squadrons, and inspects the morning roll-call -of each squadron. He attends to the closing of canteens and sees that -"lights out" is obeyed in the barrack rooms. The position of adjudant -in the French Army is one of considerable authority, which, to the -credit of the service be it said, is seldom abused. The Adjudant -Vaguemestre is but a minor official by comparison with the other two. -He is generally a non-commissioned officer who has nearly finished his -period of service, and he acts as regimental postman and postmaster, -being, on the whole, a sort of handy man for all matters of business in -which responsibility is incurred. - -The sergeant-major of each squadron has almost as much authority as the -adjudant. He is, among the non-commissioned officers, what the senior -captain is among commissioned officers; he stands as right-hand man to -the senior captain, and, in constant contact with the non-commissioned -officers and men of the squadron, is able very largely to influence the -judgment of the captain with regard to the rank and file. He gives -all the captain's orders to the squadron with regard to instruction, -discipline, dress, etc. He is responsible for the keeping of books -and registers, and for this work has appointed to him as assistants a -sergeant _fourrier_ and corporal _fourrier_. He is in charge of the -squadron stores and of all the _matériel_ of the squadron. - -The sergeants are appointed in the number of one to a troop, and are -held responsible for the efficiency of the corporals and troopers. -They take turns as "sergeant of the week" for their squadrons, a duty -corresponding to that of the orderly-sergeant in the British Army. -Nominally, the sergeant of each troop is responsible to the lieutenant -or sub-lieutenant of the troop, but in reality the sergeant is more -under control of the squadron sergeant-major, and, through him, of the -captain. The sergeant drills the men of his troop; he is responsible -that the troop barrack room is properly kept; that kits and clothing -are kept clean and complete; that arms and saddlery, also, are kept in -order. As sergeant of the week, the sergeant inspects and reports to -the sergeant-major the correctness of morning and evening roll-call; -he keeps the roll of fatigue men, and also of men in the squadron for -guard; he parades the sick for inspection by the doctor and also -parades all men for fatigues and guards. The sergeant _fourrier_ -holding the rank of sergeant is more of the nature of squadron clerk, -as his duties, with the exception of escorting men sent to hospital, -consist mainly in keeping books and accounts, in which he has the -corporal _fourrier_ to help him. - -The corporal of the French Army is placed in charge of a squad of about -ten men; he sleeps in the same room with them, is responsible for their -personal cleanliness and the arrangement of their kits, and sees that -any men of his squad for guard or special duty turn out correctly. -He superintends the general cleaning of kit which the captain orders -weekly, and a rather curious duty which falls to his lot is to see -that the troopers of his squad change their linen once a week. This, -however, is not so curious as may appear at first sight, for it must -be borne in mind that the French Army sweeps up every class of citizen -into its net, and with some of the men personal cleanliness is so -little a habit that insistence on the point by one in authority is a -necessity. - -In addition to these intimate matters the French corporal has to -superintend the drill of recruits, teach them to arrange their kit -and packs, and show them methods of cleaning arms and kit, and -grooming horses. He is empowered to inflict minor punishments which -he must report to the sergeant in charge of the troop. The corporal -is responsible for the maintenance of order in the barrack room, for -the proper serving of meals, and the compliance with the order for -"lights out"; he takes turn as corporal of the week with his fellows, -and in that capacity is deputy for and assistant to the sergeant of -the week. Altogether, the corporal of the French Army has a very busy -time, and in addition to this his position is not so secure as that of -the British corporal; the latter's rank counts as a definite promotion, -while the rank of the French corporal is only an appointment, and he -may find himself "reduced" much more quickly than the British man in an -equivalent position. - -The conscript system, leading to a number of unwilling soldiers, is -much more provocative of punishments than the voluntary system. In the -latter, all men who enlist get the habit of making the best of their -service; they have joined the army of their own free will, and have -only themselves to blame if they do not like it. In a conscript army, -however, there are many who hate the limitations imposed on them by -service in time of peace, and enter only with a view to getting the -business over and getting back to their former positions in life; -it is a disagreeable necessity, the period of military service, and -they are there to do as little as possible, without any regard to the -welfare of the country, though a national emergency like the present -finds every man willing to do his part. Not that such an attitude -is the rule in time of peace, but, especially among the very lowest -classes, it is not unusual. Since it is impossible to make sheep and -goats of the men, but all must be treated alike, discipline is much -more rigid and severe than in the British Army--which is the only -voluntary European army from which comparisons can be drawn. The view -is taken--necessarily taken--that men must be compelled to do their -work and learn their lessons of drill and shooting; for those who give -trouble in any way, there is the _salle de police_, or guard-room, -the prison for worse offences, and, for hardened offenders, there is -service in the dreaded disciplinary battalions of Algeria. This last -form of punishment is resorted to only in the case of men who have -"committed one or several faults, the gravity of which makes any other -mode of repression inadequate." - -Contrary to the rule of the British Army, in which only commanding and -company or squadron officers are empowered to inflict punishment, in -the French Army any man can be punished by any other man holding a -rank superior to his own, under all circumstances that may arise. As -an instance: if a private of a British regiment insulted a corporal -of another regiment, the case would be reported to the man's own -commanding officer, who in due time would investigate the case and -inflict the requisite punishment for the offence; in the French Army, -if a private were guilty of a similar offence, the injured corporal -would be at liberty to inflict the punishment on his own account; his -action would have to be confirmed by a superior officer, but, under the -rules governing the administration of punishment, there would be no -difficulty about that. - -The officer in command of a regiment has power to increase, diminish, -or even cancel punishments inflicted by inferior officers, and the -captain in charge of a squadron has a like power over the subordinate -officers directly under his command and over the punishments they may -inflict. - -This system of giving so much power to all has more against it than in -its favour. Certainly, given a just junior officer or non-commissioned -officer, he is more likely to inflict a punishment that fits the crime -than the commanding officer to whom he may report the case--he knows -all the circumstances better than the man to whom he may tell them, -and, in direct contact with the offender at the time the offence was -committed, is not so likely to err on the side of undue severity or -that of undue leniency--and that is about all that can be said in -favour of the system. Against it must be said that it places in the -hands of very many men, of all ranks and grades, a tremendous power -which may easily be abused; under such a system a sergeant or corporal -who has a grudge against a particular man can make that man's life a -perfect misery to him, and, since in a conscript army authority must -be upheld at all costs, even more than in a volunteer army, the right -of complaint which belongs to the man is not often of much use to -them--discipline would be impaired if officers upheld their men against -their non-commissioned officers. - -Further, officers are more liable to punishment in the French Army than -in the British. In the latter force, a court-martial on an officer -is a very rare thing, but in the French service the equivalent to a -court-martial is not an infrequent occurrence, and a certain percentage -of officers get "confined to room," "confined to fortress," suspended -from duty for varying periods, and cashiered (dismissed from the -service),--these things happening with considerably greater frequency -than in the British Army. It must be said, on the other hand, that -the French officer has more required of him in time of peace than -the British officer; he is required to be in closer contact with his -men, and to undertake more arduous duties, and, on the whole, French -officers are keen soldiers, intent on the performance of their duties, -taking themselves and their work very seriously. The lesson of Metz in -1870 has not been wasted on the modern French Army, and the knowledge -that some day the nation would again take up arms against its eastern -neighbour has led to a strict maintenance of efficiency on the part of -the officers of the Army, and to a keenness quite equal to that shown -in a voluntary force. - -Non-commissioned officers are subject to punishments of a more severe -nature than those inflicted on their fellows in the British Army--the -constant comparison between the two, in matters of discipline, is -necessary in order to give a clear idea of conditions of service for -all ranks of the French Army. The British non-commissioned officer is -either reprimanded or reduced to the ranks; the French non-commissioned -officer may be confined to barracks after evening roll-call, confined -to his room for slight breaches of discipline, or sent to prison and -still retain his rank on his release, a thing impossible in the British -service. Only for repeated misdemeanours are non-commissioned officers -reduced to the ranks, while one offence is sufficient to ensure this -punishment in the British service. Privates are punished in various -ways according to the nature of the offence committed. The lightest -punishment of all consists of extra fatigue duty; next in order comes -inspection on guard parade, the man in question being compelled to -parade with the guard in full marching order for a definite number of -times; confinement to barracks for a stated period is inflicted for -still more serious but still light offences; being sent to the _salle -de police_ is a considerably severer form of punishment, and consists -in the offenders being kept at night in the guard-room, doing ordinary -duty during the day, and, in addition, doing all sorts of fatigues and -making themselves scavengers for the regiment. Prison and solitary -confinement in cells are two forms of punishment allotted to really -bad characters, on whom the previously named forms of punishment have -not sufficient effect. Finally, there are the Algerian disciplinary -battalions, and the man who is sent to one of these may be reckoned as -a criminal, as a rule. It is a curious fact that reading a newspaper -constitutes an offence against discipline in the French Army, and no -newspapers are permitted to be brought into barracks. - -The list of officers given in this chapter has been taken from the -staff of a French cavalry regiment, but it applies almost identically -to artillery units, while, in the case of infantry units, it is -necessary only to delete all that refers to the care of horses, and the -staff of officers and non-commissioned officers is practically the same -as in the cavalry. The French "regiment" of artillery is a similar unit -of strength to that of most great continental armies, though it has no -equivalent in the British service, where the artillery is grouped in -units known as brigades, of not much more than half the strength of the -continental regiment. The French cavalry regiment also is considerably -stronger than the British cavalry unit, containing five squadrons to -the latter's four. This brings the cavalry regiment of the French Army -nearly up to the strength of the infantry unit. - -The matter of punishments has been dwelt on at some length, owing to -the prominence given to punishment in the French Army. Made up as it -is of every class, the members of which are compelled to serve whether -they like it or no, punishment is a necessity, and a frequent one at -that, in the case of all ranks. It does not, however, alter the fact -that the great majority of French conscripts are keen and willing -soldiers, who make the best of their service and give a good account of -themselves. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -INFANTRY - - -Since the training of the French soldier lasts but two years, it is of -little use making a distinction between recruits and others, for two -years is a very brief period into which to compress all that a soldier -must learn in order to become efficient. It may be noted that, in the -British service, three years is considered the shortest period in which -an infantry soldier can be turned out as fully efficient. Again, it -must always be borne in mind, in considering the French Army, that -_all_ must be taught their work. There is as great a percentage of -stupid people in France as in any other country; a voluntary army is at -liberty to reject fools as undesirable, but the nation with a conscript -system must train the fools as well as the wise ones, for, admitting -the principle that strength consists in numbers of trained men, then -every rifle counts so long as its holder is capable of firing. - -The conscript, coming to the colours on the first of October, is -usually given the choice of the arm of service in which he will do -his two years' training. The subject of this chapter has elected to -serve in the infantry of the line. He may have just completed an -expensive education, or he may have come from Montmartre, the slums of -a provincial town, the _landes_ of Brittany, or a village of French -Lorraine; in civilian life he may have been a peasant, a street arab, -a student of philosophy, a future president of the Republic--it is all -the same on that first of October, for now he is simply a conscript -with two years' military training before him, and a halfpenny a day for -his pay, together with a periodical allowance of tobacco, which is one -of the luxuries that the French Army allows to its soldiers. - -Arrived at his station the conscript finds his room, and is allotted a -bed therein. He finds himself placed under a corporal who will teach -him all about his rifle, manifest an interest in the cleanliness of his -linen, see that he gets his hair cut, instruct him in drill, turn him -out of bed in the morning, and see that he is in, or accounted for, -when the roll is called at night. The first business of the conscript -is to get fitted out from the store in which the battalion keeps -clothes for its men. Here he gets his boots, his parade uniform, and -his fatigue outfit. His captain, with the assistance of the master -tailor, passes the outfit as complete and correct, and the conscript -says good-bye to civilian attire for a period of two years. There was -one youngster, a Breton youth, who mourned for a week or two after -coming to the colours, because the cow at home would not take its food -from other people as it would from him; there are many who remember how -they used to milk the goats, and these make humorous little tragedies -for a time, for their fellow conscripts. - -Like the British infantryman, the conscript is concerned principally -in learning to march and shoot, and use his bayonet. In the matter of -marching, to which reference has already been made, the training of the -conscript is a complicated business. No walking that he has ever done -as a civilian bears any relation to this curious half-shuffling trot, -unless by chance he is a native of the Vosges country, and in that case -he may recall a rapid climb up some steep hill, to which this business -of the march is more nearly akin than to anything else. Perhaps he does -not take kindly to his work at first, but, in addition to the corporal -under whose charge he is placed, there are the men who sleep on either -side of him to inculcate in him the first principles of discipline, for -there is nothing on earth half so comforting to the man placed under a -system as to be able to give advice to a new-comer to the system and -its disabilities. - -Thus, with the assistance of the corporal and of his comrades, the new -conscript settles to his work. Within a couple of months he has begun -to understand the principle of this marching business, and, in common -with all youngsters, he takes a pride in his new accomplishment. It -is a tiring business, _certainement_, but then, what would you? A man -must be taught, and, after all, it is only for two years, at the end of -which one may go back to the cow or the goats, or the kerbstone, or the -life of one who sits above these things--and Pierre, who occupies the -corner bed, is an amusing rascal; it is not so bad, this military life, -after all, but one would there were a little more money and a little -more time. However.... - -The conscript must be taught to shoot. First of all, and not -infrequently as a matter of necessity, he is taught the difference -between the butt and the muzzle of a rifle. He is taught how to hold -the thing, how to clean it, how to press its trigger, how to load it, -and how to adjust its sights. He is made familiar with the weapon -in the fullest sense of the word "familiar," for shooting is not -altogether a matter of blazing away ammunition; the good shot is the -man who has a thorough knowledge of the various parts of his weapon, -and who has been taught to nurse it and care for it just as the Breton -lad nursed and cared for his cow. The equivalent of the British Morris -tube is requisitioned to instruct the conscript in the first elements -of firing a rifle. Across a large white target a thin black line is -drawn horizontally, and the conscript is set to firing at this target -until he can make reasonably consistent practice on the black line. -His corporal is at hand to correct defects, and his sergeant is there -too, to instruct and ever to instruct. By and by the conscript begins -to feel with regard to his shooting as he feels about the marching. One -must learn, and rifle shooting is not an unpleasant business, though -the cleaning of the rifle is another matter, and they are wonderfully -particular about the way in which it is done. That corporal and that -sergeant must have eyes behind them. - -Instruction in the use of the bayonet is very largely a similar sort of -business, a matter of perpetual care on the part of the instructors and -of gradually increasing efficiency on the part of the conscript. Then -there is the gymnastic class, by means of which limbs are made supple, -and muscles strengthened--it is only by continuous training that the -marvellous efficiency to which the French conscript attains in the -short space of two years is compassed. There is no "furlough season" as -British troops know it; the conscript goes up to work all the time, and -in that period of work he is transformed from hobbledehoy to man. - -Marching, the use of rifle and bayonet, and gymnastic classes, do not -by any means exhaust the schedule of conscript training. There is all -the business of barrack room life, the cleaning of equipment in which -the corporal is ever at hand to instruct, and men in their second -year are also at hand to advise and give hints; there are fatigues, -white-washing, trench-digging, and all sorts of things of which in -pre-military days, probably, the conscript never dreamed. There are -route marches with the battalion, the commanding officer and band at -the head. There is always something to do, always something waiting -to be done, and in looking forward there is an endless succession of -very busy days to contemplate. One goes to bed tired--very healthily -tired--and one wakens to work. The work is not always pleasant, but it -has the charm--if such it can be called--of never-ending variety. A -monotonous variety it may be, but then, one has little time to think, -and then there is always the canteen, and Jean, who sleeps in the -corner opposite Pierre, has just received his allowance from home. -There is yet ten minutes before parade--we will go with Jean to the -canteen.... - - - - -CHAPTER V - -OFF DUTY - - -There is a strict but unwritten law of the French Army as regards the -canteen: no man may take a drink by himself. _Faire suisse_ is the term -applied, if one goes to the canteen alone, and the rest of the men in -the conscript's room look on him as something of a mean fellow if he -does such a thing as this. Of course, it works out at the same thing -in the end, and share and share alike is not a bad principle, while it -is eminently good Republicanism. Jean must share his remittance from -home with somebody; he can pick the men whom he desires to treat, but -he must not lay himself open to the accusation of _faire suisse_, no -matter what arm of the service he represents. It is bad comradeship, -for his fellows, when they have a slice of luck, would not think of -doing it. Why should he? - -Thus, and with justice, they reason, and out of such reasoning comes -the sharing of the last drops of water with a comrade on the field, the -acts of self-denial and courageous self-sacrifice for which men of the -French Army have always been famed. It is a little thing in itself, -this compulsory sharing of one's luck, but it leads to great things, at -times. - -Should Jean go to the canteen alone, punishment awaits him from his -comrades. If he is well liked, he will get off with having his bed -tipped up after he has got to sleep at night. If he is a surly fellow, -he may reckon on what British troops know as a "blanket court-martial," -which means that his comrades of the room will catch him and place -him in a blanket, the edges of which are held all round by his fellow -soldiers. At a given signal the blanket will be given a mighty heave -upward by all who are holding it, and Jean will fly ceiling-ward, to -alight again in the blanket and again be heaved up. This process, -repeated a dozen times or so, leaves Jean with not a sufficiency of -breath to beg for mercy, while at the same time he is quite undamaged, -and, if he is wise, he will not incur the accusation of _faire suisse_ -again. - -He may be fool enough to report the matter to his sergeant, as, by the -rules of the service, he is entitled to do. In that case the sergeant -will threaten Jean's comrades with punishment for causing annoyance to -a man, but the threat, as the men well know, is all that will happen -to them--but not all that will transpire as regards Jean. The French -soldier abhors a sneak, and treats him as he deserves. Jean will get -a rough time for many days to come, and will not dare to complain to -the sergeant again. It is rough justice, but effective; so long as a -man plays the game properly with his fellows, he is all right, and the -sergeant knows it. Hence Jean may make complaints till he is black in -the face about the conduct of his fellows, but by so doing he will only -make himself unpopular, and before he has got far into his first year -of service he learns to take his own part, and not to go running to the -sergeant with his little troubles. It does not pay--and, if it did, the -French Army would not be what it is in the matter of comradeship and -good feeling. - -One good thing about the canteen is its cheapness. One can get coffee -and a roll--which amounts to a French conscript's breakfast--for the -equivalent of three halfpence, and this charge is a fair sample of -the prices of all things. Whatever one may ask for, too, it is served -in good quality, for the canteen is under strict supervision of the -officers, who are quick to note and remedy any cause for complaint on -the part of the men. - -Early morning breakfast, as it is served in the British Army, is -unknown in French units. On turning out in the morning, coffee is -brought round to the barrack rooms, but the first real meal of the day -is "soup" at ten o'clock. The food is properly served in dishes, and a -corporal or a man told off for the duty is at the head of each table -to help each man to his allowance, for which an enamelled plate is -provided. Crockery is unsafe in a barrack room, and the fact is wisely -recognised. - -The canteen of the British Army, so far as drinks are concerned, -provides beer only for its men, but beer is scarcely ever seen in a -French canteen. Various brands of wine are at the disposal of the -conscript, and it is possible to get a bottle of drinkable stuff for -fivepence, though in order to obtain a really good brand one must pay -at least a franc, for which the wine obtained is equal to that for -which many a London restaurant will charge half a crown. Wine is the -staple drink of the Army, though brandy finds favour among the hardened -drinkers. The man who goes to the canteen for a bottle of wine to share -with a comrade must not be regarded as a tippler, for the clarets which -the canteen provides are not very alcoholic beverages, containing as -they do but little more alcohol to the pint than supposedly "teetotal" -ginger beer of some brands. - -To each company of infantry, as to each squadron of cavalry and -battery of artillery, is allotted a barber, whose business is to -shave every conscript of his company at least twice a week free of -cost, the barber being remunerated by the authorities. Since most men -need to shave every day in order to fulfil the requirements of parade -appearance, it is obvious that the efforts of the barber in this -direction must be supplemented by the men themselves, and on the whole -the barber gets an easy time as a rule, for the man who shaves himself -three times a week will usually get the business done without troubling -the barber at any time. - -Complaints used to be made, especially in infantry stations, about the -sanitation and lack of washing accommodation in French barracks, but -modern custom has remedied all this. Chief cause of reformation was the -Russo-Japanese War, which showed that an army is twice as effective -if matters of sanitation are properly attended to--it does not pay to -have men falling sick from the presence of nursery beds for infectious -diseases. The French Army, ever first in experiment for the efficiency -of its men and in search of ways to increase the fighting value of -the forces available, has taken the lessons of modern sanitation to -heart. In practically all barracks, now, the soldier can enjoy a hot -bath or a cold one when he wishes; all that is still to be desired -is a greater regard for necessary sanitary measures, and a greater -regard for personal cleanliness among the men themselves. The peasant -lad, who has lived a comparatively lonely life in absolutely healthy -surroundings, does not understand at first that barrack life exposes -him to fresh dangers, and he has to be taught what, to a town dweller, -are elementary facts as regards infection. For this reason, tubercular -and allied complaints still rank rather high in the medical statistics -of the French Army, though every year sees an improvement in this -respect. - -But a dissertation of this kind has taken us far from the canteen, -and the methods employed by the conscript in spending his spare time. -Not that the canteen is the only place of amusement, but in stated -hours, as in the British Army, the canteen is the rallying point of -men off duty. It is closed to men undergoing _salle de police_ at all -times, and this forms a not inconsiderable part of their punishment; -for to a soldier the canteen is not merely a place where he may obtain -refreshments, alcoholic and otherwise, but also a place to meet his -friends, hear a good song, discuss the doings of various companies, and -of various friends, whom he meets here and with whom he can compare -notes. The barrack room may not contain more than one close friend--if -that--and the other men in the squad to which the conscript belongs -may be of different provinces, of totally different ideals and ways -of thought--as if a Highland Scot were planted down in a squad of -Londoners. In the canteen, however, a man can be certain of meeting -and sitting down for a confab with his own chums, men not only of his -year--that is, joining on the same first of October as himself--but -also hailing, perhaps, from the same town or village as himself, glad -to share a bottle of claret at a franc the bottle and to talk over the -things left behind with civilian clothing. - -As for canteen songs, one may guess that in the French Army there is -always plenty of real talent, for the nation as a whole, like all -Latin nationalities, is a very musical one, and since all come to the -Army, the singers come with the rest. The songs, perhaps, are not of -the highest drawing-room order, even for French drawing-rooms, but the -musical and vocal abilities of the singers are beyond question; for in -a gathering of men where the best can be obtained, little short of the -best ventures to bring itself to notice. - -This mention of canteen songs recalls the fact that the French -infantryman beguiles the tedium of route-marching by songs, -interminably long songs which go on and on for miles; in recalling -what the next verse will be, a man forgets the number of miles between -him and the end of the march, or he thinks he may be able to, which -amounts to very nearly the same thing. They still sing songs that were -in vogue at the time of Fontenoy, as they march at ease along the -endless straight roads of the country, with their rifles slung anyhow -and their formations broken up that friend may march with friend. -This is when marching "at ease" only, for let a column of marching -infantrymen come to the streets of a town, and they immediately stiffen -up to show themselves at their best before the girls at the windows. -The Army of the Republic is a part of the nation, but the women of -the nation manifest no less interest in it for the fact that their -fathers and brothers have served. There is something in the sound of -a military band and the sight of a column of uniformed men that will -always bring faces to the windows of a French house. "So our Jacques is -perhaps marching somewhere," they say, or--"Thus we marched to relieve -Bazaine," will remark a veteran of the '70 campaign, feeling the while -that these men may yet make of "'70" a thing no longer to remember in -connection with lost provinces. And, once the town or village street is -left behind, and the road stretches unbroken before the column, the -men begin to sing again, and their officers smile at the song--they are -too wise, in the French Army, to suppress the singing and the cigarette -smoking, and thus the men march well. As well, certainly, as any -infantry in the world, and probably better than most. - -Although it is a conscript army, there are regimental traditions, as -in the British or in any other service. Your conscript in his second -year of service will tell how his regiment captured the colours -here, or saved the position there, in the way-back days, and is -nearly as proud of it as if he, instead of the fellow soldiers of his -great-grandfather, were concerned in the business. _Esprit de corps_, -though now a common phrase in connection with the British Army, was -first of all a French idiom--and is yet, and an untranslatable one -too--designed to express the French soldier's pride in his own unit of -the service, or in his own branch of the service. At the present time, -it has as much application to the French Army as in the day when the -phrase was coined; pride in his own powers of endurance, and pride in -the unit in which he serves, still characterise the French conscript, -and in the last ten years or so this feeling has grown to such an -extent as to place the French Army, although a conscript organisation, -on a level with a voluntary force. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -CAVALRY - - -As in all armies, the French cavalryman considers himself as good as -two infantrymen; the origin of this may probably be traced back through -time to feudal days, when only the better classes of vassals were able -to provide horses with which to come to the standard of the feudal -chief. Certain it is that even in these present days of scientific -warfare, when the guns and rifles count equally with the swords of an -Army Corps, the cavalryman still looks on himself as a superior person, -more efficient and more to be admired than a mere gunner or a mere man -in a line regiment of infantry. Certainly, he rides, and this fact he -is always ready to impress on the infantryman; what he keeps quiet -about is that he has to groom the horse he rides, and to attend to its -needs when the infantryman, having finished his march at practically -the same time the cavalryman finished his, has his meal cooked and -eaten before his fellow of the mounted unit has got away from stables. - -Considering that the time of the infantry conscript is fully occupied -in the compression of all his tuition into his two years of service, -it may be imagined that the way of the cavalryman is not an easy one, -for he has far more to learn than the infantryman. He has not only to -learn to use the carbine which corresponds in his case to the infantry -rifle, and to execute movements on foot, but he has to groom his horse, -clean his saddle, keep the stables in order, and do all the things that -are absolute necessities where horses are concerned, as well as having -nearly twice as much personal kit to look after as the infantryman--and -then he has to be trained in the use of the sword, that of the lance in -some regiments, and to add to his other drills the business of riding -school. - -The horses of French cavalry, as a whole, are not so well cared for -as those of the English cavalry regiment; methods used in connection -with the care of horses are not so complete and perfect, and the stock -itself is not such well-bred stuff, as a whole, as the horseflesh that -goes to the British Army from Irish and other breeding establishments. -At the same time, the cavalry trooper is taught how to care for his -mount in his own way, and, trained in a harder school, French horses -of the cavalry are tougher than those of English regiments. If a unit -from each army were placed side by side in a position in which there -was no chance of feeding horses on full rations of forage, but all had -to live on the country and make the best of it for a time, the French -animals would probably come out better of the two from the ordeal, -since they are more used to hardships in time of peace. The British -trooper is taught to treat his horse as he would a baby, while the -French soldier, inured to rigorous discipline himself, has a horse that -shares his own circumstances. - -The cavalry conscript elects to serve in a mounted unit, for, on the -1st of October on which a man comes up for his training, he is given -choice between cavalry, artillery and infantry service, as far as the -exigencies of the service will permit. Like the infantry recruit, he -begins his service by drawing kit and clothing and fitting the latter -to the satisfaction of his superior officers; in addition to the -equivalent of the kit drawn from store by the infantryman, however, the -cavalry conscript must draw stable kit and cleaning materials, spurs -and all that goes to make the difference between the mounted and the -dismounted soldier. Unlike modern practice in the British cavalry, -the way with the French conscript is to get on teaching him at once -as much as possible; riding school, foot drill, gymnastic exercises, -and stable work are all crowded into his day, for there are but two -years available before he will go back to civilian attire and ways. And -there is much to teach him; more, really, than two years can be made -to serve for. It may be said that, except in the case of men who were -skilled riders before they came up for training, the French cavalry -conscript is not a complete soldier by the time he has finished his two -years, for it is impossible that he should be. All that can be done -to make him efficient is done, though, and the difference between the -finished article, going back to civilian avocations, and the conscript -from which he is formed, is little short of marvellous. Detractors from -the merits of a conscript system overlook the effect on the conscript -as regards physique and moral stamina; out of the rough schooling men -emerge far more fitted for the battle of life than they entered, and -the net effect of military training in a cavalry regiment--two years -of it, taken as the French soldier is made to take his training--is in -nineteen cases out of twenty all to the good. - -Riding-school is a serious business; when a man first leads his horse -through the riding-school entrance and mounts, he learns what a -perfect brute--from his point of view--an instructor can be, and it -is not until he is nearing the end of his period of riding-school -instruction that he learns to look on the instructor as not a bad -fellow, a bit strict at his work, but responsible for the turning out -of some of the finest riders in the world. For in horsemanship the -French soldier is no whit behind his English confrère, and it is only -in recent years that the British Army has taken up the circus tricks -which for many years have been practised in the French Army in order to -make men thoroughly familiar with their mounts. A conscript is taught -not only to ride a saddled horse, but also to vault on to the back -of a cantering horse, to make his horse lie down, and various other -tricks--they are nothing more in themselves--which give him thorough -confidence in himself and thorough knowledge of the capabilities, -intelligence, and nature of his horse. Recognising the wisdom of this -form of teaching, the British Army has of late adopted it, to the -betterment of cavalry riding as a whole. - -The new _loi de trois ans_, introduced in the war ministry of M. -Viviani, will be to the advantage of the French cavalry, when it -has had chance of a fair trial--it had hardly become a definite law -before the outbreak of war put a stop to peace training and peace -organisation. But, when things become normal again, it is certain that -the cavalry will benefit by the extension of the period of service, -and although they were perfectly capable of taking the field when need -arose, French cavalry will be improved in quality by the additional -training. This applies not so much to the main points of drill and -discipline as to little things; veterinary tricks and ways, capacity -for individual service, and self-dependence in the fullest sense, -especially to the extent demanded of the man who goes out on patrol -work and scouting duty, are not to be learned as thoroughly as could be -wished in two years, but must be ingrained by experience as well as by -tuition. - -Before his first year of training is concluded the cavalry conscript is -expected to have learned all that the riding-school can teach him. In -addition to the class of riding which may be termed circus work, and is -taught on horses with handled pads instead of saddles, the recruit is -initiated into bending lessons, by which his horse is rendered flexuous -and easily amenable to pressure of leg and rein. It is worthy of note, -by the way, that the principle on which the modern training of horses -is based is due to a Frenchman, who brought to England what were at the -time considered revolutionary principles with regard to riding. - -The method by which the French conscript is trained at riding school is -of such a nature that it trains horse and man at the same time. At the -beginning of training with saddles the ride is formed of about sixteen -men who walk, trot, and canter their mounts along sides of a square in -single file. The man is made to ride his horse well into the corners -of the square and to make three turns sharply, and, when men have -acquired full control of their horses so as to be able to perform this -simple movement properly, they are taken on to more complex matters. -While strung out along one side of the square, at the word of command -each man turns his horse at a direct right angle, proceeds across the -square, and, turning again at a right angle on the far side, the ride -forms single file again and proceeds. A diagonal movement of the same -nature is then taught; men are taught to halt their horses suddenly and -rein them back a length or two; they are taught when at the canter to -cause their horses to passage sideways across the square, and, in fact, -are instructed to make every movement of which a horse is capable. -At first, as may be assumed, the tuition is carried out with trained -horses, but, as men become advanced in the art and practice of riding, -they are put on to younger horses, and it will be easily understood -that, in learning himself to make the horse execute the movements, the -cavalryman trains the horse to its work as well as increasing his own -knowledge. - -In the matter of foot drill there is not so much to learn in the -cavalry as in the infantry. Cavalry foot drill, as a matter of fact, is -practically a replica of the drill to which troops and squadrons of men -are subjected when mounted. The principle governing cavalry foot drill -in practically all armies consists in assuming that a man shall not be -called on to execute a movement which he cannot execute on horseback, -as, otherwise, confusion might arise in the course of mounted drill. -It would be interesting, for instance, if cavalry were taught infantry -drill, to see what would happen if a squadron of mounted men were -ordered to form fours in the infantry style. - -Actual foot movements do not by any means comprise the total of drill -that the cavalry conscript must learn on foot before applying it to -mounted work. The use of the sword and also that of the lance are first -thoroughly taught to squads of dismounted men, and a recruit must be -fully conversant with sword and lance exercise before he ventures to -perform either offensive or defensive movements with either of these -weapons on horseback. The unskilled man waving a sword about when -mounted would probably do more damage to his horse's eyes and ears than -to anything else, and the man with the lance, if unskilled, would -probably find himself dismounting involuntarily if he tried to use -the lance on a spirited horse. Thus men are taken out, dismounted, -in squads; each man assumes the position which he would occupy on -horseback with feet well apart, knees bent and toes turned to the -front--an exhausting posture to maintain for any length of time. In -this attitude the recruit is taught such movements as are requisite to -full control of sword and lance. For final training in the use of these -weapons men are given fencing outfits and set in pairs to oppose each -other. When they have attained to proficiency, the whole business is -repeated on horseback, and by that time their training for actual field -work in the ranks is practically complete. - -The part of his work that the cavalry conscript likes least is the -grooming and sweeping up and cleaning of saddlery in the stables. -There is a morning stable hour with which the day begins; there are -about two hours before midday which must be devoted to grooming, -cleaning saddlery, sweeping up, etc., and there is another hour or so -to be spent at stables in the afternoon, when the "orders of the day" -are read out to the men by the sergeant-major of the squadron or his -representative. - -As is the case in the infantry, each conscript, on arriving at the -regiment in which he is to serve, is allotted to the charge of a -corporal, who instructs him in all things pertaining to his work, and -takes charge of him on _corvées_, the equivalent to the "fatigues" of -the British Army. _Corvées_ include the carrying of forage from the -stores to stable, fetching coal for the cooks, white-washing where -and when necessary, building riding-school jumps, and, in fact, all -and every class of work which men are unable to perform individually -for themselves. Much of this work is undergone by the men sentenced -to _salle de police_, which is the equivalent of the British Army's -punishment known as "days to barracks," with the addition that the -offenders sleep in the guard room at night instead of in the barrack -room. This of course involves entire confinement to barracks, which no -offender is allowed to quit unless he is on duty; it also involves no -possibility of attendance at the canteen at any time of the day, and, -further, the man sentenced to _salle de police_ devotes practically -all the spare time that is his under normal circumstances to some form -of _corvée_. On the whole, however, the punishment is not so severe as -it appears, for, with the exception of sleeping in the guard room at -night, and rising exceptionally early in the morning, a man undergoing -_salle de police_ is not debarred from the society of his comrades, -and there is usually some good-natured chum willing to fetch canteen -produce, and thus make up for at least one of the deficiencies involved. - -This last, however, must be done when the corporal is not looking, or -else both men are likely to get into trouble. Strict discipline is -the rule and the conscript is expected to take his punishment--when -he incurs it--as part of his training. It must be added as a mark of -the quality of the material of which the French Army is composed that -punishments and rewards alike are usually accepted in equally good part. - -The corporal, who is the superior officer with whom the conscript -is brought most frequently in contact, sleeps in the same room as -his squad; he is thus able to give men hints with regard to riding -school work; he trains his squad at elementary drill, both mounted and -dismounted; he instructs men in the way in which clothing should be -folded for placing on the shelf, and the way in which to clean kit and -equipment. In the matter of troop drill the conscript is taught his -work by the sergeant of the _peloton_ or troop, and the sergeant in -turn is responsible to the lieutenant or sub-lieutenant over him. He -is also responsible to the sergeant-major of the squadron, and through -him to the senior captain of the squadron. To follow the matter -through, the senior captain is responsible to the _Chef d'Escadrons_, -who again is responsible to the commanding officer of the regiment. -Decentralisation of command has been an important factor in French -military training for many years, and although the responsibilities of -the corporal and sergeant pass through so many grades before they reach -the ultimate head of affairs, both these lower ranks are extremely -important items in the discipline and training of the French cavalry -regiments. - -There is one system pursued both in the cavalry and in the artillery -of the French Army which leads to pleasant expeditions for a certain -number of men in each of these branches of the service. The system -referred to is that of boarding out a certain number of horses away -from regimental control for that portion of the year which the regiment -spends in barracks. When the time approaches for the regiment to go -on manoeuvres, a party usually made up of a sergeant, possibly a -corporal, and two or three troopers, goes round to the farms where -these horses are at grass, and inspects them with a view to reporting -on their condition and fitness for use. As may be imagined, the men -selected for these expeditions are envied their appointments, for -it is a pleasant matter to get away from the discipline and strict -routine of service with the regiment for a time, and, if the sergeant -in charge is a companionable man, the whole affair becomes a perfect -picnic for the men concerned. On expeditions of this kind men are -perfectly certain of receiving full hospitality at such places as they -may visit, and altogether the trip is as good as the furlough which -the conscript, unlike his British _confrère_, does not get, save in -exceptional circumstances. The two years in which a man must become -fully conversant with his work is too short a period, in view of the -number of duties he has to learn, to admit of holidays. - -Altogether, the life of the cavalry conscript in barracks is not by any -means an unpleasant business. A comparatively large number of men, when -given the choice of the arm of the service in which to serve, request -to be sent to the cavalry. The majority of those joining cavalry -regiments are used to horses in some way--and by this is implied very -many ways indeed, and very many kinds of horse. French cavalry as a -whole is built up out of good material; the spirit of the men is good; -the reputation of the French cavalry for horse-mastership is as wide -as it is deserved, and, bearing in mind the period of active service -for which men are required to serve, it may safely be said that there -is no better body of cavalry troops in the world than the French. This -remark, however, cannot be reckoned as a wise one if the speaker is -addressing a British cavalryman, who always regards himself as a member -of the premier squadron in the best regiment of the very finest cavalry -force existent. But then, the French cavalryman will tell the same -story. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -ARTILLERY - - -In the matter of armament and the quality thereof, French artillery is -second to none; but in the matter of numbers the Field Artillery might -have been stronger when considered relatively with the total strength -of the French Army. If the conscript electing to join either infantry -or cavalry considers himself in for a hard time, then it would be -difficult to say what are the anticipations of the conscript who goes -to service with the guns, for his work is practically twice as hard as -that of the average infantryman. Still, he makes up for increase of -work by a relaxation of discipline, and, after all, the conscript's two -years comes to about the same thing in the end, no matter what branch -of the service he may choose. For, just as there is a limit to a man's -endurance or efficiency, so there is a limit to the amount of knowledge -that a man can absorb in a given period. The infantry conscript absorbs -all the knowledge possible in the allotted time: the artillery -conscript can do no more. - -It may be said, in fact, that the artillery conscript has a better time -of it than his fellows in either infantry or cavalry, for his work -is rendered more interesting than theirs by reason of its being more -varied. The artillery driver, certainly, is in much the same position -as the cavalryman, for his life is made up of horses and stables, -riding, driving, grooming, and care for the fitness and cleanliness of -harness and saddlery. He has a very busy life, this artillery driver, -and his remarks, on coming in on a wet day after two or three hours' -parade with the guns, might cause a little consternation in what is -known as polite society, for two muddy horses with their saddlery -and fittings, all to be dried and cleaned for the battery officer's -inspection within a given time, are not conducive to elegance of -expression or to restraint. - -But compensation comes in the relaxation of the rigid discipline -which the infantryman, and to a certain extent the cavalryman, have -to undergo. This will appear more clearly when one understands that -infantrymen and cavalrymen alike need supervision throughout the whole -of their day's work. Their tasks are mainly of drill and routine: made -work, a good bit of it, in order to render them thoroughly efficient -soldiers. The made work of the artillery driver consists in rendering -him efficient in the art of controlling two of the horses which draw -the gun, under all possible and many impossible conditions. By the -time his training is completed, he has learned to harness up and turn -out quickly, and is capable of obeying without hesitation any word of -command the battery officer may give with regard to the evolutions of -the battery as a whole. He is trained in the matter of casualties; that -is to say, he is taught to regard one of his horses as suddenly injured -or dead, and knows exactly what to do to make the best of the loss, in -case such a casualty may occur. "Unlimber" and "limber up," as words -of command, find him equally unmoved and equally alert; he is, at his -best, a confident, self-reliant man, a far different being from the raw -youth who, on a certain first of October, came to be initiated into the -mysteries of artillery driving. - -These things comprise very nearly all of what may be termed the made -work of the artillery driver, the work that is arranged with a special -view to making him an efficient soldier in time of war. The rest of -his work is absolutely necessary to the well-being of himself and the -two horses under his charge. As a matter of course, he must keep -himself and his kit smart and clean--as smartness is known in the -French Army. He must groom his horses, and keep their equipment in good -order; he must keep the stables clean; he must assist the gunners in -the _corvées_ necessary to the maintenance of health, good order, and -efficiency in the battery. Bearing in mind the fact that this one man -is responsible not only for himself, in the way that an infantryman -is, but is also responsible for his two horses and all their outfit, -it will be seen that there is not much time for the discipline which, -in the case of the infantryman, is practically indispensable to the -thorough control of the man and the full efficiency of the regiment. -The artillery driver is a busy man, who considers himself, by reason of -the amount of work that he gets through, a far more capable man than -either an infantryman or a cavalryman; in the driver's estimation, the -only class of man who comes anywhere near him as regards efficiency and -soldierly qualities is the gunner, and, the driver will say, the gunner -is not quite so good a man as the driver. This spirit, common to each -branch of the French Army, augurs well for the efficiency and fighting -value of all arms of the service. - -Gunners in the French Army, as far as Field Artillery is concerned, -differ from English gunners in that they only ride on the limber -and on the gun when there is actual need that they should accompany -the gun. English gunners always ride, but in the French Army it is -considered better to save the horses by reducing the weight that they -have to draw to the lowest possible amount. On long marches the gunners -turn out two or three hours earlier than the drivers, and march like -infantry to the appointed destination for the day. Although turning out -later with horses and guns, the drivers usually reach camp at the end -of the day quite as soon as the gunners, for the trot is maintained -where possible, and, with a light load to draw, artillery horses are -able to get over ground quickly. This system has much to commend it; it -hardens the gunners, and is far better for their general health than -sitting on a gun or limber which jolts, springless, along a country -road; at the same time, it increases the mobility of the artillery, and -renders horses more fresh and fit for their work in case of several -days in succession, devoted to marching to a distant destination. The -only drawback to the practice consists in its being useless in time of -war, when the gunners must at all times accompany the guns and be ready -for instant action. - -The work of the gunners is quite as hard as that of the drivers of -Field Artillery, and quite as varied. Coming to the battery with -absolutely no knowledge of the ways of using a gun, the raw conscript -is taught the work of half a dozen men, for, as in the case of the -drivers, each man has to be able to replace casualties in the ranks. -The actual drill to which a gunner is subjected is a complicated -business; there is a good deal of hopping and jumping about and aside, -for each man must learn to perform his part in loading, sighting, and -firing his gun, and at the same time each man must keep out of the way -of the rest. A gun crew amounts to a dozen or so of men: there are the -men concerned in the getting out of ammunition, others busied over the -actual loading, and yet others engaged in sighting the gun and firing -at the word of command; each of these men must be taught the duties of -all the rest, for, when a battery is actually in action, casualties -must be anticipated, and the men who are loading must be prepared to -get out ammunition if required, must be able to set the time fuse of a -shell for a given range, able to load, sight, and fire the gun. Thus -one man has to learn the various tasks which a dozen perform, though to -each is allotted a definite place, and each is specially trained for -the performance of a definite part. - -Naturally, this training fully occupies all the two years of the gunner -conscript's service, and there is little time to spare. The fuss and -fret of discipline is correspondingly reduced; when a man is thoroughly -busy, and interested in his work as any man must be over a gun, if -he is in the least mechanically inclined, he needs no undue pressure -to keep him up to his work; the gunner, if he has any sense of the -responsibility and nature of his work, gets sufficiently interested in -it, and sufficiently keen over the points that he has to master, to -render him independent of more than actual tuition. The pleasure that -comes to the sportsman over a remarkably successful shot, or to the -cricketer over a good boundary hit, is akin to the feeling experienced -by the gunner as he learns part after part of his gun, and finds -himself well on the way to gaining complete control over the tremendous -power that the gun represents. - -But this comes late in the training period, and is not attained easily. -There is so much to learn; the way in which a shell is timed, for -instance, is a complex piece of work that must be understood, to a -certain extent, by the gunner who has to do the timing; that is to say, -the mechanism of the shell, and the nature of the timing apparatus, -have to be taught the man as well as the mere action of turning the -ring to the required point and "setting the fuse." Traversing and -sighting the gun, elevation and depression, are movements that explain -themselves as they are taught; sighting to a given range seems easy, -but is not so easy in practice, for the sighting of a gun has to be -done swiftly and accurately--there must be no mistake in the range, for -a shell costs more money than the total pay of the conscript during his -two years of service, and to throw those costly projectiles to points -at which they explode without effect is a silly business. - -To each man his part in the whole, and absolute efficiency in the -part--that is the ideal to which the training of the gunner is -directed; the quality of the French field artillery in action in -this, their latest real experience of war, attests how well the ideal -has been realised. Outnumbered by their opponents in batteries and -regiments, often confronted with guns of far heavier calibre than their -own, they have given good account of themselves, and shown that the -crews of the 75-millimetre gun are capable of holding their own as far -as lies within the bounds of human possibility. - -With regard to the custom of sending forward gunners on foot, this -practice is also followed in the case of reserve drivers, or drivers -who are not needed for the actual transport of the guns and limbers on -the march. They are formed up in rear of the gunners, and are marched -off on foot with the latter instead of adding to the weight that the -horses have to pull, leaving only such officers and men as are actually -necessary to travel with the guns. - -The artillery officer's training course is more severe than that -undergone by any other branch of the service, as, in view of the -complicated and responsible nature of his duties, it needs to be. -An artillery officer, gaining his commission after the fashion of -a British officer who elects to join the Army by way of Sandhurst -or Woolwich, goes first to the École Polytechnique, the highest -engineering school of France; after completing the course here, -the officer of artillery is sent on to the artillery school at -Fontainebleau, where a year is spent in further training, and then the -youngster is considered competent to take his place as lieutenant in an -artillery battery. The percentage of artillery officers gaining their -commissions from the ranks is smaller than that of other branches of -the service, and it is seldom that such officers reach higher than the -rank of captain, for, in order to learn all that is required of the -higher ranks of commissioned officer in the artillery, an officer needs -to start young, and a course at the École Polytechnique is almost an -essential. By the time a man has worked his way through the various -grades of non-commissioned officer and is thus eligible for such a -course, he is usually too old to take kindly to school work. - -Altogether, artillery service is not a light business in the French -Army--it is not in any army, for that matter. Both gunners and drivers -must take themselves seriously, and officers of the artillery must -take themselves most seriously of all, with the possible exception -of engineer officers. The modern rifle is a complicated weapon when -compared with the musket of a hundred years ago; but in comparison -with the rifle, the big gun of the Army of to-day has advanced in -construction and power to an enormously greater extent. The character -of the projectile has changed altogether from the old-fashioned round -shot to a missile which is in itself a gun, carrying its own exploding -charge and small projectiles within itself. The range of the modern gun -is limited only by the necessity to make the gun mobile in the field, -and by the range of human sight or power to judge the position of the -target. The gunners of to-day, and the officers who command them, -must be skilled workmen, possessed of no little mechanical ability in -addition to their military qualities. They must be not only soldiers, -but artificers, mechanics, engineers, mathematicians--skilled men in -every way. The efficiency of the French artillery to-day is largely due -to the French turn of mind, which is eminently suited to the solving of -those mathematical problems with which the work of those who control -the big guns abounds. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -IN CAMP AND ON THE MARCH - - -Manoeuvres fall at the end of the military year in the French Army, -being so arranged in order that the second-year conscripts shall pass -out from the Army and back to their ordinary civilian avocations -as soon as they return to barracks and have time to hand in their -equipment and arms. For the majority of these men, it is two years -since they have had time to see their friends, save for a stray day -or two of leave here and there for the man whose people live within a -short distance of the training-place to which he has been drafted, or a -stray visitor who brings news from home to one or other at infrequent -intervals. Thus manoeuvres mean a good deal to the conscript; even the -first-year men catch the infection from their fellows with regard to -the approaching time for going away, and there is as well the sense for -these juniors that, when they return to barracks, they will no longer -be first-year men, but able to advise and instruct such raw recruits -as they themselves were just a year ago. Added to this, again, is the -sense of freedom that comes from knowing of the days of marching, -billeting, and sight of fresh places and people from day to day, and it -will be seen that the change from barrack life with its perpetual round -of work to the constantly varying scenes of manoeuvres is one which is -anticipated with pleasure by all. - -About a week, or perhaps more, before the time has come for the army -corps concerned--or the cavalry or other divisions concerned--to set -out on its march to the manoeuvre area, the cavalry and artillery send -out their patrols to gather up the horses which have been boarded -out at farms for the summer, and the men of these patrols are almost -invariably billeted on the inhabitants of the districts round which -they have to ride on their errand. It is a pleasant task, this; the -year is at its best, and summer just so far advanced that the early -rising, the riding through the day, and the evening tasks are alike -easy. The weather is good, the life is not too hard, and the party too -small to admit of strict discipline being maintained; the men know -that their picnic-time is due to their having been specially chosen -as reliable for such work, and consequently they do not abuse their -freedom. - -And the horses come in from grass to train for what a horse can never -understand, though it is in the knowledge of all that a horse comes to -know his place in the ranks of the cavalry or in the traces of the gun -team, and would gladly go back to that place after he has been cast out -from the service to drudgery between the two shafts of a cart or cab. -Perhaps the horses have their own thoughts about going on manoeuvres, -and the change from stable life--such of them as have been kept in -stables while the troops are in barracks--to the open air existence -which is theirs in camp. - -It is a great day for the conscript when the regiment marches out from -barracks. Farewell for a time, and in the case of the second-year men -farewell for good, to the barrack routine. They leave in barracks the -things they will not require on field service, the materials for what -the British soldier knows as "spit and polish soldiering," and the -conscript starts out with his field kit and equipment, prepared to have -a good time. - -The infantry swing out through the barrack gates, a long column of -marching men; they talk among themselves of what they will do when -manoeuvres are over; the second-year men talk of going away, back to -their homes, and of turning their backs on military service; they have -done the duty their country asked of them, and now are at liberty to -think of a good time--almost a holiday, in spite of the hard work and -marching involved, with which they will end their service--to last them -through the coming weeks, after which they will resume civilian attire -and work. It has been a hard business, this conscript period, but -France asked it, and _ma foi_, but we are men now! The stern strictness -of the instructors, the unending discipline imposed by sergeants and -corporals, the everlasting watchfulness of the adjutant over buttons -and boots and the correct method of saluting--proper perspective, -rapidly growing in the mind of the man nearing the end of his second -year, assures him that these things are needs of a good army. And then, -he is going out on manoeuvres, among the apple orchards or the hill -villages; he is going to show the country what its soldiers are like, -and almost, but not quite, he regrets that the end of his period of -military service is nearly in sight. The time to which he looks forward -colours his view of all things; the barracks are behind, and before him -is the open road--that long, straight road which, in so many districts -of France, goes on and on across bare plains, to human sight a thread -laid right across the fabric of the world without bend or divergence. -A road of white dust which, as soon as the barracks are left behind, -rises from the many footsteps of the marching men and envelops the -column. The band in front goes free of the dust, and well it is that -the throats of the bandsmen are not choked and dried with the insidious -stuff, for one marches better, far better, with the music. - -Somebody starts a song, for the regiment is marching at ease. A squad -takes it up, and it spreads through the company--the company in rear -has already started its own song, a different one. Interminably that -song goes on, and the miles slip behind. At the end of every hour the -column halts, and its men fall out for five minutes' rest--a good -custom, this, for one can get rid of some of the dust, and often get a -drink of water from a wayside spring--or Jean, who always gets enough -money from home to satisfy the desires of his heart, has brought -a bottle. It would be in the last degree injudicious to incur the -accusation of _faire suisse_ on this first day of the march, and Jean -has long since learned wisdom over such points of etiquette. Jean wants -to keep the bottle till the next halt, but it is pointed out to him -that the morning is already warm, and to carry a bottle for another -hour when one might empty it--with assistance--and be saved the labour -of transporting it further, is very bad judgment. Jean needs little -persuasion--but it is time to fall in and resume the march: the bottle -gets emptied while the column is marching, and Jean is voted _un brave -garçon_--as undoubtedly he is, in other things beside this. - -Shrouded in dust the column goes on. The grey-headed colonel is at the -head, then comes the band, and then the men of the regiment follow, at -ease, singing, smoking, chatting together. They pass through a village -street in which is a simple monument to the men who fell in '70, and -the colonel pulls his men up to attention while they pass through the -street. Quietly, and with something ominous in the manner of their -march, the men pass out to the open road again, where "at ease" is -the order once more. But, when they march steadily at attention, -these French infantrymen seem the embodiment of military strength and -efficiency. The Army has taken them and made of them what it meant to -make, and, Breton lad or Paris gamin, they are stamped with the mark -of the Army--they are soldiers of the Republic, marching items which, -apart from their personal characteristics, mean each a rifle and a -bayonet for France when the hour shall strike. Over successive horizons -they go, stopping every hour for their five minutes; they grow heedless -of the band at the head of the column, and scarcely know whether it -is playing or no; one or two fall out, perhaps, for the first days of -the march throw out from the ranks all the unfit; there is a doctor -at hand to see to those who fall out, and the column swings on. Some -time, after what seems to the men very many hours, the band strikes -up definitely and with an indefinable new note--and the men know they -are marching into camp. Food and sleep are not far ahead; the column -stiffens at the call from the grey-haired colonel, and swings on to -the camping-ground apparently as fresh as when the men passed out from -the barrack gate. It is a part of their pride that they should come in -well, should end their march like soldiers and men, not like weaklings. - -The cavalry also go out from the barracks with anticipations of good -times ahead. Unlike the infantry, they have to keep formation when -marching at ease as when marching at attention, for you cannot get a -horse to rein back into the rank behind you or come up to the rank in -front of you as easily as you yourself can drop back or go up, and, -moreover, you cannot regain your place in the ranks at the call of -"attention" as an infantryman can. But there are compensations. The -"fours" of men divide into twos, of which each takes one side of the -road; there is room in between the two inner men for the clouds of dust -to roll about, and, although some of the stuff comes up, especially -as regards the rear of the squadron, one is not so much down in it -as the soldier on foot. One sees the country, too; the infantryman, -keeping his place in his company, is just one of a crowd, and, in -marching along and getting very tired--so the cavalryman says--he has -no chance of looking about him and seeing what the country that he -is marching through is like. One's horse does all the work, in the -cavalry march, and one is merely a spectator, enjoying the fine day and -the new scenery. It is good to be in the cavalry, and who would be an -infantryman, when manoeuvres start? Patrol duty, for instance, and the -isolated tasks that take patrols of three and four men to farmhouses -where the milk is good and one is invited--yes, invited!--to pick fruit -from the trees--what infantryman knows anything of joys like these? -Assuredly it is a good thing that one chose to serve in the cavalry. - -Supposing it is the first time one has gone out on manoeuvres, there -are all sorts of pleasant speculations in which one can indulge. -Guillaumette, the surly fellow, who when in barracks always occupies -the next bed and snores so atrociously--he who is not always perfectly -innocent of _faire suisse_, though he has the luck of a pig, and never -gets caught at any of his mean tricks--Guillaumette will be going away -when one returns to barracks at the end of the manoeuvres, and who -shall say what pleasant kind of a comrade may not come from among the -new recruits to take his place? Jacques, for instance, who belongs to -the third _peloton_ has a first-year man in the next bed to him, one -who is the son of a deputy, and has always plenty of money. When the -deputy's son was for guard and was warned for duty so late that he -could not possibly get ready in time, Jacques lent him kit and helped -him to turn out, with the result that Jacques had five francs--five -francs, think of it!--with which to go to the canteen. And, soon after -one has got back off manoeuvres, the new recruits will be coming in; -one will be a second-year man, then, with perhaps a deputy's son -to sleep in the next bed and dispense five francs at a time to one -who knows all the little ways of soldiering and can be of use. The -possibilities, both of the manoeuvres themselves and of what comes -after, are endless, and speculation on them is a pleasant business. -Surly old Sergeant Lemaire, too, is almost sure to get promotion this -year, and the _peloton_ will get another sergeant to take charge -of it--certainly not one with a worse temper, for that would be -impossible. - -And the long road slips behind, while the troopers conjecture with -regard to their future, talk together of horses bad and good, sergeants -and corporals bad and good, comrades also bad and good; they smoke -as they ride, and talk yet more of horses, for any army of the world -the cavalrymen never tire of talking of horses and their own riding -abilities, while in the French Army boasting of one's own horsemanship, -and all the rest of one's own good qualities, is even more common -than it is among English soldiers. Not that the boasting among either -is carried to a nauseous extent, but the soldier is so subject -to discipline, so used to doing good work with only the official -recognition by way of return, that, knowing the work is good, he talks -about it himself since nobody is there to do the talking for him--and -this is especially true of the cavalry. - -Some time ago Conan Doyle created in "Brigadier Gerard" an excellent -picture of a French cavalry officer of the old type, and to some extent -the picture of Gerard--the most human and realistic figure Conan -Doyle has ever penned, by the way--still holds good as regards both -officers and men. One may find in both officers and men of the French -cavalry to-day much of the absolute disregard of risks, rather than -bravery as that is understood among the English, which characterises -the brigadier. There is, too, much of Gerard's vanity in modern French -cavalry officers and men, much of his susceptibility to influence, -and all of his absolute loyalty to a superior. The French cavalryman -will tell his comrades how he dislikes his squadron officer, but he -will follow that squadron officer anywhere and into any danger--his -loyalty is sufficient for any test that may be imposed on him. Like -Gerard, he will brag of the things he has done, will devote much time -to explaining exactly how he did them and how no other man could -have done them just as well, until a British cavalryman, if he were -listening, would tell the speaker to pass the salt and hire a trumpeter -to blow for him. But, though the French cavalryman is true to the -Gerard picture in that he boasts inordinately, it will be found, when -one has got to close acquaintance with him, that he does not boast -without reason. He has done a good thing--why not talk about it, for if -he does not nobody else will? The British attitude toward a boaster is -one of contempt, since the man who boasts generally does little, and -exaggerates that little out of recognition. But the French cavalryman -boasts--and acts too; like the Englishman, he does his work, and, -unlike the Englishman, he talks about it. But it must always be -remembered that he acts as well as talks. - -The picture of Gerard, however, is not a faithful portrait of the -French cavalry officer of to-day, for the modern French officer takes -his work far more seriously than Gerard took his, and understands it -more fully. For forty years or more French officers, in common with -the rest of the nation, have known that there would come a life and -death struggle with Germany; they have set themselves to the task of -mastering the difficulties attendant on the crushing of the invaders -and the avenging of Sedan--no matter to what arm of the service the -French officer may belong, he is first a soldier, and after that a man. -Gerard, on the other hand, was man first and officer afterwards. The -difference has been brought about by the training which the Army of -the Third Republic imposes on its officers, and since that Army is a -conscript force, the difference is of itself a necessity. - -And it should always be borne in mind, especially by those who deplore -the training of the citizens of France into so huge an army, that the -step has been vital to the life of the nation. With a far smaller -population than Germany, France has been compelled, as a matter of -self-preservation, to keep pace with Germany in the means adopted with -regard to military training, has had to train and arm man for man, -produce gun for gun--and when the hour of trial came it was found that -the preparation had been none too great--there was not one trained -man but was needed to cope with the national enemy, with Prussian -militarism and Prussian greed of conquest. The conscript Army of the -Third Republic, unlike that of its eastern neighbour and unlike the -huge levies that Napoleon the First raised, has been intended as a -means of defence only; the worst enemy of the Republic cannot accuse it -of having maintained all its effective citizens as soldiers with a view -to aggression in any direction. The Army is, because it must be for -the safety of the nation, not because the nation desires territory or -conquest. - -And all this time the squadrons are marching along the straight roads -that led over far horizons and to things unguessed, unseen by the -first-year men. - -They stop, at intervals along their marching line, to water their -horses, loosen girths, and stretch themselves; they walk about -the roads and look at each other's mounts; they share packets of -cigarettes--those cigarettes made of black French tobacco that wither -the back of the throat when first one inhales smoke from them. The -lieutenant or sub-lieutenant comes round the troop to inspect the -horses and see that all are fit, and the sergeant comes round too, -probably to point out to the lieutenant some loose shoe or rubbing -girth that the less experienced eye of the commissioned youngster has -failed to detect. Then girths are tightened, the men mount again, and -go on, dividing the road between them as before. - -As camp draws near, the line of men grows silent, or at least more -silent than at the setting out, and the horses take their work steadily -rather than eagerly, for this is their first day out, and they are not -yet hardened to long marches. - -Then camp. The putting down of the lines, grooming, blanketing up for -the night, feeding--one casts a glance over toward where the infantry -have come in and got to their own meals, for this is the time when a -cavalryman may have doubts as to whether it would not have been better, -after all, to have joined the infantry. Unworthy thoughts, these--is -there anything in the world like a cavalryman, for real soldierly merit? - -This business of believing one's own branch of the service to be -infinitely superior to any other is carried into the different branches -of the same arm, as well as existing between the three arms as a -whole. The cavalryman knows that service in the cavalry is infinitely -to be preferred to service in infantry or artillery, but further, if he -is a Dragoon, he knows that neither Cuirassier nor Chasseur nor Hussar -is nearly as good as himself, and the Cuirassier, the Chasseur, and the -Hussar have equally strong beliefs about the unquestionable superiority -of their own branches of the cavalry. Each branch, in the opinion of -its members, can produce the best riders, the best shots, the best -all-round soldiers, and the best officers. It is a harmless belief, -maintained quite impersonally. - -Evening stables finished, the night guards are warned for their duty, -the men settle down to the chief meal of the day, and later they sleep, -the sound, healthy sleep induced by a long day in the open air. They -waken or are wakened early in the morning, and again they saddle up and -go on, for often the manoeuvre area is many miles from the barracks, -and days may be devoted to straightforward marching before the mimic -warfare begins. - -One comes back to the guns, the long, murderous tubes that trail, each -behind six horses, just above the dust of the roads. The drivers are -there and the battery officers, but the seats on the guns are empty, -for the most part, for the gunners have marched out from camp very -early in the morning. The drivers are at a disadvantage, compared -with the men of cavalry or infantry--and even compared with their own -gunners; for if a cavalryman has to keep his place in the ranks when -mounted, then the gunner is absolutely a fixture in the battery. There -can be no dropping back to talk to a comrade, whatever the pretext -may be, for no man could take back with him the horse he is riding -and the one he is leading, when both are in the gun team. The driver -rides sombrely alone; the lead driver keeps his interval from the gun -ahead, the centre driver looks to it that his lead horse does its share -of work on the hills, and the wheel driver takes special care of the -direction of his team when an infrequent corner has to be turned, for -on him depends the track the wheels will make, and where they will run -with relation to the middle of the road. Were there only a lead driver, -the sweep taken on corners would not be wide enough, and it takes some -time to get such a ponderous engine as a 75-millimetre gun out of a -ditch. - -The regiment of artillery comes out from barracks in one long column, -perhaps--unless one battery or a greater proportion of the whole has -further to travel than the batteries which take the straightest road. -For, if there are two or more parallel roads leading from the point of -departure to the destination, if it is possible for any considerable -part of the journey to divide up an artillery regiment into separate -batteries, this is done. The civilian has no conception of the length -of line on the road which an artillery regiment of ten batteries would -take up, nor can one who has not experienced the dust of a military -march understand what sort of cloud the last battery of ten would have -to march in. The column goes out as a whole, but as soon as possible -first one battery and then another turns off from the main route. If -there are only two alternate routes, then each alternate battery turns -off, leaving sufficient interval between the rest for the dust of one -to settle before the next shall come along. If there are more than two -roads, all are used, for the more a long column can be broken up into -separate units for a day's march, the sooner will the units of the -column reach their destination. - -The fact that the larger a body of men is, the slower it moves, is one -well known to military authorities, though civilians and even many -military men would be prepared to dispute it. It will be seen to be -incontrovertible, though, if one realises that the pace of any body -of men which keeps together as one whole is the pace of the slowest -unit, and, moreover, that when a long column is in progress, not all -its units can keep exactly the same pace as the head of the column. -Consequently there occur a series of checks in the body of the column; -here and there crowding forward occurs, and then the units of the -column concerned in the crowding have to halve in order to rectify -this--or at least have to check their pace for the time. The check may -travel from the centre of the column right down to its rear, and then -there are gaps which have to be corrected, for when a check occurs it -is always prolonged just a little too long a time--and then the head -of the column has to check in order for the rear to catch up. And, the -longer the column, the more of these irritating little checks there -will be, with a net consequence that the column will take relatively -longer to pass a given point or to arrive at a given spot. - -Because of these checks, as well as to give more air and comfort to the -men, in all arms of the service intervals are maintained on the march, -and a column is divided up into as many separate units as possible. -Infantry maintain intervals between companies, cavalry maintain -intervals between squadrons, and artillery maintain intervals between -batteries, while the two mounted arms split up their columns if -parallel roads are available, for the intervals do not quite compensate -for the checks described, and, the smaller the units of the force can -be made by means of separate roads, the shorter will be the march -between two points. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -MANOEUVRES - - -Manoeuvres form an expensive portion of the conscript's training, and -it will be understood, when it is remembered that under ordinary peace -conditions France maintains twenty military stations, each forming -the skeleton of an army corps, that the annual cost to the state -runs into a considerable fraction of the total military expenditure, -this including the cost of food for men, forage for horses, the -running of transports and stores, and all the expenses incidental to -the maintenance of troops in the field. One item alone, the cost of -shells fired by artillery during their annual practice, represent a -large expenditure, for each shell is in itself a complicated piece of -machinery, which must be perfectly accurate in all its parts, and is a -costly thing to produce. - -Not that the soldier on manoeuvres ever counts cost; the majority of -the troops do not even think of such a thing. They are out roughing it, -a business which gratifies the instincts of most healthy minded and -bodied men, and one which is conducive to health and high spirits. Your -conscript on manoeuvres is a different being from the one who came to -the colours in the previous October. He has acquired a self-confidence -and self-reliance of which he was innocent at the beginning of his -training; he came as a boy, but now there are about him the signs of a -man, and the first camp more than anything else gives him a realisation -of the value of military training from a man's own point of view, and -quite apart from its value to the state. By the time the season of -manoeuvres is over he is a second-year man, and has begun to feel his -feet. - -If one takes a map of France and picks out the twenty stations of -the various army corps scattered throughout the country, and then if -one realises the numbers of men actually serving that these stations -represent, one will see that it is quite impossible that all the army -corps of the country should make a point of undergoing their manoeuvres -as one united body. The disturbance inflicted from a civilian point of -view on the area chosen would be enormous, and the result of no more -value as regards the training of officers and men than when two or -three army corps conduct their mimic warfare together. Certainly more -than one army corps should be engaged in an annual set of manoeuvres. -For instance, if one took Lyons as the station concerned, and assumed -that the army corps stationed at Lyons conducted its manoeuvres -year after year independently of those army corps which have their -head-quarters at other centres, it would be easily understood that the -army corps with head-quarters at Lyons would, to a certain extent, get -into a rule-of-thumb way of working, and would fail to keep itself -abreast of the various discoveries that are constantly being made -by all sorts and conditions of commanders in the art of war. It is -essential that units should as far as possible be able to interchange -ideas, and learn new ways from each other, for war is a business -in which, given forces of equal strength, the most intelligently -controlled army wins. - -The manoeuvre areas of France are many. There are stretches of hill -country like the district of the Vosges; forest stretches like the -Ardennes in which the French Army has recently conducted some of its -stiffest fights; great open plains like that which lies about Châlons, -or like the Breton _Landes_; and river basins of diversified country, -giving reaches of hill, valley and woodland, and most useful of all -from a military educational point of view, since they afford training -in practically all branches of the soldier's work. - -In average manoeuvres, two forces, designated respectively as a blue -and a red force, or in some way distinguished from each other by marks -which enable men to tell "friend" from "enemy," are set to face each -other in a certain limited area. Each force is expected to do its best -to render the other ineffective as a fighting force, and the conditions -are made to resemble those of real warfare as nearly as possible. -It must be said, however, that up to the present, no nation in its -military manoeuvres has ever allowed sufficiently for casualties; as -an instance may be cited the case of a regiment which, on a certain -set of manoeuvres in France, was surrounded and entirely put out of -action early in the course of the operations. Had the business been -real, the men of that particular regiment would all have been either -dead or prisoners, but they were allowed to continue to count in -the force to which they belonged, and the commander of the opposing -force simply scored up so much credit for having achieved a brilliant -military operation. Of course, from the point of view of training -officers and men, for which manoeuvres are specially designed, it was -quite right that the officers and men of this unit should take part in -the operations up to the last day, but, since men do not resurrect in -this fashion after a real battle, it may be said, viewing the matter -disinterestedly, that there was no further tactical value in the scheme -carried out. The opposing forces were so constituted for the operation -as to be of about equal strength, and the presence or absence of the -regiment referred to would have been quite sufficient to turn the -scale one way or the other--and yet they were allowed to take part -after having been theoretically wiped out of existence! This anomalous -method of procedure is not peculiar to the French Army, however, but is -practically common to the armies of all nations. - -The nature of the work which the conscript has to perform on manoeuvres -is purely a matter of luck. For instance, the force in which one is -serving may be compelled, in order to carry out the scheme of its -commander, to execute a wheeling or turning movement to either flank, -and, supposing a wheel to the right flank is required, then the men -on the right flank have very little marching to do, and very little -work, since their part in the scheme is to wait for the wheeling flank -to come round. An amusing old scamp whose service began when the five -years' law was still in force, and who served in a French infantry -battalion up to a short time ago, used to allege that he was once -right-hand man of an army corps which wheeled in this fashion with the -right flank for a pivot. "I stood for three weeks," he alleged, "on -that flank, waiting for the outer flank to come round, and looking up -the line to see that the men kept their dressing." The "dressing," it -should be explained, is a term used in both the French and British Army -for the keeping of line by the men. - -But, speaking seriously, these wheeling movements occur frequently -during a term of manoeuvres; when the business is over, and the men -of the various units come to compare notes, they are often puzzled at -the enormous amount of work and marching imposed on one unit, while -another had practically nothing to do, and stayed very nearly in the -same place throughout the whole time. For, though the part that his own -regiment has to play in a scheme is usually explained to the conscript, -the strategical nature of the scheme as a whole is generally beyond -his comprehension. This is not to be wondered at, since a strategical -scheme is planned out by the best brains of the army corps--at least, -the staff officers are supposed to possess the best brains, and are -given their posts mainly on account of greater fitness for the planning -of military operations. - -Manoeuvres as a whole approximate as nearly as is possible, in view -of the difference in circumstances, to active service, but "nearly -as possible" is not "quite," and the lessons learned on manoeuvres, -valuable though they are, cannot be unreservedly applied to active -service. Reference has already been made to the way in which the -soldier enjoys his period of manoeuvres, but no man enjoys active -service in a similar fashion, and _moral_, one of the greatest deciding -factors in war, is entirely absent from the mimic warfare in which -armies engage in time of peace. At the same time the lessons learned -from manoeuvres are as valuable as they are varied. Commanding officers -learn the amount of strain which they can impose on their men; the -conditions under which transport can and must be brought up for the -use of the troops can be studied with almost as much accuracy as in -warfare; the cavalry commander learns the value, from a war point of -view, of his men as scouts and on detached duties, while the artillery -officer finds out, as he never could without manoeuvre experience, -the possibilities of gun transport, and the business of ranging -positions with a view to rendering them untenable by shellfire. Where -the manoeuvre period fails as regards war lies mainly in the absence -of disadvantages. As already remarked, the conditions under which -transport can be brought up for the use of troops can be studied, but -sometimes in war transport goes wrong, or gets captured, and an army -has to do its best to keep the field until supplementary supplies -can be obtained; manoeuvres never impose this form of disability on -the troops. The cavalry commander is unable to ascertain what his -men would do when actually under fire, and though artillery officers -learn to range a position, they are unable to judge what the troops -occupying that position will be like after shelling has been carried -out. Manoeuvres teach up to a point, but from that point the art of war -can be learned only from the grim business itself, and, since no two -bodies of troops are ever in the same frame of mind, and no two battles -are fought under identical conditions, the art of war is never learned, -simple though its principles are. - -The average conscript is troubled little about such matters as these. -As an infantryman, his business is to entrench himself when ordered -to do so; to advance by short rushes, squad alternating with squad, -during the work of getting nearer the enemy; to charge if bidden, or to -retreat as he advanced, in the way that would produce least damage to -the force of which he is a member if that force were exposed to actual -fire. Both in infantry and cavalry there exists a prejudice against -firing the first blank cartridge of a manoeuvre day, though, once that -first cartridge has been fired, a man does not care how many more he -fires, and often men have been known to beg blank cartridges from -others, after firing their own. The reason for the prejudice consists -in the fact that the firing of the first cartridge fouls the barrel of -the rifle and renders necessary far more thorough cleaning at the end -of the day than would be required if the rifle had not been fired. But, -no matter how many more cartridges may be fired through the same rifle, -they cannot make the fouling of the barrel any worse, and once the -fouling has been incurred, there is a certain amount of fun in blazing -off blank cartridges at the "enemy." - -The work of the cavalry is considerably more varied than that of -the infantry. Charges, which form the culminating point of cavalry -training at drill, are infrequently indulged in on manoeuvres, for -even in actual warfare, apart from the fact that the quick fire of -modern rifles has rendered the charge a rare thing, the conditions -imposed by the selection of infantry and artillery posts do not often -admit of a definite cavalry charge, owing to the nature of the ground -to be covered. During manoeuvres the chief value of cavalry lies -in their ability to act as mounted infantry; that is, they are able -to concentrate fire rapidly on a given point, and to get near that -point more quickly than infantry, thus rendering their fire decisive. -Further, small bodies of cavalry are employed in reconnaissance and -detached duties of various kinds; the modern army in movement always -throws out well to the front a screen of cavalry, whose object is to -find and report on the presence of the enemy, to maintain contact with -him, but not to engage in decisive action, which is as a rule, and -practically always when the opposing forces are of equal strength, left -mainly to the artillery and infantry following on behind the cavalry -screen. During a period of manoeuvres cavalry patrols theoretically -cut telegraph wires, destroy bridges, and do all they can to impede -the progress of the advancing enemy. Sometimes small parties of scouts -are sent out to get on to the enemy's lines of communication, and, if -possible, cut them. An army with its line of communication cut is in -practice like a man with his windpipe severed, and thus it will be -understood that if cavalry perform this business effectively, their -value to the force to which they belong is enormous. This, however, is -more true of manoeuvres than of war, for in the latter communications -are so well guarded that as a rule it takes a stronger force than -a body of cavalry unsupported by artillery to get on to a line of -communication with a view to damaging it. - -Mention has already been made of the prejudice which the infantryman -has against firing the first blank cartridge of the day. Since this -is the case where the rifle is concerned, one may guess what the -artilleryman's feelings are like when his gun has to fire the first -shot, for the cleaning of a field-gun, even after firing blank -ammunition, is no light matter. The bore of the gun has literally to -be scrubbed out in order to remove the fouling, and the gunner's task -is not an enviable one; the clothing of the first-year conscript, when -the gun has been cleaned after firing, looks as if the man had been -hauled up a chimney by his heels, and though men keep a special suit of -fatigue clothes for use on this task, they like it none the more for -that. - -In addition to the ordinary manoeuvre period in which cavalry and -infantry participate, artillery units go every year to a practice camp -which is a special area set apart for the firing of live shells, with -a view to giving officers and men alike training in the realities -of their work. The so-called smokeless powder--which in reality is -not smokeless--used on these occasions, together with the passage -of a shell through the rifling of the gun, renders the cleaning of -the bore an even more messy business than that incurred in firing -blank ammunition during tactical exercises. Drivers and gunners alike -generally enjoy their time at practice camp, but the gunners use -language over cleaning the guns, and with good cause too, when one -considers the nature and difficulty of the task. - -But, whether the occasion be that of practice camp for the artillery, -or tactical exercise for the three arms, there is more to enjoy than -to cavil at. Manoeuvres come at the best period of the year, from the -weather point of view; the days are warm, but not too warm, and the -cool nights induce healthy sleep. There is plenty of food, generally -a sufficiency of tobacco and cigarettes, and the canteen travels with -the men. There is a pleasant uncertainty about the nature of the day's -work and the length of time it will take; one may be out until late -in the evening, or one may finish in the afternoon, and, after an -inspection of arms, be at liberty to go to the canteen and discuss -things in general with one's comrades, or with the men who, coming from -other stations, have new stories to tell and new matters to discuss. -One may, granted the necessary leave, walk over to a near-by town, -where is certain to be at least a cinema hall, and restaurants outside -which one may sit by a table at the pavement edge and view civilian -life. Or there may be a night march to be accomplished, and, though -this is a tiring business, it has a certain amount of interest as long -as the weather holds good. The chief drawback to manoeuvres is a rainy -season, when the soldier has a particularly unenviable time of it. -There are seldom sufficient fires at which to dry one's clothes; there -is, perhaps, the business of pitching tents in the rain, and then the -crowding of self, arms, and equipment into the canvas shelter, while -outside the rain keeps on in a way which suggests that fine days are -things of the past, never to be experienced again. The infantry go -squelching out from camp in the morning; the cavalry pull up their wet -lines and, getting mounted, splash out through mud puddles, while the -artillery drivers harness up their horses with a knowledge that a hard -day is in store for them, both on the road, where their horses will be -overtaxed by the heavy going, and in camp, where the cleaning of wet -saddlery and equipment and the grooming of muddy horses is enough to -spoil temper at the end of the day's work. And the transport waggons, -standing parked in the rain, look as if they were used for the carriage -of materialised despair, and had been abandoned because the loads were -too heavy. A wet town or village is a dreary sight, but a wet camp is -the most depressing thing on earth. - -Even in wet weather, however, the spirit of the conscript is usually -proof against depression. There are compensations: for one thing, work -is lightened as far as possible, and usually the operations of the -manoeuvres are modified in case of a continual spell of wet weather, -for it is not only the men who suffer from adverse climatic conditions, -and it is not the business of a period of manoeuvres to impose too -great a strain on the forces taking part therein. When the men are in -their tents and the rain is driving down outside, the interminable -songs of the army may be heard from the interiors of the tents. Even -in a standing camp--that is to say, a camp located in one position for -a period of several days--the men are made to undergo a certain number -of parades in order to keep them in health, for continued idleness in -camp almost certainly means disease, and, as has already been remarked, -the authorities of the French Army are fully alive to the necessity for -preserving the health of the men. - -On the average, manoeuvre days are fine days; a spell of wet weather -is exceptional, for the season of the year is chosen, in some degree, -with a view to imparting as much instruction to officers and men alike -as is possible in the allotted period. Given fine weather, one has to -work--but then, one has to work in barracks, and not in such congenial -fashion as in this life of open air and comparative freedom. - -As the end of the manoeuvre period approaches, the second-year men -get more and more excited, for your Frenchman, whether as conscript -or civilian, is an excitable person, and not ashamed of showing his -feelings as is the man west of the Channel. For these second-year men -civilian life is getting very near. Pierre will go back to the farm, -and Jacques will return to his place behind the counter, while Jean -will once more polish the seat of the office stool for a stated period -each day. But Jacques and Pierre and Jean will at times look back to -the good days and the cheery comrades of the last manoeuvres, and -perhaps, although this is a conscript army, they will know a transient -regret in that they will never again go out from the barrack gate as -units of a column setting out on the long march. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -WITH THE CAVALRY SCOUTS - - -The incidents related in this chapter took place a few years back -during a certain manoeuvre season, and for obvious reasons it is -impossible to indicate the men, forces concerned, or locality more -closely than that. The forces concerned were an army corps advancing -from the south, and one advancing from the north, toward each other, -with a view to trying conclusions under manoeuvre conditions. The story -concerns scouts of the blue force, advancing from the north--it was -one of these scouts of the blue force who told the story. It must not -be taken as a typical story of army life, for the circumstances under -which these men were placed were exceptional, agreeably so; it is, -however, sufficiently typical for relation, in that it embodies things -actually accomplished by soldiers of the Army of the Republic. Like -most things that happen both in manoeuvres and in war, it could never -happen again. - -The blue force, with at least fifty miles to go after leaving barracks, -knew that the red force would have further to travel, since the limits -of the manoeuvre area were clearly marked out on maps supplied to the -officers taking part, and each force knew from what garrison the force -opposing it was coming. Beyond this, though, neither officers nor men -of the blue force knew from what direction the "reds" would attack, -and the composition and strength of each arm of the "reds" was for the -"blues" to find out; that is what cavalry patrols and scouting parties -are for: to ascertain the strength and disposition of the enemy; and, -in order to make the manoeuvres as much like real war as possible, each -side was kept in ignorance, as far as might be, of the movements of the -other. - -There were two days of steady marching, through days that were not too -warm and nights that were decidedly cold. Marching in column, this -business, with plenty of dust along the roads and the squadrons closed -up so that one's horse's nose was not far from the tail of the horse in -the next rank. In the cool weather the horses travelled well, and the -cavalry got into camp fairly early in the afternoon, when the bivouacs -were made and the men rested and ate, after seeing to the needs of -their horses. Late in the afternoon of the second day a canvas town -came into view after the troops had passed over a small river, and -here the regiments went into camp. At twelve o'clock that night the -manoeuvre period was to start, and no action of any kind bearing on the -actual manoeuvres might be undertaken until midnight had passed, though -commanders might make their plans and allot their units and men to the -various parts they intended the latter to play in the struggle for -points in the game. The troops themselves looked forward to an exciting -time: in the blue army, every man knew that he was to capture a "red" -if the chance came his way; he must act as in real war, except that the -cartridges would be blank and the business would be one of sport with -the grimness of war left out. - -In a certain regiment of chasseurs which formed part of the blue -army, Lieutenant Lenoir received his orders with regard to special -reconnaissance duty, and, acting on these orders, he gathered together -Corporal Jean and Trooper Jacques, both qualified as signallers, -whose first names will serve for the purposes of this narrative. He -also collected from their respective troops certain men more than -usually efficient in scouting duty, known respectively as Pierre and -Guillaumette--or little Billy--from one _peloton_, Henri and l'Anglais -(the latter from his English way of drinking beer when he could get -it, a trick acquired in his native Lorraine, though his fellows gave -him his nickname because of it, and from another _peloton_ more good -men to the number of four). Lenoir would have liked to take more, but -he knew that for the success of the plan with which he was entrusted a -small body of men would get through with less chance of being seen--the -smaller the better, down to a certain point. So he took the minimum -possible. They obeyed the rules of the game thoroughly, for it was -not until the stroke of twelve that the men were given permission to -saddle up; all they knew at that time was that they were going out on -detachment duty of some kind, away from the army itself, and that was -enough for them. Detachment duty is always welcome, and Lenoir had -a reputation among the men of being one of the best officers in the -regiment, although a very quiet man, comparatively speaking. - -The men were a good crowd, too. The signallers knew their work -thoroughly and were keen soldiers; the scouts chosen were men who -took actual pleasure in solving problems of country, second-year and -re-engaged men, who took soldiering seriously and enjoyed work like -this. Altogether it was a very contented and very keen little party -that set out from the camp a quarter of an hour after midnight, with -Lenoir leading into the black and rainy night that came on them as they -rode. They went steadily on for some time--it was three in the morning -when Lenoir halted his men under shelter of a tree that branched -out over their road and told them the object of their journey. He -explained, by the aid of the map, what they were expected to do. - -The line of country that would be chosen by the "reds" had been -carefully calculated: the commander of the "blues" had estimated that, -with a view to avoiding rivers and hills, and keeping to open ground, -the commander of the red army would bring up his men--or, at least, -most of them--by the western side of the manoeuvre area, leaving a -large stretch of country unoccupied to the east. It was the business of -this patrol to go down by way of the eastern boundary of the manoeuvre -area, get on to the "reds" line of communication, and cut it, thus -preventing (in theory) the sending up of stores, and (also in theory) -reducing the red force to such a state as regards stores and ammunition -that it would be forced (once more in theory) to surrender. The scheme -bespeaks the way in which modern military plans are thought out, and -how one calculates on probabilities. The "blue" commander assumed that -such a course as bringing the men up the western side would be adopted -by the commander of the "reds": he was not certain of it, but assumed -it to such an extent that he considered it worth while to waste a -cavalry patrol on it; supposing he were wrong, then he only lost half a -dozen men or so and one officer from his effectives; supposing, on the -other hand, that he were right, he would have accomplished a movement -that would render ineffective anything his "enemy" might do. - -It was their business, Lenoir explained, to get quite down to the -southern limit of the manoeuvre area, so as to cut the line as nearly -as possible to neutral ground, for the further back they got the less -likelihood there would be of encountering any strong force left for the -purpose of protecting the line. They were to ride warily, avoid hills, -and keep in hollows, and at the same time they were to keep an eye out -for any bodies of troops that they might see. Their business was to run -from everybody whom they might see during the following day, for it -would not do to risk the capture or loss of a man while on the journey; -every man would be needed at the journey's end. - -All this was explained by the aid of the map, and, realising the -importance of their mission, the men were more keen than ever over its -fulfilment. They mounted again and rode on, Lenoir always leading; at -times he halted them that he might consult his map with the help of -an electric torch where two roads branched, or where there was any -uncertainty about their direction. The rain passed off; the stars came -out and paled as dawn grew; they halted in the grey of early daybreak -down under the shelter of a hill. Before them was a tiny valley through -which a stream flowed, and beyond an unbroken range of other hills of -which the crests showed no signs of human occupation. A short distance -along the way they had come was a farm-house built into a nook of the -hills, while open country marked the way ahead, beyond the base of the -hill under which they had camped. They gave their horses water at the -stream, and, since Lenoir said they would halt there for nearly two -hours to rest the horses, they got out their own food, after feeding -their mounts, but did not off-saddle or remove any equipment, for the -men as well as their officer knew that they were parallel now with the -enemy's force. - -Jacques and l'Anglais went out to collect firewood, for they thought it -worth while to make coffee during their halt. These two passed well out -of sight of the rest round the base of the hill, and walked suddenly -and unsuspectingly on to two of the scouts of the enemy's force, who, -being a little more quick than either Jacques or l'Anglais, informed -them that they were prisoners and must come with them. Jacques, -however, temporised; he pointed out to these scouts of the "reds" that -he and his companion were, like their captors, mounted men, and they -certainly could not walk and leave their horses to break loose and -perhaps damage themselves. They had tied their horses up round the -corner, said Jacques, and if their captors would only come with them -they would get the animals and follow as prisoners without trouble. -The two "reds" hesitated a bit, but finally saw reason in this, and, -thinking that their two prisoners were quite alone, followed without -dismounting round to where the horses were supposed to be tied. So well -was Lenoir's little camp located that the two "reds" followed Jacques -and l'Anglais almost into it before they perceived that they were in -the vicinity of a force far stronger than their two selves. When they -grasped the situation fully, they put spurs to their mounts, turned, -and fled. Jacques grabbed at the bridle rein of one, but missed, and -l'Anglais was so lucky as to secure the helmet of the other man, which -he tied to his saddle by way of a trophy. The two "reds," who were well -mounted, went off round the base of the hill and vanished; apparently -they formed a patrol on the extreme flank of the red force, for no -other men appeared to reinforce or replace them while the little party -of "blues" remained halted. - -The men of the blue patrol got their firewood and made coffee, which at -that hour of the morning was more to them than food. More quickly than -he had at first intended Lenoir bade them tighten girths and mount, for -he feared lest the patrol which they had encountered would carry news -of their presence, and bring down on them a greater force from which it -might be impossible to escape. - -Through the early hours of the day they rode, sometimes on roads, -sometimes across country. The average of their course took them over -two miniature mountain ranges, and on the second of these little hill -ranges they saw, very far off, a body of cavalry advancing across -country. Corporal Jean, together with Jacques, got down from their -horses and set up a heliograph, with which they tried to "call up" the -troops away on the plain. They could get only fragmentary answers from -the other people's heliographs; Lenoir sat on his horse beside them and -waited for a coherent message, but evidently the cavalry force would -not trust them, nor reveal its own identity, for all Jean could get out -of it, after persistent calling up, was the query, "Who are you?" - -"Don't tell them," said Lenoir, "but ask them that yourself." - -This Jean had already done, but he tried it again with no better result -than before. By this time they could see that the cavalry signallers -who had stopped to answer them were getting left far behind by their -main body, and Jean, finding that he could get no satisfaction out of -them, packed up his own heliograph and mounted again. They went on down -the hill into a shallow valley through which flowed another little -river. At the foot of the hills they halted, and Guillaumette went back -on foot to the top of the hill to keep guard while the others rested. -After half an hour one of the others relieved him from this duty, and -both men reported that the country all round was clear of enemies, or -friends. This was as Lenoir had anticipated, for he had judged by this -time they would be well behind the main body of the advancing red force. - -They made of this a long halt for the sake of their horses, which -had already done the equivalent of a day's work. It was late in the -afternoon, and the power of the sun had almost gone, when they slung -their saddles on their horses again, and girthed up. The valley through -which the little river flowed lay level before them for miles, and -they rode down it toward where a curve of the hills on either side -prevented sight of their destination. That curve seemed ever to recede -as they rode, and the sun dropped over the crests of the western hills, -leaving the men chilled and tired. By order of Lenoir, who set the -example, they dismounted and trudged on, leading their horses--all save -l'Anglais, who left his reins on his horse's neck and trusted to the -animal to follow him. L'Anglais and his horse were good friends. - -Dusk fell on them as they mounted again; on their left the little river -had been companion of their journey since leaving the last range of -hills, but now they turned away to the right and ascended slightly -from the valley. Suddenly the ground fell away from before them, and -they went down past three houses to a railway station and goods yard, -in which stacks of forage and other stores, covered by waterproof -sheets, lay with only one man to guard them, one who was unsuspecting -of surprise and easily captured. Lenoir left here all his men with the -exception of Pierre and l'Anglais, and these he took with him away out -to the other side of the village. Beyond the houses the officer and his -two men sat down on the ground, waiting. At last the moon rose, and -they espied a tent almost concealed among trees. Within the tent they -found a corporal and a squad of men belonging to a squadron of train, -all asleep. Lenoir wakened the corporal and informed him that he and -all his party were captured, and that the stores under their charge -were subject to the orders of the officer commanding the blue army. - -That was the end of the task. With his little squad of scouts Lenoir -had captured the unguarded stores of the red force, and had thus -rendered ineffective anything that they might accomplish in the matter -of field operations. Theoretically the red force was beaten on its -first day in the field, but in actual fact the stores went up from the -captured base to the red army, as if no capture had been accomplished, -for it would not do to go to the expense of moving out two army corps -from barracks for the purpose of manoeuvres, and then cancelling the -manoeuvres because a cavalry patrol had, by means of hard riding and -good cross-country judgment, achieved a theoretical victory. Practice -has shown that in real war a chance for such an achievement as that of -Lenoir's patrol does not occur in one out of a thousand situations, -and in actual war, also, no commander would be so foolish as to leave -his chief supplies in charge of a corporal and squad of men of a -squadron of train. Adequate protection is always afforded to lines of -communication by an attacking force in war. - -The incident is noteworthy, however, in that it affords an example -of the way in which military plans are thought out. The commander -responsible for the conception of Lenoir's mission judged exactly -what line of country would be clear for such an advance. He could -not know whether or no his judgment would be at fault, but he saw -that the plan was worth the risk of an officer and a dozen or so -of men, whose absence would not materially weaken his force. Some -slight psychological knowledge must have been his as well, for even -on manoeuvres a commanding officer usually protects his lines of -communication, and the base from which his stores are sent, more -effectually than did this red commander. Again, the way in which -Lenoir chose his men is noteworthy. He picked the best scouts from -the squadron to which he belonged; possibly, had he chosen to look -throughout the whole regiment, he might have obtained even better men -to accompany him, but he chose men whom he knew to be good riders, -careful of their horses, and able to undergo a long march. The two -signallers represented a minimum that he must take if he wished to -send or receive messages to or from any other force. As a matter of -fact nothing occurred to render it necessary that any individual scout -should be placed in a position where the exercise of initiative would -be an essential; neither were the signallers called on for special -exertions, or for the full exercise of their special department of -knowledge, but they might have been. Lenoir chose his men with a view -to compressing the greatest possible effectiveness into the smallest -number compatible with the accomplishment of his mission. He chose them -also with a view, not to what they actually did as individuals, but -with a view of the demands that might have been made on them. As the -affair turned out, they simply had a quietly good time in this "base" -village until the manoeuvres concluded; Lenoir saw to it that the -horses received all necessary attention, and for the rest he left his -men to their own devices. And one may trust a soldier, either conscript -or volunteer, to make life worth living when given such a chance as -this. - -It was a week or more before the scout of the red force got his helmet -back. He met l'Anglais by appointment in the canteen devoted to the -use of the blue cavalry, and received back the headgear undamaged. It -may be said in conclusion that he compensated l'Anglais in the usual -fashion--and any soldier will know what that means. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -INTERNAL ECONOMY - - -If one should take the trouble to enquire of the chef at any leading -hotel as to whether he had undergone military service as a conscript, -the answer would in nineteen cases out of twenty be in the affirmative, -and probably the full nineteen out of every twenty would also reply -in the affirmative if asked whether they were Frenchmen. It would be -enlightening for the average Englishman to make such enquiries, for by -that means he would realise to a far greater extent than in any other -way, the universality of the French Army. Comprehension of the fact -that virtually every man of the French nation is capable of taking his -place in the ranks of some regiment without undergoing some form of -preliminary training, is impossible to the English mind until concrete -examples of the effect of this are confronted. - -The point with regard to the chefs is in connection with the way in -which the French Army has its food cooked and served. The _pantalon -rouge_ lives well, for cooking is an art indigenous to France, and the -very best cooks of France practise their art on their comrades of the -barrack-room, while there are few companies or squadrons in the French -Army that do not contain at least one professional chef. The British -Army suffers at times from monotonous menus, "stews" alternating with -"roast" until a meat-pie would be a joy, and any variety of diet would -be welcome. But in the French Army, given materials corresponding in -any way to the needs of the soldier, there is no lack of variety in the -food. There are two ways of cooking a potato in the British Army to -twenty in the French service; the British soldiers get eggs served in -two or three ways, but the conscript cook of the French Army can cook -an egg in a way that disguises it to such an extent that a hen would -disown it--and there are many ways of doing this. Soup precedes the -more solid course of the French soldier's meal, and there are savoury -dishes and concoctions which to the British soldier would be but -mystery. The French cook is an artist at all times, and his art is no -less evident during his conscript days than before and after. - -Sweet dishes are rare, and the taste of the soldier lies more in the -matter of savouries. In addition to the regular provisions made for the -troops, there are many men, who, in their spare time, cook dishes to -suit their own fancies. The "messing allowance" of the British service -is a thing unknown, for the French soldier's limited pay is pay pure -and simple, and is not sufficient in amount to admit of deductions of -this nature. Much is often made of the fact that the rate of pay in -the British Army is far higher than that of any conscript force, but -against this it must be said that, so far as the French conscript is -concerned, the Government provides in kind for practically all his -necessities, leaving the total of his pay--small as that is--as his -own pocket money. The bread ration, for instance, is larger in the -French than in the British Army, and the French Government provides, -free of cost, all necessary articles for a varied and nutrient diet. -The sergeants in the French Army contribute to a slight extent toward -the cost of their messing, but then it must be borne in mind that all -non-commissioned officers of the French Army are re-engaged men on a -considerably higher rate of pay than that allowed to a conscript during -his first two years. Among the rank and file, mess books are kept -for the companies or squadrons of each unit, and usually these mess -books are placed in the hands of corporals, who eat with the men, and -thus benefit from their own good judgment in the matter of choosing -provisions to the value allowed by the mess book, and equally they -suffer for their own mistakes. - -With a view to the possible disorganisation under war conditions of -arrangements for cooking food by the company or squadron, the French -soldier is taught and encouraged to cook and prepare his own food on -the field. During the manoeuvre period, the arrival of French troops in -camp is marked by the lighting of fires, at which men cook their own -food, and officers supervise this business in order to make certain -that no man goes to sleep for the night without having first had a -sufficiently sustaining meal. Within a quarter of an hour of the -arrival of an infantry regiment in camp, the kettles are boiling and -the coffee is made; the slabs of compressed soup, which form a feature -of the culinary service of the army, are broken up and dissolved, and -bread and meat are issued to form the solid part of the day's meal. -Motor-driven vans travel with the army, filled with quarters of fresh -meat hung in dust-proof compartments; these travelling meat safes form -a recent innovation, and have been found thoroughly satisfactory in -that they increase the fresh food supplies of the troops. - -A point worthy of note in connection with the arrangements for the -supply of food is that in the French Army the principal meal of the -day falls at the end of the day's work, both in barracks and in camp. -In the British service the principal meal is taken at midday, with the -result that, so far as official meals are concerned, the soldier gets -nothing but a light tea between the dinner of one day and the breakfast -of the next, and he has to buy his own supper to compensate for this. -In the French Army men are provided with coffee before turning out for -the first parade in the morning; at ten o'clock soup is served; at two -o'clock or thereabouts, according to the nature of work on which men -are engaged, another light meal is provided, and then with the end of -the day comes a two or three course meal which corresponds in quantity -and nutrient value--though not in the manner of its cooking--to the -midday dinner of the British soldier. By this means the French soldier -is relieved of the necessity of buying any supper, and his official -rations of food are, in the majority of cases, amply sufficient for his -needs without his having recourse to his own pocket. - -Although, as has been stated, the mess books are controlled by -corporals, this by no means forms the total of the supervision entailed -on French military cooking and provisions. The senior officers of the -regiment are especially charged with the supervision of these details -of internal economy; the officer of the week is a frequent visitor -of the cook-houses of his regiment, and surprise visits are made to -the dining-tables of the men in order to make sure that no cause for -complaint exists with regard to the quantity or quality of provisions -supplied. The adjudants also are concerned in the efficiency of the -cooks, and the provision of proper meals for the non-commissioned -officers, while, since these latter have a share in paying for the -goods supplied, they have also a voice in matters of choice and -cookery. On the whole, bearing in mind the quality of French cookery -and the fact that that cookery is as much in evidence in the French -Army as out of it, it may be said that the French soldier fares rather -better than the man serving in the British Army in this all-important -matter of food and its preparation. - -In other matters of internal economy, officers manifest an unceasing -interest in the well-being and comfort of their men. The canteens of -the French Army are under the direct supervision of senior officers, -and thus such supplies as men may purchase individually in the way -of food, drink, or cleaning materials, are always up to the required -standard of quality. The matter of laundrywork is also in the care -of officers of the various regiments, and altogether the comfort -and well-being of the men are matters for which officers are held -responsible to a greater extent than in the British service, where, -with regards to some things, departments rather than men are made -responsible. - -The conduct of drill and routine, directly under the supervision of -the commanding officer of each regiment, are managed differently -from drill and routine in the British service. For instance, British -soldiers go out to drill for an hour, and at the conclusion of that -hour, whatever has happened, the parade is dismissed; the French squad -turns out for drill nominally for an hour--assuming that as the period -taken for illustration--but in reality the drill lasts until the -superiors are satisfied that the men have done what they set out to -do. Stereotype is not compatible with the methods of the French Army, -but efficiency counts before set rules, and the object of training -is always efficiency, without regard to former practices. Slaves to -custom do not exist; custom itself does not exist, except in so far as -it is essential to the performance of duties, and the maintenance of -efficiency. - -It should be borne in mind that this difference in the ways of two -armies, French and English, is rendered necessary by the basis on which -the armies are founded. The British Army is based on a voluntary -system, and the lowest stated period of service is three years. The -French Army is based on conscription, which does away with all idea of -selection, and the stated period during which men can be compelled to -train is two years only--or rather it was two years only up to a short -time before the army changed from peace strength and conditions to a -war footing. Under the two years' system, men must be kept at work all -the time in order to teach them the whole of their work; drill and -fatigues alternate, and there are but short intervals between; one -of the rules of the French Army is that the conscript shall be made -to work all the time, and another rule that must be borne in mind in -connection with this is that each man shall be provided with sufficient -food of a suitable nature to enable him to do his work, at no cost to -himself. - -The rules of the army provide that during all manoeuvre periods -conscripts shall endure active service conditions. Pipeclay and polish -disappear, and no "parade movements" are indulged in. There are no -stage effects, and a cavalry leader who on manoeuvres indulged his -men in a charge that would not be really useful under war conditions -would get a severe reprimand, if not a more substantial punishment. -All unnecessary show is condemned, and the French Army on manoeuvres -is made to understand that its work is genuine preparation for the -rough business of active service. Another point worthy of note is that, -during manoeuvre periods, full use is made of all available buildings -for purposes of sleep and shelter, just as would be done in time of -war, and straw is used to supplement the coverings carried, when the -nights are cold. The bulky and ungainly-looking great-coat of the -French soldier is practically sufficient for covering when in camp, -since it is extremely warm, and is manufactured from a porous class of -material which swells and becomes waterproof in even a slight shower. -It has been long since realised in the French Army that individual -comfort makes for collective efficiency, and, though discipline is -exceedingly strict, yet this is counterbalanced by the way in which the -well-being of the men is studied. - -To each regiment two doctors are allotted, and the medical service of -the French Army as a whole, though only a modern growth, is equal to -that of any other continental nation. The French Red Cross Society is -but little more than forty years old, but the facility with which the -nation as a whole, adopts and adapts all things to its use, has been -well manifested here, for the Red Cross service of the French Army -gives place to none in the matter of efficiency. In such a time as the -present, when every resource of the nation is strained in coping with -a ruthless invader, it is only to be expected that medical provision -will at times be found hardly or only just adequate for unprecedented -demands, but the medical service for the army has risen to the occasion -in just as heroic fashion as has the nation as a whole. - -In the matter of making each regiment as self-contained as possible, -the French Army is about equal with the British. In a French regiment, -signallers, scouts, and others are trained from the ranks of the -regiment itself to undertake the special duties imposed on each of -these branches of military activity. In the matter of scouting, and -in such things as taking cover, trench-digging, the use of extended -formations, etc., the French Army has benefited largely by the British -war in South Africa, of which the lessons were studied quite as keenly -as in the British Army itself, and the training of men was modified on -experience thus gained by others. Again, French officers attached to -the Russian and Japanese staff in the Russo-Japanese war brought back -much practical knowledge which was applied in their own army, more -especially with regard to fortifications, defensive positions, siege -warfare, and the work of armies in close contact and in large masses. -It may be said as a whole, with regard to the working of the army, that -France has never hesitated to adapt the lessons taught by others to her -own use, while there can be no doubt that the lessons learned from the -failure of such armies as Napoleon the futile forced into action in -1870 have been taken to heart and applied, with a view to fitness for -the struggle that is not yet ended. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -SOME INCIDENTALS - - -The subject of disciplinary battalions is not a pleasant one in the -opinion of the French soldier, but the formation of such battalions is -a necessity in the conscript army of a nation which demands military -service of all its citizens. For in such an army the criminal classes -and bad characters are included with the rest, and, if they do not -conform to military rules in a better way than they submit to the -ordinary restrictions imposed on any law-abiding civil community, -then some form of discipline must be adopted in order to coerce -them. When the regimental authorities of any unit in the French Army -have ascertained, by the repeated application of ordinary corrective -methods, that it is impossible to make an efficient soldier of any man -in the unit in question, the man concerned is taken before the _conseil -de discipline_, which has power to recommend that he should be sent to -service in the disciplinary battalion stationed in Algeria. - -The _conseil_ consists of a major as president, together with the two -senior captains and two senior lieutenants of the regiment to which -the man belongs, exclusive of his own squadron or company officer. The -case against the man is presented by the senior officer of the squadron -or company to which the man belongs; this evidence for the prosecution -having been taken, the prosecuting officer retires, and the accused -man is brought in to make his defence. Then the court, after due -deliberation, makes its report, recommending either that the man shall -be given another chance in the regiment, or sent to a disciplinary -battalion. The report is then sent to the colonel of the regiment, -who either endorses or rejects the decision of the court. Should his -decision be favourable to the accused, the man is given another chance, -but if, on the other hand, he endorses the recommendation of the court, -the sanction of the general commanding the station is required in order -to complete the proceedings. With this sanction the offender is sent to -Algeria, where the disciplinary battalions are known as "Biribi" and -are stationed on the most advanced posts of this French colony. Owing -to their shaven heads, the men in these battalions are known as _têtes -des veaux_, and their release from this form of service is entirely -dependent on their own conduct. In one historic case, the son of a -general served four years as a private in one of these battalions, -which include, in addition to men of a distinctively criminal type, a -number of social wrecks. A disciplinary battalion is a veritable lost -legion. - -Some years ago one of these battalions was on the march from Biskra -in Southern Algeria, and on the march one unscrupulous ruffian, who -cherished a grudge against the major commanding, fell back to the -rear of the column, pretending to be ill. He feigned greater and yet -greater exhaustion, and at last sat down as if unable to march further. -The major came up and inquired kindly what was the matter, and on the -soldier stating that he felt too exhausted to march, the major handed -him a brandy flask, from which the man took a drink. As the major was -occupied in returning the flask to his saddle wallet, the soldier fired -his rifle at him, but fortunately missed, owing to the swerving of -the officer's horse. At this the major realised with what a dangerous -class of man he had to deal, and, drawing his revolver, he blew the -man's brains out. Some time later another officer of the same battalion -found a stone placed on the spot commemorating the memory of the -soldier criminal; the stone was removed, but was replaced; six times -in succession this was done, and yet it was never ascertained who was -responsible for cutting inscriptions on the stones, or placing them -there. - -A very common mistake is made in confusing the disciplinary battalions -of the Algerian frontier with the world-famous Foreign Legion of -the French Army, and consequently the Foreign Legion has gained an -undeserved reputation for iron discipline and unduly harsh treatment -of its men. The chief disabilities attendant on service in the Foreign -Legion consist in periods of service in some of the peculiarly -unhealthy localities included in French colonial possessions. The -Foreign Legion suffered more than any other unit of the French service -during its period of active service in French Cochin-China, while -inland in Algeria its members are subjected to a peculiarly trying -climate, and in other parts of French Africa the Foreign Legion does -duty in company with a considerable amount of epidemic disease. - -Service in the Foreign Legion is, of course, a voluntary matter, -and the fact that the Legion is always up to strength is sufficient -evidence of methods adopted with regard to the discipline of the men -and the treatment accorded to them. For, although the Legion itself is -famous, its individual members are not, and it cannot be said to offer -any conspicuous attractions to intending candidates for admission. -It is probably the most cosmopolitan body of men in any part of the -world, and the formation of such a body, in which the distinctions of -nationality are abolished, is peculiar to the French nation. The Legion -includes natives of every country populated by the Caucasian races, -and especially of Italian, German, English, and French citizens. It -is an agglomeration of adventurers, of whom the largest proportion -desire only obscurity; it may be said that the Legion is made up of -the bad bargains of half a world, but it is good fighting material, -for all that. Ouida has drawn a highly coloured picture of service in -the Foreign Legion in the book "Under Two Flags," but this picture -consists mainly of romance with the soldiering left out, while actual -service with the Legion involves soldiering with the romance left -out. Hard soldiering, in various climates and under many conditions; -in company with various kinds of men, of whom one never asks details -of past history; one is accepted in the Legion for present soldierly -qualities, and by tacit agreement the past is given the place allotted -to most sleeping dogs. The period of service in the Legion has the -merit of being intensely interesting to any man who, consciously or -unconsciously, is a student of the psychology of his fellows. The -Legion itself affords instances of devotion and self-denial as heroic -as any that Ouida has penned, but it may be said here with regard not -only to the Foreign Legion, but to all the armies of all the world, -that such systematic persecution on the part of an individual officer -toward any individual man as Ouida has pictured in "Under Two Flags" -is a rank impossibility. The system of decentralisation of command, of -interlinking authority and supervision, and of central control by heads -of units, renders impossible the persistent gratification of spite by -an individual officer against an individual soldier. - -In this connection, stories of persecution of individuals who have -done nothing to merit the punishment inflicted on them, especially in -military service, should always be accepted with the proverbial grain -of salt. For there is never smoke without fire, and the man who is -unpopular with all his officers and non-commissioned officers to such -an extent as to incur a succession of punishments is usually deserving -of all that he gets. Humanity is so constituted that sympathy almost -invariably goes to the individual who is at variance with the mass, -and in the exercise of sympathy one is apt to overlook the qualities -and characteristics of the object on which it is bestowed. We hear, -usually, the story of the man who considers himself aggrieved or -unjustly punished, and, without listening to the other side of the -case, we immediately conclude that his statements are correct in -all their details. As a rule, the man who thus attempts to secure a -reversal of the decision against him has some inherent quality which -makes for unpopularity. He is inclined to curry favour, which renders -him a marked man among his comrades, or he commits acts against -discipline in such a way that, although it is practically certain that -he is the offender, the evidence against him is insufficient to warrant -punishment. These and other characteristics of the man concerned bring -heavy punishment on him when is finally caught, and, although the -punishment is perfectly just, the offender immediately whines over it -in such a clever way that sympathising outsiders accord him far more -consideration than he deserves, and consider that his just judges have -been inhuman brutes, though they merely fulfilled their duty. The -offender makes sufficient fuss to be heard, but the individual or body -of individuals who ordered his punishment are not able to advertise -themselves in similar fashion, and thus a one-sided view is taken. - -To return to the Foreign Legion, it may be said that any attempt to -quote incidents typical of its members and their ways would be quite -useless, for there is in the Legion sufficient material to furnish -all the novelists of this and the next century with plots to keep -them busy. To outward seeming the soldiers of the Foreign Legion are -average men, engaged in average military duties, and it is not until -definite contact with them has been established that any realisation -of their exceptional qualities and curious defects can be obtained. As -is well known, the Legion includes every class of adventurers from men -of royal blood and noblemen of the highest rank downward, and many an -assumed name conceals a story which would be worth untold gold in Fleet -Street, or in the journalistic equivalent of Fleet Street in some other -European capital. - -It is not generally realised in this country that the extent of -the French colonies is such as to necessitate the maintenance of a -considerable body of colonial troops. With the exception of the troops -stationed in Algeria and Tunis, service in the French colonies is -a voluntary matter; the natives of the various French dependencies -have been induced to accept military service on a voluntary basis to -a considerable extent. In addition to the famous Algerian Turcos, -battalions of Senegalese troops have been formed with excellent -results; it has been found that the natives of this dependency make -good soldiers, particularly suited to service in the interior of -Africa, owing to their immunity from diseases which render tracts of -country almost impenetrable to white troops. The numbers of native -colonial troops given in Chapter I are constantly and steadily -increasing, for, in addition to making good soldiers, the natives of -French dependencies come forward readily and in increasing numbers to -recruiting centres. - -As regards the regular army, matters have been much better with -reference to discipline and punishment since the system which permitted -of _volontaires_ was abolished. The _volontaires_ were men who, on -payment of a certain sum to the State, were permitted to compress their -military training into the space of one year. The payment of this sum -was supposed to guarantee a certain amount of social standing in civil -life, and the _volontaires_ were always regarded theoretically as a -possible source from which to promote officers in case of need. In -practice, however, the experiment worked out quite differently. The -_volontaires_ were found to be men of varying grades in life, with -varying degrees of education, and equally varying mental qualities. -They were extremely unpopular among the ordinary conscript rank and -file, on whom many of them affected to look down as inferior beings. -The more unscrupulous of them would attempt to evade duty by bribing -non-commissioned officers, while those who were unable to compass -bribery railed against the unequal treatment meted out to them in -comparison with that enjoyed by their comrades. Their one year of -training was insufficient to make practical soldiers out of the raw -material submitted, and altogether it was a good thing for France -when the whole system was swept away, and, consistently with the -Republican principle, all citizens were regarded as equal under the -drill instructor. The _volontaire_ system was no more and no less than -favouritism on the part of the State. - -It must not be overlooked that, although the initial period of service -in the French Army is compulsory, quite a large percentage of the -men remain in the Army of their own free will at the end of the two -compulsory years. For such as elect to make a career of the Army in -this fashion, there is a materially increased rate of pay, ranging -from an approximate equivalent of 8d. a day upwards, with a pension, -and usually with Government employment if desired, after only fifteen -years of service. These _re-engagés_ very seldom stay down in the -ranks, but form the chief source from which non-commissioned officers -are obtained. Kipling's phrase with regard to British non-commissioned -officers is equally applicable to the Army of the Republic, for the -non-commissioned officer is the backbone of the French Army just as -surely as the officer is its brains. The sergeant-major of a squadron, -or the French equivalent of a British infantry colour-sergeant in a -company, is the right hand of the captain commanding, adviser as well -as intermediary between officers and men. The sergeant in charge of -a _peloton_ or troop is not only the principal instructor with whom -the men of the troop have to deal, but is also counsellor and guide -to the young lieutenant who comes straight from a military school -to take up his commission, and needs experience of the ways of men -in addition to the theoretical knowledge he has already gained. The -corporal, who does not hold non-commissioned rank as in the British -Army, and counts his position as an appointment rather than a definite -promotion, forms a sort of go-between for men and sergeants, imparting -individual instruction to the men, and supervising their welfare in the -barrack room, while himself qualifying for the rank of sergeant. The -revolutionary proposal to abolish corporals in the French Army rose out -of an idea that men resented being governed by one who had formerly -been a comrade with them, but could no longer be so regarded after he -had assumed authority over them. It is to be hoped that the proposal -will never be acted on, for the principle of entrusting matters of -individual tuition and supervision to the old soldiers takes no account -of personal worth or fitness for command. - -The life which the conscript must lead during his two years of service -is determined largely by the garrison to which he is drafted. Life in -a sunny and sleepy garrison town in the wine-growing district of the -south is--granted reasonable military conditions--quite ideal; the -monotony of the life spent in drill in a frontier fort tends to make -the conscript bad-tempered, while men stationed among the French hills -of the south and eastern frontiers gain most in the way of physical -fitness, and also, in their work of making new roads, clearing passes, -constructing frontier obstructions, ascertaining distances, and -carrying the heavy loads incidental to their work from point to point, -acquire a certain quality of mental celerity of which men stationed -in the sunny garrison towns of the south go free. But the various -attractions and drawbacks of the twenty great garrison towns, together -with their situation and special characteristics, are sufficient to -merit separate consideration. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE GREAT GARRISON TOWNS OF FRANCE - - -Paris, as capital of the Republic, first merits consideration among -the great garrison towns of France. It has the most extensive system -of fortifications in the world, and has had the doubtful privilege -of having undergone more sieges, burnings, and other military -experiments than most large cities can boast or mourn. The inner -line of fortifications was planned as far back as 1840, with a total -measurement of 22-1/2 miles, but after the war of 1870 two main -lines of detached forts were erected in addition to those already in -existence, which formed the skeleton on which the more modern plan -is built. The older forts are those of St. Denis, Aubervilliers, -Romainville, Noisy, Resny, Nogent, Vincennes, Ivry, Bicêtre, Montrouge, -Vanves, Issy, and Mont Valérien; the new forts which completed the -scheme are those of Palaiseau, Villeras, Buc, and St. Cyr, which form -the Versailles portion of the scheme, and Marly, St. Jamme, and -Aidremont, round St. Germain. On the opposite side of the Seine are -situated forts Cormeillers, Domont, Montlignon, Montmorency, Écouen, -Stains, Vaujours, Villiers, and Villeneuve St. Georges. The Chatillon -fort occupies a position between the two lines, and is placed on the -site whence German batteries bombarded Paris during the siege of -1871, forming a proof of the wisdom displayed in the German choice -of position. The double line of forts thus disposed renders Paris as -nearly impregnable to the attack of an enemy as is possible under -modern military conditions. - -The total number of troops garrisoned in Paris in normal times is -about 25,000, and there are also about 4500 _gendarmerie_. Paris in -itself ranks as a separate military district of the Republic, and -is noteworthy as being the head-quarters of the Republican Guard, -practically the only body of picked men in the French military system, -and analogous with the Guards' Brigade of the British Army. - -Amiens, the head-quarters of the 2nd Army Corps, is a city of nearly -100,000 inhabitants, containing a cathedral which is generally -considered the finest existing example of Gothic architecture. Situated -eighty-one miles north of Paris, it is one of the principal points of -concentration for troops in the vicinity of the northern frontier, and -forms head-quarters for the departments of Aisne, Oise, Somme, and -parts of Seine-et-Oise and Seine. Although head-quarters of an Army -Corps, Amiens does not rank among the principal fortified posts of -France. - -Besançon, situated 243 miles south-east of Paris, ranks as a -first-class fortress, and is the head-quarters of the 7th Army Corps. -It is the centre of military administration for the departments of Ain, -Doubs, Haute-Marne, Haute-Saône, Jura, Belfort, and part of Rhône. It -is an ancient town containing Roman remains dating from the second -century of the Christian era, including an amphitheatre and triumphal -arch. Situated on the main line of rail from Dijon to Belfort, Besançon -is one of the centres of mobilisation for the defence of the eastern -frontier, and it is from this point that a good many of the first -line of troops were drafted to the area of recent conflict in Alsace -and Lorraine. In itself Besançon is a quiet and pleasant city on a -peninsula stretching out from the left bank of the river Doubs, and it -has a reputation as the principal watch-making centre of France. - -Bordeaux, the metropolis of south-western France, is 360 miles distant -from Paris by rail, and forms the head-quarters of the 18th Army Corps. -As one of the finest cities of France, and a coastal town, it is a -popular station among the troops, and serves as head-quarters for the -departments of Charente-Inférieure, Gironde, Landes, Basses-Pyrénées, -and Hautes-Pyrénées. The military history of Bordeaux dates back -to very ancient times, for it was sacked successively by Vandals, -Visigoths, Franks, and Norsemen, and attained to a period of peace -only at the middle of the twelfth century. As centre of one of the -principal wine-growing districts of France, it is as near climatic -perfection as the conscript can expect to get, though those who serve -in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées undergo more rigorous conditions -of weather. In addition to being a port of departure for trans-Atlantic -traffic, Bordeaux is a popular pleasure resort, and thus plenty of -amusements are within reach of the troops serving at head-quarters. - -Bourges, the head-quarters of the 8th Army Corps, is one of the -principal military stations of France, although not in itself a town of -very great importance. Its training establishments rank very highly in -the military life of the nation, including as they do a national cannon -foundry, very extensive engineering works, and schools of artillery and -pyrotechnics for the training of officers. Bourges is head-quarters -for the departments of Cher, Côte-d'Or, Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire, and -part of the department of Rhône. It is one of the chief arsenals of -the Republic, and occupies a position near the geographical centre -of France. The town dates back to Roman time, and had the doubtful -distinction of being destroyed by Julius Cæsar, at about the time of -his invasion of Britain. - -Châlons-sur-Marne has been a centre of conflict in most of the wars in -which France has been engaged from very early times. It was destroyed -by the Vandals, by Attila and his ruthless Huns, and by the Burgundians -in mediæval times, and is situated on a plain which has always been -considered an ideal battlefield, and has served that purpose throughout -the centuries up to the present day. It is the head-quarters of the -6th Army Corps, and is the military centre for the departments of -Ardennes, Aubes, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Marne, Meuse, and Vosges. It is -107 miles east of Paris by rail, and is one of the principal brewing -centres of France, the wine trade in which it used to be engaged having -gone northward to Rheims. In the scheme under which the French Army -is constituted, Châlons is one of the centres for early mobilisation -of troops of the first line with a view to the defence of the -north-eastern frontier. - -Clermont-Ferrand is head-quarters for the departments of Loire, -Haute-Loire, Allier, Cantal, Puy-de-Dôme, and part of the department -of Rhône. It is the head-quarters of the 13th Army Corps, and is a town -of about 55,000 inhabitants, situated 260 miles directly south of Paris -by rail. It may be regarded as one of the first centres of systematic -mobilisation of which France affords historical record, for at the end -of the eleventh century Peter the Hermit preached the first Crusade in -the church of Notre Dame at Clermont-Ferrand. - -Grenoble, dominated by Mont Rachais, a hill rising nearly 3500 -feet above sea-level, ranks as a first-class fortress, and is the -military centre for the departments of Hautes-Alpes, Drôme, Isère, -Savoie, Haute-Savoie, and part of the department of Rhône. It is the -head-quarters of the 14th Army Corps, and is one of the most beautiful -of French cities. In consequence of this it is a well patronised -tourist centre, and as such is a popular station among the conscripts. - -Le Mans, the military centre for the departments of Eure-et-Loire, -Orne, Mayenne, Sarthe, and parts of the departments of Seine-et-Rise -and Seine, is situated 131 miles W.S.W. from Paris by rail, and -has historical associations with Richard Coeur de Lion and Henry -II of England, having been the birthplace of the latter. It is the -head-quarters of the 4th Array Corps, and has a population of about -65,000, including the garrison of about 5500. It was a walled city -of the Roman Empire in the third century, and has undergone sieges -by the dozen from mediæval times onward. It was one of the centres -of conflict in the internecine strife between Bendean and Republican -troops at the time of the Revolution, while in 1870 it was the scene of -a French defeat. Its cathedral contains the tomb of an English queen, -Lion-hearted Richard's consort, and the town is one of great historic -interest. - -Lille, the military centre for the departments of Nord and -Pas-de-Calais, is the head-quarters of the 1st Army Corps, and is in -the centre of one of the most thickly populated manufacturing districts -of France. It is situated 153 miles north of Paris, and up to a few -years ago ranked as a first-class fortress town, but, on account of -its great commercial importance, and the manufacturing character -of the district in which it is situated, it was decided that Lille -should be regarded as an open town, and not subject to bombardment. -The nature of the country in which Lille is situated and the density -of population may be judged from the fact that it forms a military -centre for two departments only, instead of for four or five, as in the -case of other head-quarters garrison towns. The old fortifications -of Lille have been converted into boulevards; under the old scheme of -defence the works were so constructed that large areas in the vicinity -of the citadel could be placed under water, in case of attack. As -French cities go, Lille is comparatively modern, dating back only to -A.D. 1030, when Count Baldwin IV walled in the village from which the -present prosperous town of nearly 200,000 inhabitants has sprung. - -Limoges, the military centre for the departments of Charente, Corrèze, -Creuse, Dordogne, and Haute-Vienne, is situated about 250 miles S.S.W. -of Paris by rail. It is the head-quarters of the 12th Army Corps, and -even at the time of the Roman conquest was a place of importance, -having contributed 10,000 men to the defence of Alesia against the -Roman invasion. During the Hundred Years' War it sustained alternate -sieges by French and English, and from the time of John of England to -that of the Black Prince it was under threat to fire and sword, to -which the Black Prince gave it up after taking the town by assault. -Remains of a Roman fountain and amphitheatre still exist in the town, -of which the present population is about 85,000. - -Marseilles is the military centre for the departments of Basses-Alpes, -Alpes-Maritimes, Corse, Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, Var, and -Ardèche. It is the head-quarters of the 15th Army Corps, and is a naval -station as well. It has been a place of commercial importance from -the earliest days, and, situated as it is in one of the healthiest -districts of France, as well as being on the coast, it forms an ideal -military station. In former times it was subject to epidemic diseases -on account of the sub-tropical nature of the climate, but modern -methods of sanitation have neutralised this drawback, and Marseilles is -now as pleasant a place as any that a conscript can hope for in order -to undergo his term of service. It is the principal port of France, and -as such is strongly fortified, but its fortifications belong to the -naval administration of the Republic. Historically, Marseilles dates -back to the year 600 B.C., when the Greeks established a colony here. -It passed to Roman rule at the time of the invasion of Gaul and became -connected with, among other notable Romans, Petronius, the arbiter of -elegance at Nero's court. Throughout the Middle Ages Marseilles enjoyed -a semi-independence, and it has always played a prominent part in the -history of the Mediterranean sea-board. - -Montpellier, the head-quarters of the 16th Army Corps, is the military -centre for the departments of Aude, Aveyron, Hérault, Lozère, Tarn, -and Pyrénées-Orientales. It is about 480 miles south of Paris, -and about seven miles distant from the Mediterranean, from which -it is divided by the lagoons of Perols and l'Arnel. The town is of -comparatively late formation as towns go in France, having become a -place of note only in the eighth century. It is a wine and brandy -centre, and is also engaged in silk works, and, owing to its situation, -enjoys a congenial climate. The population is upwards of 80,000. - -Nantes, the head-quarters of the 11th Army Corps, is known as the -most populous town of Brittany, and is the military centre for the -departments of Finistère, Loire-Inférieure, Morbihan, and Vendée. It -is situated about 27 miles from the sea and about 250 miles from Paris -by rail. The population is about 140,000, and from an historical point -of view Nantes is one of the most interesting of French cities. Its -name is derived from its having been the chief city of the Nannetes, an -ancient Gallic tribe, and under the Romans the city became one of the -principal centres of Western Gaul, having retained its prominence up -to the present day. It has seen many sieges and assaults, and was the -last city of France to surrender to Henry IV of France, who signed here -the famous edict that gave Protestants equal rights with Catholics for -nearly a hundred years. Many notable Frenchmen owned Nantes as their -birthplace, among them Jules Verne and several famous French generals. -Unto the present day the Bretons of Nantes and the surrounding district -retain their distinct peculiarities of character, forming for France -what East Anglia forms for England, and Norman influence, combined with -Celtic origin, is evident in the people of the country. The Breton, -by the way, makes a fine soldier, having more of doggedness than the -usual Frenchman to combine with the dash and agility of body and mind -characteristic of the Latin races. - -Orleans, the head-quarters of the 5th Army Corps, is the military -centre for the departments of Loiret, Loire-et-Cher, Seine-et-Marne, -Yonne, part of Seine-et-Oise and part of Seine. It is situated 75 miles -south-west of Paris by rail, and has a population of about 60,000, -including its garrison. As the capital of a separate kingdom, Orleans -enjoyed great prominence throughout the Middle Ages, and it is always -remembered for its associations with the soldier-maid of France, Jeanne -d'Arc. One of the principal artillery schools of the Army is situated -here. An ancient Celtic centre, the town was renamed in the period of -Roman occupation, and was a flourishing city as early as the fifth -century. It was vainly besieged by Attila and the Huns, taken by -Clovis, and held against the English at the time when Jeanne brought -reinforcements to the garrison and compelled the raising of the siege. -The long wars between Huguenots and Catholics brought more strife to -Orleans, and in the revolutionary period it suffered severely, while -it was occupied by the Prussians both in 1815 and in 1870, numerous -battles being fought in its vicinity during the last-mentioned war. It -is worthy of note that a Duke of Orleans, a member of the old royal -family of France, served in the British Army in the reign of Victoria. - -Rennes, the ancient capital of Brittany, is the head-quarters of the -10th Army Corps, and the site of a large arsenal in addition to the -barracks, while it is the military centre for the departments of -Côtes-du-Nord, Manche, and Ille-et-Vilaine. In the early part of the -eighteenth century the town was almost destroyed by fire, a catastrophe -that is not even yet forgotten; while as the birthplace of Boulanger, -who introduced many reforms into the French Army and was largely -responsible for its efficiency in recent years, Rennes is peculiarly -connected with military matters. It may be remembered, by the way, that -the second Dreyfus trial was held here in 1899. The population of the -town is about 75,000, and it is 51 miles south-east of St. Malo and 232 -miles west-south-west of Paris. Historically, Rennes was the centre of -several Roman roads which are still recognisable, and in mediæval times -it suffered greatly from the wars between French and English. In the -revolutionary period the Republican Army made Rennes their centre for -the operations against the Vendeans, but it has no later prominence in -connection with military history. - -Rouen, 87 miles north-west of Paris by rail, is the head-quarters of -the 3rd Army Corps, is the ancient capital of Normandy, and military -centre for the departments of Calvados, Eure, Seine-Inférieure, and -parts of Seine-et-Oise and of Seine. It has a population of about -120,000, including the garrison, and is a town of narrow, picturesque -streets and of old-world dignity and interest. Here William the -Conqueror died and Jeanne d'Arc was burned--a statue commemorates -the latter event in the town. Although 78 miles from the sea, Rouen -is one of the principal French ports, the bed of the Seine having -been deepened from the sea to the city by an ingenious system of -embankments, which forced the river to deepen its own bed rather than -extend its width--and military labour went far toward the construction -of the embankments. - -Toulouse, the head-quarters of the 17th Army Corps, is the military -centre for the departments of Ariege, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Lot, -Lot-et-Garonne, and Tarn-et-Garonne. The town is peculiarly liable to -great floods, and those of 1855, which swept away the suspension bridge -of St. Pierre, and of 1875, which destroyed 7000 houses and drowned -300 people, are still remembered in the city. It is situated 478 miles -south of Paris and 160 miles south-east from Bordeaux, and, with a -population of about 150,000, ranks as the metropolis of Southern France. - -Tours, the head-quarters of the 9th Army Corps, is situated 145 -miles south-west from Paris by rail, and is the military centre for -the departments of Maine-et-Loire, Indre-et-Loire, Deux-Sèvres, and -Vienne. Under the Gauls it was the capital of the Turones, from whom it -derived the name which it still bears, and traces of Roman occupation -still remain in the form of the ancient amphitheatre. After the fall -of Roman power, Tours was fortified against barbarian invasion, and -subsequently it was closely connected with the great names of French -history, notably those of Clovis, who presented rich gifts to the -church at Tours out of the spoils won from Alaric and the Goths, and -with Charlemagne, who disciplined its monasteries. Few towns surpass -Tours in historic interest, and it is noteworthy in modern times, as -the birthplace of Balzac and the two Marshals Boucicaut. In 1870 the -government of the national defence was established at Tours, and the -Third Republic may thus be said to have had its birth here. - -No list of the great garrisons of France would be complete without a -reference to Verdun and Toul, the ends of the great chain of fortresses -which defend the eastern frontier. Toul, 14 miles to the west of Nancy, -is the centre of a vast network of entrenchments and defences, and the -hills surrounding the town are crowned with forts which command all the -country within range to the east. A series of forts, echeloning along -the ridge of the Meuse, connect Toul with Verdun, and forms a defensive -line which is only equalled in strength by the defences of Paris, as -far as the French military defensive system is concerned. Verdun, at -the northern end of the line of frontier defences, is surrounded by a -ring of detached forts, eleven in number, and occupying a circumference -of 25 miles. Since the loss of Metz to Germany, Verdun has been so -strengthened as to form the most formidable fortress in France. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -SOME EFFECTS. ACTIVE SERVICE - - -One of the principal effects of a conscript system such as that of -France is that the great majority of the population of the country -is characterised by fixed habits and ideas with regard to the way in -which work should be done. The Latin races are all marked by a certain -flexibility and dexterity of mind, a quickness of apprehension which -is absent, for the most part, from other Caucasian stock, and military -training increases this and applies it to physical use as well as to -mental qualities. The conscript, back in civilian life at the end of -his training, is to be compared to the sailor of the British Navy in -many respects; he has learned a certain handiness, a dexterity in -connection with his daily work, and it is a lesson that stays with him, -as a rule, to the end of his life. - -While military service alters, it does not create; the stolid -Breton--stolid by comparison with the men of central and Southern -France, remains stolid as before he went up for training, for the -Army has grafted on him nothing that is new--it has merely added to -his knowledge and developed, in the way of characteristics, what was -already there. But the Breton is the better for his two years--without -them he would be a very stolid and unimaginative person indeed, and -he has learned to stir himself, to make the best of himself and the -work that is his to perform. Similarly the traditional Frenchman, -coming from the wine-growing districts of the south, and a hot-headed -and impetuous individual, has his eccentricities modified, for -hot-headedness does not pay in military service, and this man has -learned to control himself just as the Breton has acquired a little -more rapidity of movement. Yet the individual characteristics of the -two types remain; personal traits have been modified by discipline, but -not destroyed, for while the Army of the Republic creates nothing, it -also annihilates nothing. The men have been moulded to a pattern, but -they are the same men in essence, with no quality removed altogether. -Usually, they are vastly improved. - -Especially is this last true of the many youths who think--it is a -common failing of youth--that they know everything and are capable -of all things. The Army modifies their self-conceit; it teaches -them that they are but as other men, needing to learn. It first of -all destroys the unhealthy growth of unjustifiable self-confidence, -reducing these men to utter self-abasement; then, on this foundation, -the Army and the training it involves gradually build up, not a belief -in self-powers, but a knowledge of the capacities and powers of self, -of their limitations as well as their extent. The braggart who goes to -his military training comes back chastened and, if he still boasts, -it is of things that he is really capable of doing, knowledge that he -has actually obtained--he makes no claims that he cannot justify, as a -rule. This much the Army of France does for the men who pass through it -and back to their normal tasks in life. - -The life of the conscripts has been charged with blunting the finer -sensibilities of those who have to undergo its rigours, but the -charge cannot be allowed. For one might as well say that the engineer -is rendered incapable of appreciating music, or the doctor has no -conception of the beauty of a garden, by reason of the mathematical -nature of the work accomplished by the one and the physical -repulsiveness of much that the other has to perform. The Army and the -training that it involves never injured a Frenchman yet, so long as the -laws governing the Army received proper interpretation. In the end of -the last century there were injustices prevalent both among men and -officers, but the world and France gain wisdom with experience; the -Republican Army as at present constituted is a growth of only forty -years, and its predecessor, the Army of Napoleon the futile, showed by -the war of 1870 what an immense amount of reform was necessary before -French arms could regain their lustre. In the history of an army, forty -years is a very short time, and, rather than cavil at the slowness with -which reforms have been accomplished, it is due to France that one -should admire the way in which the Army has been built up from so sorry -a foundation into the great and effective machine of to-day. - -In civilian France, military ways persist. Habits of neatness and -method, and accuracy in trifles, attest the military training that men -have undergone. The very step of a Frenchman walking is reminiscent -of the days when he was taught to march, and he has a respect for -and knowledge of firearms which the average civilian of English -life--unless he be addicted to some form of sport--never acquires. The -Frenchman is never at a loss with a sporting gun, knows better than -to point the weapon at the head of another man when loading, and in -other ways betrays familiarity with the tool of a craft--one that many -Englishmen regard as something to be handled carelessly or passed by -as a thing of mystery. This is given only as an instance of the many -ways in which the conscript system modifies men, for there are many -ways in which modifications are effected. Some students of the subject -question whether the French flexuousness and adaptability are results -of the military system of the Republic or whether they are ingrained in -the race independently of military training. Since practically every -citizen is a soldier, this is a point that cannot be easily determined, -but there can be no doubt that the characteristics in question are -increased by military service. - -Every Frenchman who has passed through the Army is in possession of -a little book which he guards most jealously, since in that book are -inserted full particulars of his term of service with the colours, and -all things relating to his military history, as well as details of his -duties in case of mobilisation of the Army. The little book of the -ex-conscript is to him what "marriage lines" are to a woman--except -that the ex-conscript incurs penalties if he loses his book, while -the woman who loses her "marriage lines" can always get another copy -as long as the register containing particulars of the ceremony is in -existence. - -It must be understood that, in case of need arising for the -mobilisation of the Army, the body of men brought to the colours is -so great that some system must be followed in bringing them on to a -war footing. The little book contains particulars of the place at -which the conscript on the reserve is to report himself, together -with the day of mobilisation on which he will be required to join the -colours--the actual mobilisation is spread over a period of days, in -order that some men--the first line troops--may be drafted out to their -posts before the rest come in. When the order for mobilisation has -been given out--by the ringing of bells, proclamation by criers, and -in various other ways--the reservist immediately consults his little -book, and ascertains on what date he will have to present himself to -the authorities, and at what station he is expected to rejoin. His wife -or his mother or sister cooks him food for the day of his going, and, -after a prayer at some wayside shrine or in some sanctuary, and perhaps -an offering vowed to the Virgin or to the patron saint, the citizen -sets out to become a soldier again. August, 1914, was the first time -of complete mobilisation in the history of the Third Republic, and the -system under which the men were gathered back to the colours worked -smoothly in all its details. There was no confusion anywhere; to each -man his place, to each unit its place, and the Army Corps went out to -the Belgian frontier or to the edge of the provinces that slope down -toward the Rhine, with ominous celerity, and with those interminable -regimental songs sounding as they sound when men go out to manoeuvres -at the end of the soldiers' year. The hour for which this Army had been -prepared had come, and the Army was found ready to meet the hour. - -Although the effective strength of the French Army, when the last man -has been armed and placed in the field, is about 4,800,000 men, it -must not be supposed that the Republic maintains all these numbers as -a fighting force in the field throughout the campaign. About a million -and a half of men go out as the "first line," and from those who remain -this line is strengthened as and where required. It has become clear -since the battle of the Marne that almost a second army was collected -under the shelter of the Paris forts to reinforce the retreating line -of men who fell back from the Belgian frontier, and in this connection -it may be noted that the traditional French method of conducting war is -with sixty per cent of the men in the firing line, and the remaining -forty per cent in rear as reserves. France's conduct of the war against -Germany has shown that this method of fighting--diametrically opposed -to the German conception of war--is still being adhered to, and the -troops in the firing line by no means compose the whole of the French -striking force. - -As to active service in the French Army, the general English view -is that the French soldier, with the exception of the Algerian -garrison, sees no service outside European bounds, and the deeds of -French soldiers are ignored as regards French colonial possessions -and expeditions. In the expedition to Tonquin, to which reference -has already been made in connection with the Foreign Legion of the -French Army, there were deeds done by individuals and by regiments -that are worthy of memory besides the brilliant exploits of our own -Army. It is not only to the war in the Crimea and the present campaign -that we must look for evidence of the indomitable courage that the -French undoubtedly possess, but also to service on the French colonial -battlefields, in Chinese swamps and African wilds. - -The present campaign has proved that French soldiers are capable of -retreating in good order when strategy renders a retreat necessary--a -feat hitherto deemed impossible to the army whose sole strength was -supposed to consist in its power of impetuous attack. The retreat -from the Belgian frontier has rendered necessary a reconstruction of -ideas as regards French psychology, and has shown that the training -imposed on the conscripts of France in time of peace was the best that -could be applied. Just as in the field the best general is the best -psychologist, so in time of peace the best administration is that -which, regardless of criticism of its methods, prepares its men most -effectively for war, selecting the form of training to be applied in -a way that takes into consideration the mental characteristics and -temperament of the material required to be trained. The merits of the -form of training selected can only be determined by the effectiveness -of the trained material in action, and, granting these things, the -conduct of the French Army in the present campaign is a splendid -vindication of the peace training of that Army. The first stages of -the war have been all against the French way of fighting--the way in -which the French soldier is supposed to exhibit himself at his best; -yet in retreat, and in action approximating in length and tedium to the -monotony and continued exertion of siege warfare, the French soldier -has given his commanders cause for pride. - -Let it be remembered that the men who are fighting the battles of -France, and of all civilisation, on French soil in these closing months -of 1914 are not like the veterans with whom Napoleon won his battles. -The wars of the Napoleonic era, lasting for years as they did, brought -into the field a host of trained men--trained in war by the practice -of war, rather than by experiments under peace conditions; from the -time of the Revolution onward there were sufficient veteran soldiers, -seasoned in real warfare, to stiffen the ranks of any army that might -be raised to attack--neither to retreat nor to defend, but to attack -in accordance with French tradition. The Army of the Republic to-day -is made up of men who have had two years' training apiece (with the -exception of the small percentage of _re-engagés_, who also have had -no war service) under peace conditions, and who for the most part have -never seen a shot fired in anger, as the phrase goes. Yet out of this -semi-raw material (semi-raw as far as war experience goes) France has -raised an Army which may without exaggeration be termed magnificent, -an Army that has kept the field under harder circumstances than those -which brought about the surrender of Sedan, an Army that no more knows -when it is beaten than does the British force fighting by its side. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The French Army From Within, by Anonymous - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRENCH ARMY FROM WITHIN *** - -***** This file should be named 53417-8.txt or 53417-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/4/1/53417/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from images made available by the -HathiTrust Digital Library.) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The French Army From Within - -Author: Anonymous - -Release Date: October 31, 2016 [EBook #53417] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRENCH ARMY FROM WITHIN *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from images made available by the -HathiTrust Digital Library.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - -<div class="hidehand"> -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="cover" /> -</p></div> - - - - - - -<p class="ph1" style="margin-top:5em;"> -THE FRENCH ARMY<br /> -FROM WITHIN</p> -<p class="ph4"> -BY</p> - -<p class="ph3">"EX-TROOPER"</p> - -<p class="ph4" style="margin-top: 10em;">NEW YORK<br /> -GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY -</p> - - - - -<p class="ph5" style="margin-top: 10em;"> -<span class="smcap">Copyright, 1914</span><br /> -By GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY -</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2">CONTENTS</p> - - - - -<table summary="toc" width="60%"> - -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a> -</td> -<td align="right"><span class="smcap">page</span> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" ><span class="smcap">The Constitution of the French Army</span> -</td> -<td align="right">7 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" ><span class="smcap">The French Soldier at Home</span> -</td> -<td align="right">18 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" ><span class="smcap">The Higher Ranks</span> -</td> -<td align="right">27 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Infantry</span> -</td> -<td align="right">44 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Off Duty</span> -</td> -<td align="right">51 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Cavalry</span> -</td> -<td align="right">60 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Artillery</span> -</td> -<td align="right">74 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">In Camp and on the March</span> -</td> -<td align="right">85 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Manœuvres</span> -</td> -<td align="right">104 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">With the Cavalry Scouts</span> -</td> -<td align="right">119 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Internal Economy</span> -</td> -<td align="right">133 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Some Incidentals</span> -</td> -<td align="right">144 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">The Great Garrison Towns of France</span> -</td> -<td align="right">156 -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" align="center"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</a> -</td> -<td> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><span class="smcap">Some Effects. Active Service</span> -</td> -<td align="right">171 -</td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - - - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a></p> - -<p class="center">THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FRENCH ARMY</p> - - -<p>Before proceeding to the consideration of life as lived in the -French Army, it would be well to have a clear understanding of the -constitution of the Army of France, the parts of which it is composed, -and the conditions under which it is organised and controlled. The -British Army is a growth of years, and even of centuries, but with -the changes of government that France has undergone since 1815 the -constitution of the Army has undergone radical changes, and the French -Army of to-day dates back only to 1871—that is, as far as form and -composition are in question.</p> - -<p>One of the principles under which the present Republic of France is -constituted is that "every citizen is a soldier." This principle has -been more and more enforced with the growth and consolidation of the -Republic since 1870, and successive laws passed with reference to the -Army have been framed with ever-increasing recognition of the need for -military efficiency. By the first law with regard to the constitution -of the Army, that of July 27th, 1872, every young man, at the age of -twenty, so long as he was physically fit, owed to his country five -years of active service, five years in the Territorial Army of France, -and six years in what was known as the Territorial reserve. On this law -the constitution and organisation of the Army were first based.</p> - -<p>The law of July 15th, 1889, reduced the period of service to three -years in the active Army, but the principle remained the same. A -further modification in the length of service was brought about by -the law of 1905, which reduced the period of service with the active -Army to two years, and abolished certain classes of citizens who were -excused from military service for various reasons. Up to the passing -of this law, bread-winners of a family had been exempt, but by it they -were called on to serve, while the state pensioned their dependents -during their period of service; the "voluntariat," consisting of men -who paid a certain amount to the state in order to serve for a period -of one year only, was abolished—"every citizen a soldier" was made -more of a reality than ever, for the nation realised that it must keep -pace with the neighbour on the east, who was steadily increasing its -military resources.</p> - -<p>From the age of twenty to that of forty-five, every Frenchman -physically capable of military service is a soldier. Each commune -complies yearly a list of its young men who have attained the age of -twenty during the preceding twelve months. All these young men are -examined by the <i>conseil de révision cantonale</i>, a revising body of -military and civilian officials, by whom the men not physically fit -are at once rejected, and men who may possibly attain to the standard -of fitness required are put back for examination after a sufficient -interval has elapsed to admit of their development in height, weight, -or other requirement in which they are deficient. Five feet and half -an inch is the minimum standard of height, though men of exceptional -physical quality are passed into the infantry below this height.</p> - -<p>The <i>loi des cadres</i> of 1907 supplemented the law of 1905 without -materially changing it. At the present time about 200,000 men are -enrolled every year, this number including the men who have been put -back from previous examination by the revising council. The active -Army of France thus consists of about 535,000 men, together with an -approximate total of 55,000 men serving in Algeria and 20,000 men -serving in Tunis. The gendarmerie and Republican guard add on another -25,000, and the colonial troops serving in the French colonies amount -to a total of about 60,000. This last number is steadily increasing by -means of the enrolment of natives of the French colonies in Africa.</p> - -<p>These numbers concern the Army on a peace footing. In case of a -national emergency the total war strength of the French Army is -calculated at 4,800,000. Of these 1,350,000 comprise the first line -troops made up of the active Army and younger classes of the reserve, -who would constitute the first field armies to engage the enemy on an -outbreak of war. The remainder of the total of nearly 5 millions would -be called up as required for garrison purposes and to strengthen the -ranks of the field army.</p> - -<p>The citizen is still expected to give twenty-five years of service to -his country; of these, two—or rather three, under the law passed by -the action of the war ministry of M. Viviani just before the outbreak -of the present continental war—years are expected to be spent in the -active Army, and another eleven in the reserve of the active Army. -During this second period of eleven years men are recalled to the -colours—that is, to service with the active Army—for periods of a -month at a time. At the conclusion of this first thirteen years of -service, men pass automatically to the Territorial Army, which is -supposed to serve for the purposes of home defence only. Service in the -Territorial Army lasts six years, after which the soldier passes to six -years in the reserve of the Territorial Army. After this the French -citizen is exempt from any further military obligation.</p> - -<p>Registered at the age of twenty, the French citizen is called to the -colours on the first of October following his registration, and passes -from the active Army two years later on September 30th. In old days, -when the period of service in the active Army was for five years, the -French Army was an unpopular institution, but the shortening of service -together with the knowledge, possessed by the nation as a whole, that -the need for every citizen soldier would eventually rise through -the action of Germany, have combined to render the Army not only an -important item in national life, but a popular one. There used to be -grousers and bad characters by the score, but now they are rarely found.</p> - -<p>In time of peace the active Army of France is so organised as to form -the skeleton on which to build the war forces of the Republic. The -system is one of twenty permanent Army Corps based as follows: the -first at Lille, the second at Amiens, the third at Rouen, the fourth -at Le Mans, the fifth at Orleans, the sixth at Châlons-sur-Marne, the -seventh at Besançon, the eighth at Bourges, the ninth at Tours, the -tenth at Rennes, the eleventh at Nantes, the twelfth at Limoges, the -thirteenth at Clermont-Ferrand, the fourteenth at Lyons, the fifteenth -at Marseilles, the sixteenth at Montpellier, the seventeenth at -Toulouse, the eighteenth at Bordeaux, the nineteenth at Algiers, and -the twentieth at Nancy.</p> - -<p>The strength of an Army Corps is made up of two divisions of infantry, -a brigade of cavalry, a brigade of horse and field artillery, and one -"squadron of train," the last named including the non-combatants of -the Army Corps. Exceptions are the Sixth Army Corps with head-quarters -at Châlons, the seventh at Besançon, and the nineteenth at Algiers; -of these the first mentioned two contain three divisions of infantry -instead of two, while the Algerian Corps has four divisions, one of -which is detached for duty in Tunis.</p> - -<p>In addition to the twenty stations of the Army Corps, eight independent -cavalry divisions have head-quarters respectively at Paris, Luneville, -Meaux, Sedan, Melun, Lyons, Rheims, and Dôle. There is also the -military government of Paris, which, acting independently of the rest, -contains detachments from four Army Corps and two cavalry divisions. -A cavalry division is made up of two brigades, each consisting of two -regiments which in turn contain four squadrons and a reserve squadron -of peace.</p> - -<p>The infantry of the French Army consists of 163 regiments of infantry -of the line, 31 battalions of Chasseurs à Pied, mainly stationed in -mountain districts, 4 regiments of Zouaves, 4 regiments of Turcos or -native Algerian tirailleurs, 2 regiments of the Foreign Legion, 5 -disciplinary battalions known as African Light Infantry.</p> - -<p>The cavalry organisation is 12 regiments of Cuirassiers, 32 regiments -of Dragoons, 21 regiments of Chasseurs—corresponding to the British -Lancers—14 regiments of Hussars, 6 regiments of Chasseurs d'Afrique, -and 4 regiments of native Algerian Cavalry known as Spahis.</p> - -<p>The French Army is rather weak in artillery, its total strength -consisting of 445 field batteries organised into 40 regiments of field -artillery; 52 batteries of horse artillery, the greater part of which, -however, have been transformed or are in process of transformation -to field batteries; 14 mountain batteries; 18 battalions of garrison -artillery, together with artificers to a total of 13 companies. Six -regiments of engineers are divided into 22 battalions, and there is -also a department of engineers known as the railway regiment. The -non-combatant branches of the Army are formed into 20 squadrons of -train, which contain the equivalents to the British Army Service Corps, -Army Ordnance Corps, and the <i>personnel</i> of units connected with the -upkeep and maintenance of the Army in the field. In addition, there is -an Army Corps of colonial infantry, service in which is a voluntary -matter. Its strength is about 30,000 troops in France and over 60,000 -distributed throughout the various colonies.</p> - -<p>The officers of the French Army receive their training at military -schools established in various parts of the Republic, or else are -recruited from among non-commissioned officers. Not less than -one-third of the total number of French officers rise to commissions -by the latter method—Napoleon's remark about the marshal's bâton in -the private soldier's knapsack still holds good in the French Army. -The principal training schools are those of St. Cyr for infantry -and cavalry officers, the École Polytechnique for artillery and -engineer officers, and the musketry school at Châlons. The schools -of St. Maixent, Saumur, Versailles, and the gymnastic school at -Joinville-le-Pont are intended for the training of non-commissioned -officers selected for commissions.</p> - -<p>The rate of pay for men in the first period of service is very low, -ranging from the equivalent of a halfpenny a day upwards; but the law -under which the Army is constituted provides for the re-enlistment of -such men as wish to make a career of the Army, and on re-enlistment -the rate of pay is materially increased, while a bounty is given on -re-engagement, and at the conclusion of a certain amount of service -re-engaged men are granted pensions. It is only reasonable that, with -the adoption of the principle of universal service, the rate of pay -should be low; voluntary re-enlistment, however, is a different matter, -so the Republic rewards the men who re-engage at the conclusion of -their first term. From among them are selected practically all the -non-commissioned officers, while, considering that all necessaries of -life are provided for them in addition to their pay, even the rank and -file are not badly off.</p> - -<p>The armament of the French infantry is the Lebel rifle with bayonet, -this pattern of rifle having been adopted in 1886. It is understood -that an automatic rifle is under consideration, but a serious drawback -to the use of such a weapon is the fact that, with a rate of fire -three or four times as great as that of the ordinary magazine rifle -with bolt action, the automatic rifle would require more ammunition -than its user could carry. The weapon of the Field Artillery is a -shielded quick-firing gun of Creusot pattern, with a bore of 75 -millimetres. On this gun the field-guns of all nations have been -modelled, but, although it was the first of its kind to be put into -use, it still gives the artillery of the French Army a decided -advantage over that of other Continental nations, when reckoned gun for -gun. The French cavalry is armed with a straight sword, in place of the -old-fashioned curved blade which the French discarded some time ago, -but which remained in use in the British Army up to the end of 1907. A -carbine and bamboo lance are also carried.</p> - -<p>In all matters of military equipment and armament the French Republic -has led the world since its reconstitution after 1870. The Lebel rifle -and its adoption inaugurated a new era in the armament of infantry; -the 75-millimetre gun, as already noted, was the first of its kind -to come into use. The Lebel carbine which the cavalry carry is still -unsurpassed as a cavalry weapon. Further, France led the world in the -development of air craft; the lighter-than-air machine, certainly, -has developed into a German specialty, but the heavier-than-air -machine, or aeroplane, owes its development to French enterprise, and -very largely to French military enterprise. In all branches of the -service, and in all matters affecting the service, the French Army is -the home of experiment, and to this fact is due the greater part of -French military efficiency to-day. The bravery of French troops is -unquestioned, and, in addition to this, the French Army has nothing -to learn from the armies of other nations as regards <i>matériel</i> and -equipment.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a></p> - -<p class="center">THE FRENCH SOLDIER AT HOME</p> - - -<p>British soldiers, serving under a voluntary system, have little to say -for the conscript system, but a glance round Paris in time of peace -might persuade them that there are various compensations and advantages -in a conscript army which they, serving voluntarily, do not enjoy. -It is a surprise to one who has served in the British Army to see -the French Republican Guards stationed on the grand staircase of the -Opéra, and also at all entrances and exits of this famous building. In -practically every theatrical establishment in Paris the Guards may be -seen on this class of duty, for which they get specially paid. There -are military attendants at the Folies Bergères, at the Nouveau Cirque, -at the Moulin Rouge, and even at such an irresponsible home of laughter -as the Bal Tabarin. As the darkey said of Daniel in the lions' den, -these men get a free show.</p> - -<p>But it is not only when on duty that the French soldier is to be seen -in such places of amusement as these, for the non-commissioned officer -is to be found in company with his wife or <i>fiancée</i> in every class -of seat. It is no uncommon thing to find among the most attentive -listeners at the Opéra a number of <i>piou-pioux</i>, in full uniform, among -the fashionable people in the stalls. The Republican rule, which makes -of every man a citizen and an equal of all the rest, leads to what, -in such a country as England, would be considered curious anomalies. -Beside the newspaper critic in full evening-dress may be seen the -private soldier, in uniform, taking notes with probably greater -intelligence than the newspaper man; for the soldier may be anything -in civilian life: the son of the rich banker occupies the next bed in -the barrack-room to the son of the Breton peasant, and the Cabinet -Minister's lad, when in uniform, is on a level with the gamin of Paris.</p> - -<p>It must be confessed that the average French soldier, when off parade, -looks rather slovenly. The baggy trousers go a long way toward the -creation of this impression. Then, again, the way in which the French -soldier is trained to march is far different from British principles. -The "pas-deflexion" does not look so smart as the stately march of the -British Guards, but it is more effective. This bent-knee, slouching -method carries men along with a swing; the step is shorter than that -of British troops, but the rate is more to the minute than that of the -British Army, and the men swing along, to all appearances tireless, at -such a pace that they cover about thirty miles a day on manœuvres. -This, too, with a pack at which a British infantryman would look -aghast, for the French pack is proverbial for its size and weight. It -confers a great advantage, however, with regard to marching, in that -it lessens the amount of transport which must follow on the track of -infantry, and is necessary to the well-being of the men.</p> - -<p>A British infantry regiment on the march, and marching at ease, still -looks imposing; a French infantry battalion, on the other hand, is the -reverse of spectacular when marching at ease. The band comes first, -with its instruments carried anyhow so long as they are comfortable; -the rank and file, following, carry their rifles as the band carries -its instruments, in any fantastic position that makes for ease; step is -not maintained; the set "fours" which British troops maintain at ease -as well as at attention are not to be seen, for a man drops back to the -rank in his rear to talk to a comrade, or goes forward to the rank in -front to light his cigarette. They smoke and sing and joke; they eat -bread and drink wine by way of refreshment, since the evening meal -is yet a long way off; alongside the troops as they march may be seen -pedlars and hawkers offering their wares, and it is all quite the usual -thing, quite legitimate. The fetish of smartness is non-existent here; -comfort and use are the main points.</p> - -<p>But, at the given occasion, comes the word from the colonel; correct -formations appear out of the threes and fives of men as if by magic. -The band is a corporate body, marching to attention, and playing -the regiment on with every bit as fine a military appearance as any -British band. The men resume step, and, with their peculiar swinging -march, follow on, a regiment at attention, and as fine a regiment, in -appearance as well as in fact, as one would wish to see. Work is work, -and play is play, and the French soldier does both thoroughly.</p> - -<p>This attitude of the French soldier toward his work, and the fact -that he is permitted to maintain that attitude, are due to so large -a proportion of the officers having themselves served in the ranks. -There is a sufficient leavening of "ranker" officers to enable all -commissioned men to understand, when on a route march, what it feels -like to the rank and file. Unlike the British Army, that of France is -a Republican business. The very circumstance that discipline is more -severe arises from the fact that all men are equal, and both soldier -and officer know it. And, if ever the French soldier becomes conscious -that he is really suffering from the severity of discipline, he knows -that he is suffering in good company: under conscription there is no -escape.</p> - -<p>The training of the French <i>piou-piou</i> in marching is a scientific -business. At first he is required to execute 160 steps to the -minute—very short steps taken very quickly. In this way the recruit is -made to cover 3000 yards at first, and then the distance is increased -to 12,000 yards, the increases being made a thousand yards at a time. -As the distance increases, the length of the step is increased, and the -number of steps to the minute decreased. The full course of training is -reckoned at three practices a week for three months, and the infantry -recruit, before being dismissed from training, is required to cover -twelve miles at the rate of seven miles an hour. There is no doubt -that this scientific training in marching, and the teaching of the -half-shuffling trot, characteristic of French infantry, add enormously -to the marching value of the men. One battalion of Chasseurs-à-Pied set -up a record in marching while on manœuvres by covering no less than -68 kilometres (equivalent to nearly 40 English miles) in the course -of a day. This constitutes a definite record in marching, for any -considerable body of men.</p> - -<p>In the matter of smartness, it is hardly fair to compare a British -infantry battalion with a French one, for the point arises yet once -more with regard to the difference between a voluntary and a conscript -system. The English battalion is made up of picked men, while in the -French service all citizens are included; the fact of choice in the -case of the British battalion makes for uniformity. The recruits of the -French battalion include every man who has been passed by the revising -board, and there is not the same chance of maintaining that uniformity -which alone is responsible for smartness. And smartness itself is -but a survival from the days when a soldier was trained to no more -than unquestioning obedience, the old days before warfare became so -scientific as it is at present, when initiative was not required of the -rank and file. The only purpose served by smartness at the present day -is that of recruiting, and, obviously, a conscript army has no need of -this. Hence use rather than appearance comes first.</p> - -<p>An island people may well wonder that a conscript army could be so -popular as is the French, but then an island people could never -realise, although they might vaguely understand, what it must be like -to know that some day the army of a hostile nation may march across -the frontier. The absence of sea bulwarks makes a difference in the -temper of a people; an ever-present threat colours and modifies their -life, and, no matter how set for peace the conditions may appear, the -threat is present just the same. Since 1872 France as a whole has known -that the day of reckoning with Germany would come, and the knowledge -has grown more complete and more insistent with the passing of each -year and the increase in German military preparations, which could be -destined to fulfil but one end. France realised its duty to combat the -fulfilment of that end, and the nation as a whole set itself to prepare -against "The Day."</p> - -<p>By reason of this the French Army is popular; the discipline is severe, -far too much so for any English soldier to endure as a Frenchman -endures it; punishments are frequent, it is true, but they are -undergone in the right spirit by the great majority, who know that the -Army must be trained and kept in ultimate efficiency. The conscript -knows that his training is a part of the price that the nation must -pay for having a land frontier and a grasping neighbour, and he pays -his part of the price cheerfully and well. It may be said that no -conscript army in Europe is so popular as that of France; in none is -there a better spirit than that displayed by Frenchmen. The mercurial -temperament of the nation is yet another cause for severe disciplinary -measures, for in order to shape a Frenchman to military requirements -his extreme elasticity must be controlled, and this would be impossible -under such conditions as are sufficient for the maintenance of, say, -the British Army.</p> - -<p>Moreover, Republican rule and French military methods have forged bonds -between officers and men which never have existed and never will exist -in the army of their great opponent, for instance. I have devoted a -considerable section of a chapter to punishment, and possibly at first -sight this list may appear severe. It is, however, only necessary to -recall the fact that while Germany takes only a percentage of its men -for military training, and France takes the whole for the same purpose, -German methods are twice as severe. Yet again, it is not the quality -of the punishment inflicted, but the spirit in which it is inflicted -that counts most. The French soldier admires, respects, and will gladly -obey the colonel or captain who writes him down so many days <i>salle de -police</i> when he deserves it. But the German soldier is hardly likely -to respect the officer who not only inflicts punishments according -to scale, but will lash him across the face with a whip until the -blood flows. Between French officers and their men is the spirit of -comradeship, and in this is evidence of the value of the French method -of training. Between the German officer and the man whom he commands -are hate and despite in the great majority of cases, and this also -attests the value of a system.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a></p> - -<p class="center">THE HIGHER RANKS</p> - - -<p>So far as the rank and file of the French Army are concerned, no -officer above the rank of colonel is of consequence, for the man in -the ranks is not likely to come in contact with a general officer once -in a twelvemonth. The colonel is the head of the regiment, whether of -artillery, cavalry, or infantry, and his authority extends in every -direction over the men he commands. With the help of the Conseil -d'Administration he directs the administration of his regiment, and he -is responsible for discipline and instruction, all forms of military -education, sanitation, and police control, while, needless to say, -he is held responsible for the efficiency of the regiment and the -appearance of its men. He has absolute power as regards the appointment -of all non-commissioned officers and corporals, who, in the French -Army, do not rank as non-commissioned officers.</p> - -<p>Corresponding very nearly with the "second-in-command" common to -British units, the lieutenant-colonel of a French regiment acts -on behalf of the colonel, and is the intermediary of the latter -in every branch of the service. In the absence of the colonel the -lieutenant-colonel is empowered to issue orders in his name, and he is -also especially charged with the discipline and conduct of the officers -of the regiment. He keeps the report books concerning the officers, and -is responsible for the entering up of reports as regards their military -and private conduct and their efficiency. The colonel, however, -countersigns the reports, adding whatever notes he may think desirable.</p> - -<p>The French equivalent of the major of English cavalry is the Chef -d'Escadron, of whom there are two to each regiment, each in command of -two service squadrons. One is specially appointed to presidency over -the Commission des Ordinaires or arrangements for the food supply of -the regiment, while the other presides over the Commission d'Abattage, -which, in addition to the actual killing of horses, when such a step is -necessary, is concerned with arrangements for forage and all matters -connected with equine supplies. Each of the Chefs d'Escadron is -responsible for the culinary arrangements of his two squadrons, and the -management of canteens is also under his supervision. The two chefs are -in charge of the barrack police and transmit their orders with regard -to this duty through a captain and an adjutant.</p> - -<p>The officer known in the British service as quartermaster is termed -major in the French Army, but the French major has more definite -authority than the British quartermaster. Under his charge are placed -the regulation of pay and accounts, the making of purchases, the -supervision of equipment and barrack furniture, etc. The French major, -in addition to these head-quarters duties which concern the well-being -of the whole regiment, has definite command of the fifth squadron, -which forms the depot for the regiment in case of war.</p> - -<p>From the major the Capitaine Trésorier receives the pay and monies -which have to be distributed to the regiment. He is a member of the -Conseil d'Administration, from which he receives his authorisation -to make payment. The pay of the men is handed to them every fifth -day, when the Capitaine Trésorier or paymaster hands over to the -sergeant-major of each squadron, or to the captain commanding, the -pay of the squadron for distribution among the men. He also makes -all payments and issues demands for supplies for the horses of the -regiment, and a lieutenant or sub-lieutenant is appointed to assist the -paymaster in his duties.</p> - -<p>The Capitaine d'Habillement is the head of the regimental workshops -of every description; he is held responsible for the well-being -of the armoury, clothing stores, and barrack furniture, of which -establishments he keeps the accounts. He has in addition to superintend -all the regimental workshops, including those of the tailor, -boot-maker, saddler, etc. His assistant is a lieutenant known as the -Porte Étendard, who carries the colours of the regiment on parade—for -in French armies the colours are still carried on parade and into -action, unlike the rule of the British Army, which has abandoned the -carrying of colours into action for many years.</p> - -<p>The Capitaine-Instructeur is deputed to attend to the instruction of -the non-commissioned officers of the regiment, and is held responsible -for their efficiency in matters of drill and discipline. He also -lectures junior officers on their duties with regard to drill, -shooting, veterinary matters, topography, etc., and he is specially -responsible that the adjutants of the regiment perform their duties -properly.</p> - -<p>Of officers of the rank of captain, two are appointed to each squadron, -the senior being the Capitaine Commandant and the junior the Capitaine -en second, or junior captain. The senior captain is in charge of the -squadron, which in peace time has a strength of about 120 officers -and men, but for active service has its strength raised considerably. -He is responsible for the military education of his squadron, for the -discipline of the rank and file, and the condition of the horses and -stables, and he is also responsible for the pay and supplies of the -squadron handed over to him by the paymaster and others. He has control -of the promotion of non-commissioned officers and the leave granted -to non-commissioned officers and men. He is responsible to the Chef -d'Escadron for the efficient performance of his duties.</p> - -<p>The second captain of each squadron is, as regards squadron duties, -under the orders of the captain commanding, and is especially concerned -with all matters affecting food supplies. In addition to his squadron -duties, he has to take his turn every fifth week as "captain of -the week," when he has to supervise roll calls and assemblies, and -the mounting and dismounting of guards. As captain of the week he -supervises the cleanliness and security of the barracks and the work of -the police.</p> - -<p>Of lieutenants and sub-lieutenants, four are appointed to each -squadron, each being responsible for a <i>peloton</i> or troop of men. -Responsible to the senior captain of the squadron for the performance -of his duties, the lieutenant is expected to instruct his men at drill, -supervise their work in stables, and see that their barrack rooms are -properly kept. The lieutenant is empowered to hold such inspections of -kit and clothes as he may think necessary.</p> - -<p>To every regiment two doctors are appointed, holding the ranks of -captain and lieutenant respectively. Each regiment of cavalry and -artillery is also provided with two veterinary surgeons. As the -duties of these officers are of a non-combatant nature, they are not -materially concerned with the discipline or military efficiency of the -regiment to which they are attached.</p> - -<p>Corresponding to the warrant-officer of the British Army and standing -as intermediary between officers and non-commissioned officers of the -French Army, the adjudants are appointed in the number of three to a -regiment. Two of these known simply as adjudants have different duties -from the third, to whom is given the title of Adjudant Vaguemestre. -The two adjudants assist the work of the captain-instructor in -immediately superintending the efficiency of non-commissioned officers. -All sergeants and corporals are subject to their authority, and, in -alternate weeks, each takes turn as "adjudant of the week" under the -captain of the week. In this orderly duty the adjudant of the week -keeps the rolls of sergeants and corporals, and arranges their turns -of duty. He keeps the register of punishments of non-commissioned -officers and the rank and file, and is responsible for the sounding of -all regimental calls; he transmits the orders of the colonel to the -sergeant-majors of the squadrons, and inspects the morning roll-call -of each squadron. He attends to the closing of canteens and sees that -"lights out" is obeyed in the barrack rooms. The position of adjudant -in the French Army is one of considerable authority, which, to the -credit of the service be it said, is seldom abused. The Adjudant -Vaguemestre is but a minor official by comparison with the other two. -He is generally a non-commissioned officer who has nearly finished his -period of service, and he acts as regimental postman and postmaster, -being, on the whole, a sort of handy man for all matters of business in -which responsibility is incurred.</p> - -<p>The sergeant-major of each squadron has almost as much authority as the -adjudant. He is, among the non-commissioned officers, what the senior -captain is among commissioned officers; he stands as right-hand man to -the senior captain, and, in constant contact with the non-commissioned -officers and men of the squadron, is able very largely to influence the -judgment of the captain with regard to the rank and file. He gives -all the captain's orders to the squadron with regard to instruction, -discipline, dress, etc. He is responsible for the keeping of books -and registers, and for this work has appointed to him as assistants a -sergeant <i>fourrier</i> and corporal <i>fourrier</i>. He is in charge of the -squadron stores and of all the <i>matériel</i> of the squadron.</p> - -<p>The sergeants are appointed in the number of one to a troop, and are -held responsible for the efficiency of the corporals and troopers. -They take turns as "sergeant of the week" for their squadrons, a duty -corresponding to that of the orderly-sergeant in the British Army. -Nominally, the sergeant of each troop is responsible to the lieutenant -or sub-lieutenant of the troop, but in reality the sergeant is more -under control of the squadron sergeant-major, and, through him, of the -captain. The sergeant drills the men of his troop; he is responsible -that the troop barrack room is properly kept; that kits and clothing -are kept clean and complete; that arms and saddlery, also, are kept in -order. As sergeant of the week, the sergeant inspects and reports to -the sergeant-major the correctness of morning and evening roll-call; -he keeps the roll of fatigue men, and also of men in the squadron for -guard; he parades the sick for inspection by the doctor and also -parades all men for fatigues and guards. The sergeant <i>fourrier</i> -holding the rank of sergeant is more of the nature of squadron clerk, -as his duties, with the exception of escorting men sent to hospital, -consist mainly in keeping books and accounts, in which he has the -corporal <i>fourrier</i> to help him.</p> - -<p>The corporal of the French Army is placed in charge of a squad of about -ten men; he sleeps in the same room with them, is responsible for their -personal cleanliness and the arrangement of their kits, and sees that -any men of his squad for guard or special duty turn out correctly. -He superintends the general cleaning of kit which the captain orders -weekly, and a rather curious duty which falls to his lot is to see -that the troopers of his squad change their linen once a week. This, -however, is not so curious as may appear at first sight, for it must -be borne in mind that the French Army sweeps up every class of citizen -into its net, and with some of the men personal cleanliness is so -little a habit that insistence on the point by one in authority is a -necessity.</p> - -<p>In addition to these intimate matters the French corporal has to -superintend the drill of recruits, teach them to arrange their kit -and packs, and show them methods of cleaning arms and kit, and -grooming horses. He is empowered to inflict minor punishments which -he must report to the sergeant in charge of the troop. The corporal -is responsible for the maintenance of order in the barrack room, for -the proper serving of meals, and the compliance with the order for -"lights out"; he takes turn as corporal of the week with his fellows, -and in that capacity is deputy for and assistant to the sergeant of -the week. Altogether, the corporal of the French Army has a very busy -time, and in addition to this his position is not so secure as that of -the British corporal; the latter's rank counts as a definite promotion, -while the rank of the French corporal is only an appointment, and he -may find himself "reduced" much more quickly than the British man in an -equivalent position.</p> - -<p>The conscript system, leading to a number of unwilling soldiers, is -much more provocative of punishments than the voluntary system. In the -latter, all men who enlist get the habit of making the best of their -service; they have joined the army of their own free will, and have -only themselves to blame if they do not like it. In a conscript army, -however, there are many who hate the limitations imposed on them by -service in time of peace, and enter only with a view to getting the -business over and getting back to their former positions in life; -it is a disagreeable necessity, the period of military service, and -they are there to do as little as possible, without any regard to the -welfare of the country, though a national emergency like the present -finds every man willing to do his part. Not that such an attitude -is the rule in time of peace, but, especially among the very lowest -classes, it is not unusual. Since it is impossible to make sheep and -goats of the men, but all must be treated alike, discipline is much -more rigid and severe than in the British Army—which is the only -voluntary European army from which comparisons can be drawn. The view -is taken—necessarily taken—that men must be compelled to do their -work and learn their lessons of drill and shooting; for those who give -trouble in any way, there is the <i>salle de police</i>, or guard-room, -the prison for worse offences, and, for hardened offenders, there is -service in the dreaded disciplinary battalions of Algeria. This last -form of punishment is resorted to only in the case of men who have -"committed one or several faults, the gravity of which makes any other -mode of repression inadequate."</p> - -<p>Contrary to the rule of the British Army, in which only commanding and -company or squadron officers are empowered to inflict punishment, in -the French Army any man can be punished by any other man holding a -rank superior to his own, under all circumstances that may arise. As -an instance: if a private of a British regiment insulted a corporal -of another regiment, the case would be reported to the man's own -commanding officer, who in due time would investigate the case and -inflict the requisite punishment for the offence; in the French Army, -if a private were guilty of a similar offence, the injured corporal -would be at liberty to inflict the punishment on his own account; his -action would have to be confirmed by a superior officer, but, under the -rules governing the administration of punishment, there would be no -difficulty about that.</p> - -<p>The officer in command of a regiment has power to increase, diminish, -or even cancel punishments inflicted by inferior officers, and the -captain in charge of a squadron has a like power over the subordinate -officers directly under his command and over the punishments they may -inflict.</p> - -<p>This system of giving so much power to all has more against it than in -its favour. Certainly, given a just junior officer or non-commissioned -officer, he is more likely to inflict a punishment that fits the crime -than the commanding officer to whom he may report the case—he knows -all the circumstances better than the man to whom he may tell them, -and, in direct contact with the offender at the time the offence was -committed, is not so likely to err on the side of undue severity or -that of undue leniency—and that is about all that can be said in -favour of the system. Against it must be said that it places in the -hands of very many men, of all ranks and grades, a tremendous power -which may easily be abused; under such a system a sergeant or corporal -who has a grudge against a particular man can make that man's life a -perfect misery to him, and, since in a conscript army authority must -be upheld at all costs, even more than in a volunteer army, the right -of complaint which belongs to the man is not often of much use to -them—discipline would be impaired if officers upheld their men against -their non-commissioned officers.</p> - -<p>Further, officers are more liable to punishment in the French Army than -in the British. In the latter force, a court-martial on an officer -is a very rare thing, but in the French service the equivalent to a -court-martial is not an infrequent occurrence, and a certain percentage -of officers get "confined to room," "confined to fortress," suspended -from duty for varying periods, and cashiered (dismissed from the -service),—these things happening with considerably greater frequency -than in the British Army. It must be said, on the other hand, that -the French officer has more required of him in time of peace than -the British officer; he is required to be in closer contact with his -men, and to undertake more arduous duties, and, on the whole, French -officers are keen soldiers, intent on the performance of their duties, -taking themselves and their work very seriously. The lesson of Metz in -1870 has not been wasted on the modern French Army, and the knowledge -that some day the nation would again take up arms against its eastern -neighbour has led to a strict maintenance of efficiency on the part of -the officers of the Army, and to a keenness quite equal to that shown -in a voluntary force.</p> - -<p>Non-commissioned officers are subject to punishments of a more severe -nature than those inflicted on their fellows in the British Army—the -constant comparison between the two, in matters of discipline, is -necessary in order to give a clear idea of conditions of service for -all ranks of the French Army. The British non-commissioned officer is -either reprimanded or reduced to the ranks; the French non-commissioned -officer may be confined to barracks after evening roll-call, confined -to his room for slight breaches of discipline, or sent to prison and -still retain his rank on his release, a thing impossible in the British -service. Only for repeated misdemeanours are non-commissioned officers -reduced to the ranks, while one offence is sufficient to ensure this -punishment in the British service. Privates are punished in various -ways according to the nature of the offence committed. The lightest -punishment of all consists of extra fatigue duty; next in order comes -inspection on guard parade, the man in question being compelled to -parade with the guard in full marching order for a definite number of -times; confinement to barracks for a stated period is inflicted for -still more serious but still light offences; being sent to the <i>salle -de police</i> is a considerably severer form of punishment, and consists -in the offenders being kept at night in the guard-room, doing ordinary -duty during the day, and, in addition, doing all sorts of fatigues and -making themselves scavengers for the regiment. Prison and solitary -confinement in cells are two forms of punishment allotted to really -bad characters, on whom the previously named forms of punishment have -not sufficient effect. Finally, there are the Algerian disciplinary -battalions, and the man who is sent to one of these may be reckoned as -a criminal, as a rule. It is a curious fact that reading a newspaper -constitutes an offence against discipline in the French Army, and no -newspapers are permitted to be brought into barracks.</p> - -<p>The list of officers given in this chapter has been taken from the -staff of a French cavalry regiment, but it applies almost identically -to artillery units, while, in the case of infantry units, it is -necessary only to delete all that refers to the care of horses, and the -staff of officers and non-commissioned officers is practically the same -as in the cavalry. The French "regiment" of artillery is a similar unit -of strength to that of most great continental armies, though it has no -equivalent in the British service, where the artillery is grouped in -units known as brigades, of not much more than half the strength of the -continental regiment. The French cavalry regiment also is considerably -stronger than the British cavalry unit, containing five squadrons to -the latter's four. This brings the cavalry regiment of the French Army -nearly up to the strength of the infantry unit.</p> - -<p>The matter of punishments has been dwelt on at some length, owing to -the prominence given to punishment in the French Army. Made up as it -is of every class, the members of which are compelled to serve whether -they like it or no, punishment is a necessity, and a frequent one at -that, in the case of all ranks. It does not, however, alter the fact -that the great majority of French conscripts are keen and willing -soldiers, who make the best of their service and give a good account of -themselves.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a></p> - -<p class="center">INFANTRY</p> - - -<p>Since the training of the French soldier lasts but two years, it is of -little use making a distinction between recruits and others, for two -years is a very brief period into which to compress all that a soldier -must learn in order to become efficient. It may be noted that, in the -British service, three years is considered the shortest period in which -an infantry soldier can be turned out as fully efficient. Again, it -must always be borne in mind, in considering the French Army, that -<i>all</i> must be taught their work. There is as great a percentage of -stupid people in France as in any other country; a voluntary army is at -liberty to reject fools as undesirable, but the nation with a conscript -system must train the fools as well as the wise ones, for, admitting -the principle that strength consists in numbers of trained men, then -every rifle counts so long as its holder is capable of firing.</p> - -<p>The conscript, coming to the colours on the first of October, is -usually given the choice of the arm of service in which he will do -his two years' training. The subject of this chapter has elected to -serve in the infantry of the line. He may have just completed an -expensive education, or he may have come from Montmartre, the slums of -a provincial town, the <i>landes</i> of Brittany, or a village of French -Lorraine; in civilian life he may have been a peasant, a street arab, -a student of philosophy, a future president of the Republic—it is all -the same on that first of October, for now he is simply a conscript -with two years' military training before him, and a halfpenny a day for -his pay, together with a periodical allowance of tobacco, which is one -of the luxuries that the French Army allows to its soldiers.</p> - -<p>Arrived at his station the conscript finds his room, and is allotted a -bed therein. He finds himself placed under a corporal who will teach -him all about his rifle, manifest an interest in the cleanliness of his -linen, see that he gets his hair cut, instruct him in drill, turn him -out of bed in the morning, and see that he is in, or accounted for, -when the roll is called at night. The first business of the conscript -is to get fitted out from the store in which the battalion keeps -clothes for its men. Here he gets his boots, his parade uniform, and -his fatigue outfit. His captain, with the assistance of the master -tailor, passes the outfit as complete and correct, and the conscript -says good-bye to civilian attire for a period of two years. There was -one youngster, a Breton youth, who mourned for a week or two after -coming to the colours, because the cow at home would not take its food -from other people as it would from him; there are many who remember how -they used to milk the goats, and these make humorous little tragedies -for a time, for their fellow conscripts.</p> - -<p>Like the British infantryman, the conscript is concerned principally -in learning to march and shoot, and use his bayonet. In the matter of -marching, to which reference has already been made, the training of the -conscript is a complicated business. No walking that he has ever done -as a civilian bears any relation to this curious half-shuffling trot, -unless by chance he is a native of the Vosges country, and in that case -he may recall a rapid climb up some steep hill, to which this business -of the march is more nearly akin than to anything else. Perhaps he does -not take kindly to his work at first, but, in addition to the corporal -under whose charge he is placed, there are the men who sleep on either -side of him to inculcate in him the first principles of discipline, for -there is nothing on earth half so comforting to the man placed under a -system as to be able to give advice to a new-comer to the system and -its disabilities.</p> - -<p>Thus, with the assistance of the corporal and of his comrades, the new -conscript settles to his work. Within a couple of months he has begun -to understand the principle of this marching business, and, in common -with all youngsters, he takes a pride in his new accomplishment. It -is a tiring business, <i>certainement</i>, but then, what would you? A man -must be taught, and, after all, it is only for two years, at the end of -which one may go back to the cow or the goats, or the kerbstone, or the -life of one who sits above these things—and Pierre, who occupies the -corner bed, is an amusing rascal; it is not so bad, this military life, -after all, but one would there were a little more money and a little -more time. However....</p> - -<p>The conscript must be taught to shoot. First of all, and not -infrequently as a matter of necessity, he is taught the difference -between the butt and the muzzle of a rifle. He is taught how to hold -the thing, how to clean it, how to press its trigger, how to load it, -and how to adjust its sights. He is made familiar with the weapon -in the fullest sense of the word "familiar," for shooting is not -altogether a matter of blazing away ammunition; the good shot is the -man who has a thorough knowledge of the various parts of his weapon, -and who has been taught to nurse it and care for it just as the Breton -lad nursed and cared for his cow. The equivalent of the British Morris -tube is requisitioned to instruct the conscript in the first elements -of firing a rifle. Across a large white target a thin black line is -drawn horizontally, and the conscript is set to firing at this target -until he can make reasonably consistent practice on the black line. -His corporal is at hand to correct defects, and his sergeant is there -too, to instruct and ever to instruct. By and by the conscript begins -to feel with regard to his shooting as he feels about the marching. One -must learn, and rifle shooting is not an unpleasant business, though -the cleaning of the rifle is another matter, and they are wonderfully -particular about the way in which it is done. That corporal and that -sergeant must have eyes behind them.</p> - -<p>Instruction in the use of the bayonet is very largely a similar sort of -business, a matter of perpetual care on the part of the instructors and -of gradually increasing efficiency on the part of the conscript. Then -there is the gymnastic class, by means of which limbs are made supple, -and muscles strengthened—it is only by continuous training that the -marvellous efficiency to which the French conscript attains in the -short space of two years is compassed. There is no "furlough season" as -British troops know it; the conscript goes up to work all the time, and -in that period of work he is transformed from hobbledehoy to man.</p> - -<p>Marching, the use of rifle and bayonet, and gymnastic classes, do not -by any means exhaust the schedule of conscript training. There is all -the business of barrack room life, the cleaning of equipment in which -the corporal is ever at hand to instruct, and men in their second -year are also at hand to advise and give hints; there are fatigues, -white-washing, trench-digging, and all sorts of things of which in -pre-military days, probably, the conscript never dreamed. There are -route marches with the battalion, the commanding officer and band at -the head. There is always something to do, always something waiting -to be done, and in looking forward there is an endless succession of -very busy days to contemplate. One goes to bed tired—very healthily -tired—and one wakens to work. The work is not always pleasant, but it -has the charm—if such it can be called—of never-ending variety. A -monotonous variety it may be, but then, one has little time to think, -and then there is always the canteen, and Jean, who sleeps in the -corner opposite Pierre, has just received his allowance from home. -There is yet ten minutes before parade—we will go with Jean to the -canteen....</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a></p> - -<p class="center">OFF DUTY</p> - - -<p>There is a strict but unwritten law of the French Army as regards the -canteen: no man may take a drink by himself. <i>Faire suisse</i> is the term -applied, if one goes to the canteen alone, and the rest of the men in -the conscript's room look on him as something of a mean fellow if he -does such a thing as this. Of course, it works out at the same thing -in the end, and share and share alike is not a bad principle, while it -is eminently good Republicanism. Jean must share his remittance from -home with somebody; he can pick the men whom he desires to treat, but -he must not lay himself open to the accusation of <i>faire suisse</i>, no -matter what arm of the service he represents. It is bad comradeship, -for his fellows, when they have a slice of luck, would not think of -doing it. Why should he?</p> - -<p>Thus, and with justice, they reason, and out of such reasoning comes -the sharing of the last drops of water with a comrade on the field, the -acts of self-denial and courageous self-sacrifice for which men of the -French Army have always been famed. It is a little thing in itself, -this compulsory sharing of one's luck, but it leads to great things, at -times.</p> - -<p>Should Jean go to the canteen alone, punishment awaits him from his -comrades. If he is well liked, he will get off with having his bed -tipped up after he has got to sleep at night. If he is a surly fellow, -he may reckon on what British troops know as a "blanket court-martial," -which means that his comrades of the room will catch him and place -him in a blanket, the edges of which are held all round by his fellow -soldiers. At a given signal the blanket will be given a mighty heave -upward by all who are holding it, and Jean will fly ceiling-ward, to -alight again in the blanket and again be heaved up. This process, -repeated a dozen times or so, leaves Jean with not a sufficiency of -breath to beg for mercy, while at the same time he is quite undamaged, -and, if he is wise, he will not incur the accusation of <i>faire suisse</i> -again.</p> - -<p>He may be fool enough to report the matter to his sergeant, as, by the -rules of the service, he is entitled to do. In that case the sergeant -will threaten Jean's comrades with punishment for causing annoyance to -a man, but the threat, as the men well know, is all that will happen -to them—but not all that will transpire as regards Jean. The French -soldier abhors a sneak, and treats him as he deserves. Jean will get -a rough time for many days to come, and will not dare to complain to -the sergeant again. It is rough justice, but effective; so long as a -man plays the game properly with his fellows, he is all right, and the -sergeant knows it. Hence Jean may make complaints till he is black in -the face about the conduct of his fellows, but by so doing he will only -make himself unpopular, and before he has got far into his first year -of service he learns to take his own part, and not to go running to the -sergeant with his little troubles. It does not pay—and, if it did, the -French Army would not be what it is in the matter of comradeship and -good feeling.</p> - -<p>One good thing about the canteen is its cheapness. One can get coffee -and a roll—which amounts to a French conscript's breakfast—for the -equivalent of three halfpence, and this charge is a fair sample of -the prices of all things. Whatever one may ask for, too, it is served -in good quality, for the canteen is under strict supervision of the -officers, who are quick to note and remedy any cause for complaint on -the part of the men.</p> - -<p>Early morning breakfast, as it is served in the British Army, is -unknown in French units. On turning out in the morning, coffee is -brought round to the barrack rooms, but the first real meal of the day -is "soup" at ten o'clock. The food is properly served in dishes, and a -corporal or a man told off for the duty is at the head of each table -to help each man to his allowance, for which an enamelled plate is -provided. Crockery is unsafe in a barrack room, and the fact is wisely -recognised.</p> - -<p>The canteen of the British Army, so far as drinks are concerned, -provides beer only for its men, but beer is scarcely ever seen in a -French canteen. Various brands of wine are at the disposal of the -conscript, and it is possible to get a bottle of drinkable stuff for -fivepence, though in order to obtain a really good brand one must pay -at least a franc, for which the wine obtained is equal to that for -which many a London restaurant will charge half a crown. Wine is the -staple drink of the Army, though brandy finds favour among the hardened -drinkers. The man who goes to the canteen for a bottle of wine to share -with a comrade must not be regarded as a tippler, for the clarets which -the canteen provides are not very alcoholic beverages, containing as -they do but little more alcohol to the pint than supposedly "teetotal" -ginger beer of some brands.</p> - -<p>To each company of infantry, as to each squadron of cavalry and -battery of artillery, is allotted a barber, whose business is to -shave every conscript of his company at least twice a week free of -cost, the barber being remunerated by the authorities. Since most men -need to shave every day in order to fulfil the requirements of parade -appearance, it is obvious that the efforts of the barber in this -direction must be supplemented by the men themselves, and on the whole -the barber gets an easy time as a rule, for the man who shaves himself -three times a week will usually get the business done without troubling -the barber at any time.</p> - -<p>Complaints used to be made, especially in infantry stations, about the -sanitation and lack of washing accommodation in French barracks, but -modern custom has remedied all this. Chief cause of reformation was the -Russo-Japanese War, which showed that an army is twice as effective -if matters of sanitation are properly attended to—it does not pay to -have men falling sick from the presence of nursery beds for infectious -diseases. The French Army, ever first in experiment for the efficiency -of its men and in search of ways to increase the fighting value of -the forces available, has taken the lessons of modern sanitation to -heart. In practically all barracks, now, the soldier can enjoy a hot -bath or a cold one when he wishes; all that is still to be desired -is a greater regard for necessary sanitary measures, and a greater -regard for personal cleanliness among the men themselves. The peasant -lad, who has lived a comparatively lonely life in absolutely healthy -surroundings, does not understand at first that barrack life exposes -him to fresh dangers, and he has to be taught what, to a town dweller, -are elementary facts as regards infection. For this reason, tubercular -and allied complaints still rank rather high in the medical statistics -of the French Army, though every year sees an improvement in this -respect.</p> - -<p>But a dissertation of this kind has taken us far from the canteen, -and the methods employed by the conscript in spending his spare time. -Not that the canteen is the only place of amusement, but in stated -hours, as in the British Army, the canteen is the rallying point of -men off duty. It is closed to men undergoing <i>salle de police</i> at all -times, and this forms a not inconsiderable part of their punishment; -for to a soldier the canteen is not merely a place where he may obtain -refreshments, alcoholic and otherwise, but also a place to meet his -friends, hear a good song, discuss the doings of various companies, and -of various friends, whom he meets here and with whom he can compare -notes. The barrack room may not contain more than one close friend—if -that—and the other men in the squad to which the conscript belongs -may be of different provinces, of totally different ideals and ways -of thought—as if a Highland Scot were planted down in a squad of -Londoners. In the canteen, however, a man can be certain of meeting -and sitting down for a confab with his own chums, men not only of his -year—that is, joining on the same first of October as himself—but -also hailing, perhaps, from the same town or village as himself, glad -to share a bottle of claret at a franc the bottle and to talk over the -things left behind with civilian clothing.</p> - -<p>As for canteen songs, one may guess that in the French Army there is -always plenty of real talent, for the nation as a whole, like all -Latin nationalities, is a very musical one, and since all come to the -Army, the singers come with the rest. The songs, perhaps, are not of -the highest drawing-room order, even for French drawing-rooms, but the -musical and vocal abilities of the singers are beyond question; for in -a gathering of men where the best can be obtained, little short of the -best ventures to bring itself to notice.</p> - -<p>This mention of canteen songs recalls the fact that the French -infantryman beguiles the tedium of route-marching by songs, -interminably long songs which go on and on for miles; in recalling -what the next verse will be, a man forgets the number of miles between -him and the end of the march, or he thinks he may be able to, which -amounts to very nearly the same thing. They still sing songs that were -in vogue at the time of Fontenoy, as they march at ease along the -endless straight roads of the country, with their rifles slung anyhow -and their formations broken up that friend may march with friend. -This is when marching "at ease" only, for let a column of marching -infantrymen come to the streets of a town, and they immediately stiffen -up to show themselves at their best before the girls at the windows. -The Army of the Republic is a part of the nation, but the women of -the nation manifest no less interest in it for the fact that their -fathers and brothers have served. There is something in the sound of -a military band and the sight of a column of uniformed men that will -always bring faces to the windows of a French house. "So our Jacques is -perhaps marching somewhere," they say, or—"Thus we marched to relieve -Bazaine," will remark a veteran of the '70 campaign, feeling the while -that these men may yet make of "'70" a thing no longer to remember in -connection with lost provinces. And, once the town or village street is -left behind, and the road stretches unbroken before the column, the -men begin to sing again, and their officers smile at the song—they are -too wise, in the French Army, to suppress the singing and the cigarette -smoking, and thus the men march well. As well, certainly, as any -infantry in the world, and probably better than most.</p> - -<p>Although it is a conscript army, there are regimental traditions, as -in the British or in any other service. Your conscript in his second -year of service will tell how his regiment captured the colours -here, or saved the position there, in the way-back days, and is -nearly as proud of it as if he, instead of the fellow soldiers of his -great-grandfather, were concerned in the business. <i>Esprit de corps</i>, -though now a common phrase in connection with the British Army, was -first of all a French idiom—and is yet, and an untranslatable one -too—designed to express the French soldier's pride in his own unit of -the service, or in his own branch of the service. At the present time, -it has as much application to the French Army as in the day when the -phrase was coined; pride in his own powers of endurance, and pride in -the unit in which he serves, still characterise the French conscript, -and in the last ten years or so this feeling has grown to such an -extent as to place the French Army, although a conscript organisation, -on a level with a voluntary force.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a></p> - -<p class="center">CAVALRY</p> - - -<p>As in all armies, the French cavalryman considers himself as good as -two infantrymen; the origin of this may probably be traced back through -time to feudal days, when only the better classes of vassals were able -to provide horses with which to come to the standard of the feudal -chief. Certain it is that even in these present days of scientific -warfare, when the guns and rifles count equally with the swords of an -Army Corps, the cavalryman still looks on himself as a superior person, -more efficient and more to be admired than a mere gunner or a mere man -in a line regiment of infantry. Certainly, he rides, and this fact he -is always ready to impress on the infantryman; what he keeps quiet -about is that he has to groom the horse he rides, and to attend to its -needs when the infantryman, having finished his march at practically -the same time the cavalryman finished his, has his meal cooked and -eaten before his fellow of the mounted unit has got away from stables.</p> - -<p>Considering that the time of the infantry conscript is fully occupied -in the compression of all his tuition into his two years of service, -it may be imagined that the way of the cavalryman is not an easy one, -for he has far more to learn than the infantryman. He has not only to -learn to use the carbine which corresponds in his case to the infantry -rifle, and to execute movements on foot, but he has to groom his horse, -clean his saddle, keep the stables in order, and do all the things that -are absolute necessities where horses are concerned, as well as having -nearly twice as much personal kit to look after as the infantryman—and -then he has to be trained in the use of the sword, that of the lance in -some regiments, and to add to his other drills the business of riding -school.</p> - -<p>The horses of French cavalry, as a whole, are not so well cared for -as those of the English cavalry regiment; methods used in connection -with the care of horses are not so complete and perfect, and the stock -itself is not such well-bred stuff, as a whole, as the horseflesh that -goes to the British Army from Irish and other breeding establishments. -At the same time, the cavalry trooper is taught how to care for his -mount in his own way, and, trained in a harder school, French horses -of the cavalry are tougher than those of English regiments. If a unit -from each army were placed side by side in a position in which there -was no chance of feeding horses on full rations of forage, but all had -to live on the country and make the best of it for a time, the French -animals would probably come out better of the two from the ordeal, -since they are more used to hardships in time of peace. The British -trooper is taught to treat his horse as he would a baby, while the -French soldier, inured to rigorous discipline himself, has a horse that -shares his own circumstances.</p> - -<p>The cavalry conscript elects to serve in a mounted unit, for, on the -1st of October on which a man comes up for his training, he is given -choice between cavalry, artillery and infantry service, as far as the -exigencies of the service will permit. Like the infantry recruit, he -begins his service by drawing kit and clothing and fitting the latter -to the satisfaction of his superior officers; in addition to the -equivalent of the kit drawn from store by the infantryman, however, the -cavalry conscript must draw stable kit and cleaning materials, spurs -and all that goes to make the difference between the mounted and the -dismounted soldier. Unlike modern practice in the British cavalry, -the way with the French conscript is to get on teaching him at once -as much as possible; riding school, foot drill, gymnastic exercises, -and stable work are all crowded into his day, for there are but two -years available before he will go back to civilian attire and ways. And -there is much to teach him; more, really, than two years can be made -to serve for. It may be said that, except in the case of men who were -skilled riders before they came up for training, the French cavalry -conscript is not a complete soldier by the time he has finished his two -years, for it is impossible that he should be. All that can be done -to make him efficient is done, though, and the difference between the -finished article, going back to civilian avocations, and the conscript -from which he is formed, is little short of marvellous. Detractors from -the merits of a conscript system overlook the effect on the conscript -as regards physique and moral stamina; out of the rough schooling men -emerge far more fitted for the battle of life than they entered, and -the net effect of military training in a cavalry regiment—two years -of it, taken as the French soldier is made to take his training—is in -nineteen cases out of twenty all to the good.</p> - -<p>Riding-school is a serious business; when a man first leads his horse -through the riding-school entrance and mounts, he learns what a -perfect brute—from his point of view—an instructor can be, and it -is not until he is nearing the end of his period of riding-school -instruction that he learns to look on the instructor as not a bad -fellow, a bit strict at his work, but responsible for the turning out -of some of the finest riders in the world. For in horsemanship the -French soldier is no whit behind his English confrère, and it is only -in recent years that the British Army has taken up the circus tricks -which for many years have been practised in the French Army in order to -make men thoroughly familiar with their mounts. A conscript is taught -not only to ride a saddled horse, but also to vault on to the back -of a cantering horse, to make his horse lie down, and various other -tricks—they are nothing more in themselves—which give him thorough -confidence in himself and thorough knowledge of the capabilities, -intelligence, and nature of his horse. Recognising the wisdom of this -form of teaching, the British Army has of late adopted it, to the -betterment of cavalry riding as a whole.</p> - -<p>The new <i>loi de trois ans</i>, introduced in the war ministry of M. -Viviani, will be to the advantage of the French cavalry, when it -has had chance of a fair trial—it had hardly become a definite law -before the outbreak of war put a stop to peace training and peace -organisation. But, when things become normal again, it is certain that -the cavalry will benefit by the extension of the period of service, -and although they were perfectly capable of taking the field when need -arose, French cavalry will be improved in quality by the additional -training. This applies not so much to the main points of drill and -discipline as to little things; veterinary tricks and ways, capacity -for individual service, and self-dependence in the fullest sense, -especially to the extent demanded of the man who goes out on patrol -work and scouting duty, are not to be learned as thoroughly as could be -wished in two years, but must be ingrained by experience as well as by -tuition.</p> - -<p>Before his first year of training is concluded the cavalry conscript is -expected to have learned all that the riding-school can teach him. In -addition to the class of riding which may be termed circus work, and is -taught on horses with handled pads instead of saddles, the recruit is -initiated into bending lessons, by which his horse is rendered flexuous -and easily amenable to pressure of leg and rein. It is worthy of note, -by the way, that the principle on which the modern training of horses -is based is due to a Frenchman, who brought to England what were at the -time considered revolutionary principles with regard to riding.</p> - -<p>The method by which the French conscript is trained at riding school is -of such a nature that it trains horse and man at the same time. At the -beginning of training with saddles the ride is formed of about sixteen -men who walk, trot, and canter their mounts along sides of a square in -single file. The man is made to ride his horse well into the corners -of the square and to make three turns sharply, and, when men have -acquired full control of their horses so as to be able to perform this -simple movement properly, they are taken on to more complex matters. -While strung out along one side of the square, at the word of command -each man turns his horse at a direct right angle, proceeds across the -square, and, turning again at a right angle on the far side, the ride -forms single file again and proceeds. A diagonal movement of the same -nature is then taught; men are taught to halt their horses suddenly and -rein them back a length or two; they are taught when at the canter to -cause their horses to passage sideways across the square, and, in fact, -are instructed to make every movement of which a horse is capable. -At first, as may be assumed, the tuition is carried out with trained -horses, but, as men become advanced in the art and practice of riding, -they are put on to younger horses, and it will be easily understood -that, in learning himself to make the horse execute the movements, the -cavalryman trains the horse to its work as well as increasing his own -knowledge.</p> - -<p>In the matter of foot drill there is not so much to learn in the -cavalry as in the infantry. Cavalry foot drill, as a matter of fact, is -practically a replica of the drill to which troops and squadrons of men -are subjected when mounted. The principle governing cavalry foot drill -in practically all armies consists in assuming that a man shall not be -called on to execute a movement which he cannot execute on horseback, -as, otherwise, confusion might arise in the course of mounted drill. -It would be interesting, for instance, if cavalry were taught infantry -drill, to see what would happen if a squadron of mounted men were -ordered to form fours in the infantry style.</p> - -<p>Actual foot movements do not by any means comprise the total of drill -that the cavalry conscript must learn on foot before applying it to -mounted work. The use of the sword and also that of the lance are first -thoroughly taught to squads of dismounted men, and a recruit must be -fully conversant with sword and lance exercise before he ventures to -perform either offensive or defensive movements with either of these -weapons on horseback. The unskilled man waving a sword about when -mounted would probably do more damage to his horse's eyes and ears than -to anything else, and the man with the lance, if unskilled, would -probably find himself dismounting involuntarily if he tried to use -the lance on a spirited horse. Thus men are taken out, dismounted, -in squads; each man assumes the position which he would occupy on -horseback with feet well apart, knees bent and toes turned to the -front—an exhausting posture to maintain for any length of time. In -this attitude the recruit is taught such movements as are requisite to -full control of sword and lance. For final training in the use of these -weapons men are given fencing outfits and set in pairs to oppose each -other. When they have attained to proficiency, the whole business is -repeated on horseback, and by that time their training for actual field -work in the ranks is practically complete.</p> - -<p>The part of his work that the cavalry conscript likes least is the -grooming and sweeping up and cleaning of saddlery in the stables. -There is a morning stable hour with which the day begins; there are -about two hours before midday which must be devoted to grooming, -cleaning saddlery, sweeping up, etc., and there is another hour or so -to be spent at stables in the afternoon, when the "orders of the day" -are read out to the men by the sergeant-major of the squadron or his -representative.</p> - -<p>As is the case in the infantry, each conscript, on arriving at the -regiment in which he is to serve, is allotted to the charge of a -corporal, who instructs him in all things pertaining to his work, and -takes charge of him on <i>corvées</i>, the equivalent to the "fatigues" of -the British Army. <i>Corvées</i> include the carrying of forage from the -stores to stable, fetching coal for the cooks, white-washing where -and when necessary, building riding-school jumps, and, in fact, all -and every class of work which men are unable to perform individually -for themselves. Much of this work is undergone by the men sentenced -to <i>salle de police</i>, which is the equivalent of the British Army's -punishment known as "days to barracks," with the addition that the -offenders sleep in the guard room at night instead of in the barrack -room. This of course involves entire confinement to barracks, which no -offender is allowed to quit unless he is on duty; it also involves no -possibility of attendance at the canteen at any time of the day, and, -further, the man sentenced to <i>salle de police</i> devotes practically -all the spare time that is his under normal circumstances to some form -of <i>corvée</i>. On the whole, however, the punishment is not so severe as -it appears, for, with the exception of sleeping in the guard room at -night, and rising exceptionally early in the morning, a man undergoing -<i>salle de police</i> is not debarred from the society of his comrades, -and there is usually some good-natured chum willing to fetch canteen -produce, and thus make up for at least one of the deficiencies involved.</p> - -<p>This last, however, must be done when the corporal is not looking, or -else both men are likely to get into trouble. Strict discipline is -the rule and the conscript is expected to take his punishment—when -he incurs it—as part of his training. It must be added as a mark of -the quality of the material of which the French Army is composed that -punishments and rewards alike are usually accepted in equally good part.</p> - -<p>The corporal, who is the superior officer with whom the conscript -is brought most frequently in contact, sleeps in the same room as -his squad; he is thus able to give men hints with regard to riding -school work; he trains his squad at elementary drill, both mounted and -dismounted; he instructs men in the way in which clothing should be -folded for placing on the shelf, and the way in which to clean kit and -equipment. In the matter of troop drill the conscript is taught his -work by the sergeant of the <i>peloton</i> or troop, and the sergeant in -turn is responsible to the lieutenant or sub-lieutenant over him. He -is also responsible to the sergeant-major of the squadron, and through -him to the senior captain of the squadron. To follow the matter -through, the senior captain is responsible to the <i>Chef d'Escadrons</i>, -who again is responsible to the commanding officer of the regiment. -Decentralisation of command has been an important factor in French -military training for many years, and although the responsibilities of -the corporal and sergeant pass through so many grades before they reach -the ultimate head of affairs, both these lower ranks are extremely -important items in the discipline and training of the French cavalry -regiments.</p> - -<p>There is one system pursued both in the cavalry and in the artillery -of the French Army which leads to pleasant expeditions for a certain -number of men in each of these branches of the service. The system -referred to is that of boarding out a certain number of horses away -from regimental control for that portion of the year which the regiment -spends in barracks. When the time approaches for the regiment to go -on manœuvres, a party usually made up of a sergeant, possibly a -corporal, and two or three troopers, goes round to the farms where -these horses are at grass, and inspects them with a view to reporting -on their condition and fitness for use. As may be imagined, the men -selected for these expeditions are envied their appointments, for -it is a pleasant matter to get away from the discipline and strict -routine of service with the regiment for a time, and, if the sergeant -in charge is a companionable man, the whole affair becomes a perfect -picnic for the men concerned. On expeditions of this kind men are -perfectly certain of receiving full hospitality at such places as they -may visit, and altogether the trip is as good as the furlough which -the conscript, unlike his British <i>confrère</i>, does not get, save in -exceptional circumstances. The two years in which a man must become -fully conversant with his work is too short a period, in view of the -number of duties he has to learn, to admit of holidays.</p> - -<p>Altogether, the life of the cavalry conscript in barracks is not by any -means an unpleasant business. A comparatively large number of men, when -given the choice of the arm of the service in which to serve, request -to be sent to the cavalry. The majority of those joining cavalry -regiments are used to horses in some way—and by this is implied very -many ways indeed, and very many kinds of horse. French cavalry as a -whole is built up out of good material; the spirit of the men is good; -the reputation of the French cavalry for horse-mastership is as wide -as it is deserved, and, bearing in mind the period of active service -for which men are required to serve, it may safely be said that there -is no better body of cavalry troops in the world than the French. This -remark, however, cannot be reckoned as a wise one if the speaker is -addressing a British cavalryman, who always regards himself as a member -of the premier squadron in the best regiment of the very finest cavalry -force existent. But then, the French cavalryman will tell the same -story.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a></p> - -<p class="center">ARTILLERY</p> - - -<p>In the matter of armament and the quality thereof, French artillery is -second to none; but in the matter of numbers the Field Artillery might -have been stronger when considered relatively with the total strength -of the French Army. If the conscript electing to join either infantry -or cavalry considers himself in for a hard time, then it would be -difficult to say what are the anticipations of the conscript who goes -to service with the guns, for his work is practically twice as hard as -that of the average infantryman. Still, he makes up for increase of -work by a relaxation of discipline, and, after all, the conscript's two -years comes to about the same thing in the end, no matter what branch -of the service he may choose. For, just as there is a limit to a man's -endurance or efficiency, so there is a limit to the amount of knowledge -that a man can absorb in a given period. The infantry conscript absorbs -all the knowledge possible in the allotted time: the artillery -conscript can do no more.</p> - -<p>It may be said, in fact, that the artillery conscript has a better time -of it than his fellows in either infantry or cavalry, for his work -is rendered more interesting than theirs by reason of its being more -varied. The artillery driver, certainly, is in much the same position -as the cavalryman, for his life is made up of horses and stables, -riding, driving, grooming, and care for the fitness and cleanliness of -harness and saddlery. He has a very busy life, this artillery driver, -and his remarks, on coming in on a wet day after two or three hours' -parade with the guns, might cause a little consternation in what is -known as polite society, for two muddy horses with their saddlery -and fittings, all to be dried and cleaned for the battery officer's -inspection within a given time, are not conducive to elegance of -expression or to restraint.</p> - -<p>But compensation comes in the relaxation of the rigid discipline -which the infantryman, and to a certain extent the cavalryman, have -to undergo. This will appear more clearly when one understands that -infantrymen and cavalrymen alike need supervision throughout the whole -of their day's work. Their tasks are mainly of drill and routine: made -work, a good bit of it, in order to render them thoroughly efficient -soldiers. The made work of the artillery driver consists in rendering -him efficient in the art of controlling two of the horses which draw -the gun, under all possible and many impossible conditions. By the -time his training is completed, he has learned to harness up and turn -out quickly, and is capable of obeying without hesitation any word of -command the battery officer may give with regard to the evolutions of -the battery as a whole. He is trained in the matter of casualties; that -is to say, he is taught to regard one of his horses as suddenly injured -or dead, and knows exactly what to do to make the best of the loss, in -case such a casualty may occur. "Unlimber" and "limber up," as words -of command, find him equally unmoved and equally alert; he is, at his -best, a confident, self-reliant man, a far different being from the raw -youth who, on a certain first of October, came to be initiated into the -mysteries of artillery driving.</p> - -<p>These things comprise very nearly all of what may be termed the made -work of the artillery driver, the work that is arranged with a special -view to making him an efficient soldier in time of war. The rest of -his work is absolutely necessary to the well-being of himself and the -two horses under his charge. As a matter of course, he must keep -himself and his kit smart and clean—as smartness is known in the -French Army. He must groom his horses, and keep their equipment in good -order; he must keep the stables clean; he must assist the gunners in -the <i>corvées</i> necessary to the maintenance of health, good order, and -efficiency in the battery. Bearing in mind the fact that this one man -is responsible not only for himself, in the way that an infantryman -is, but is also responsible for his two horses and all their outfit, -it will be seen that there is not much time for the discipline which, -in the case of the infantryman, is practically indispensable to the -thorough control of the man and the full efficiency of the regiment. -The artillery driver is a busy man, who considers himself, by reason of -the amount of work that he gets through, a far more capable man than -either an infantryman or a cavalryman; in the driver's estimation, the -only class of man who comes anywhere near him as regards efficiency and -soldierly qualities is the gunner, and, the driver will say, the gunner -is not quite so good a man as the driver. This spirit, common to each -branch of the French Army, augurs well for the efficiency and fighting -value of all arms of the service.</p> - -<p>Gunners in the French Army, as far as Field Artillery is concerned, -differ from English gunners in that they only ride on the limber -and on the gun when there is actual need that they should accompany -the gun. English gunners always ride, but in the French Army it is -considered better to save the horses by reducing the weight that they -have to draw to the lowest possible amount. On long marches the gunners -turn out two or three hours earlier than the drivers, and march like -infantry to the appointed destination for the day. Although turning out -later with horses and guns, the drivers usually reach camp at the end -of the day quite as soon as the gunners, for the trot is maintained -where possible, and, with a light load to draw, artillery horses are -able to get over ground quickly. This system has much to commend it; it -hardens the gunners, and is far better for their general health than -sitting on a gun or limber which jolts, springless, along a country -road; at the same time, it increases the mobility of the artillery, and -renders horses more fresh and fit for their work in case of several -days in succession, devoted to marching to a distant destination. The -only drawback to the practice consists in its being useless in time of -war, when the gunners must at all times accompany the guns and be ready -for instant action.</p> - -<p>The work of the gunners is quite as hard as that of the drivers of -Field Artillery, and quite as varied. Coming to the battery with -absolutely no knowledge of the ways of using a gun, the raw conscript -is taught the work of half a dozen men, for, as in the case of the -drivers, each man has to be able to replace casualties in the ranks. -The actual drill to which a gunner is subjected is a complicated -business; there is a good deal of hopping and jumping about and aside, -for each man must learn to perform his part in loading, sighting, and -firing his gun, and at the same time each man must keep out of the way -of the rest. A gun crew amounts to a dozen or so of men: there are the -men concerned in the getting out of ammunition, others busied over the -actual loading, and yet others engaged in sighting the gun and firing -at the word of command; each of these men must be taught the duties of -all the rest, for, when a battery is actually in action, casualties -must be anticipated, and the men who are loading must be prepared to -get out ammunition if required, must be able to set the time fuse of a -shell for a given range, able to load, sight, and fire the gun. Thus -one man has to learn the various tasks which a dozen perform, though to -each is allotted a definite place, and each is specially trained for -the performance of a definite part.</p> - -<p>Naturally, this training fully occupies all the two years of the gunner -conscript's service, and there is little time to spare. The fuss and -fret of discipline is correspondingly reduced; when a man is thoroughly -busy, and interested in his work as any man must be over a gun, if -he is in the least mechanically inclined, he needs no undue pressure -to keep him up to his work; the gunner, if he has any sense of the -responsibility and nature of his work, gets sufficiently interested in -it, and sufficiently keen over the points that he has to master, to -render him independent of more than actual tuition. The pleasure that -comes to the sportsman over a remarkably successful shot, or to the -cricketer over a good boundary hit, is akin to the feeling experienced -by the gunner as he learns part after part of his gun, and finds -himself well on the way to gaining complete control over the tremendous -power that the gun represents.</p> - -<p>But this comes late in the training period, and is not attained easily. -There is so much to learn; the way in which a shell is timed, for -instance, is a complex piece of work that must be understood, to a -certain extent, by the gunner who has to do the timing; that is to say, -the mechanism of the shell, and the nature of the timing apparatus, -have to be taught the man as well as the mere action of turning the -ring to the required point and "setting the fuse." Traversing and -sighting the gun, elevation and depression, are movements that explain -themselves as they are taught; sighting to a given range seems easy, -but is not so easy in practice, for the sighting of a gun has to be -done swiftly and accurately—there must be no mistake in the range, for -a shell costs more money than the total pay of the conscript during his -two years of service, and to throw those costly projectiles to points -at which they explode without effect is a silly business.</p> - -<p>To each man his part in the whole, and absolute efficiency in the -part—that is the ideal to which the training of the gunner is -directed; the quality of the French field artillery in action in -this, their latest real experience of war, attests how well the ideal -has been realised. Outnumbered by their opponents in batteries and -regiments, often confronted with guns of far heavier calibre than their -own, they have given good account of themselves, and shown that the -crews of the 75-millimetre gun are capable of holding their own as far -as lies within the bounds of human possibility.</p> - -<p>With regard to the custom of sending forward gunners on foot, this -practice is also followed in the case of reserve drivers, or drivers -who are not needed for the actual transport of the guns and limbers on -the march. They are formed up in rear of the gunners, and are marched -off on foot with the latter instead of adding to the weight that the -horses have to pull, leaving only such officers and men as are actually -necessary to travel with the guns.</p> - -<p>The artillery officer's training course is more severe than that -undergone by any other branch of the service, as, in view of the -complicated and responsible nature of his duties, it needs to be. -An artillery officer, gaining his commission after the fashion of -a British officer who elects to join the Army by way of Sandhurst -or Woolwich, goes first to the École Polytechnique, the highest -engineering school of France; after completing the course here, -the officer of artillery is sent on to the artillery school at -Fontainebleau, where a year is spent in further training, and then the -youngster is considered competent to take his place as lieutenant in an -artillery battery. The percentage of artillery officers gaining their -commissions from the ranks is smaller than that of other branches of -the service, and it is seldom that such officers reach higher than the -rank of captain, for, in order to learn all that is required of the -higher ranks of commissioned officer in the artillery, an officer needs -to start young, and a course at the École Polytechnique is almost an -essential. By the time a man has worked his way through the various -grades of non-commissioned officer and is thus eligible for such a -course, he is usually too old to take kindly to school work.</p> - -<p>Altogether, artillery service is not a light business in the French -Army—it is not in any army, for that matter. Both gunners and drivers -must take themselves seriously, and officers of the artillery must -take themselves most seriously of all, with the possible exception -of engineer officers. The modern rifle is a complicated weapon when -compared with the musket of a hundred years ago; but in comparison -with the rifle, the big gun of the Army of to-day has advanced in -construction and power to an enormously greater extent. The character -of the projectile has changed altogether from the old-fashioned round -shot to a missile which is in itself a gun, carrying its own exploding -charge and small projectiles within itself. The range of the modern gun -is limited only by the necessity to make the gun mobile in the field, -and by the range of human sight or power to judge the position of the -target. The gunners of to-day, and the officers who command them, -must be skilled workmen, possessed of no little mechanical ability in -addition to their military qualities. They must be not only soldiers, -but artificers, mechanics, engineers, mathematicians—skilled men in -every way. The efficiency of the French artillery to-day is largely due -to the French turn of mind, which is eminently suited to the solving of -those mathematical problems with which the work of those who control -the big guns abounds.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a></p> - -<p class="center">IN CAMP AND ON THE MARCH</p> - - -<p>Manœuvres fall at the end of the military year in the French Army, -being so arranged in order that the second-year conscripts shall pass -out from the Army and back to their ordinary civilian avocations -as soon as they return to barracks and have time to hand in their -equipment and arms. For the majority of these men, it is two years -since they have had time to see their friends, save for a stray day -or two of leave here and there for the man whose people live within a -short distance of the training-place to which he has been drafted, or a -stray visitor who brings news from home to one or other at infrequent -intervals. Thus manœuvres mean a good deal to the conscript; even -the first-year men catch the infection from their fellows with regard -to the approaching time for going away, and there is as well the sense -for these juniors that, when they return to barracks, they will no -longer be first-year men, but able to advise and instruct such raw -recruits as they themselves were just a year ago. Added to this, -again, is the sense of freedom that comes from knowing of the days -of marching, billeting, and sight of fresh places and people from -day to day, and it will be seen that the change from barrack life -with its perpetual round of work to the constantly varying scenes of -manœuvres is one which is anticipated with pleasure by all.</p> - -<p>About a week, or perhaps more, before the time has come for the army -corps concerned—or the cavalry or other divisions concerned—to set -out on its march to the manœuvre area, the cavalry and artillery -send out their patrols to gather up the horses which have been boarded -out at farms for the summer, and the men of these patrols are almost -invariably billeted on the inhabitants of the districts round which -they have to ride on their errand. It is a pleasant task, this; the -year is at its best, and summer just so far advanced that the early -rising, the riding through the day, and the evening tasks are alike -easy. The weather is good, the life is not too hard, and the party too -small to admit of strict discipline being maintained; the men know -that their picnic-time is due to their having been specially chosen -as reliable for such work, and consequently they do not abuse their -freedom.</p> - -<p>And the horses come in from grass to train for what a horse can never -understand, though it is in the knowledge of all that a horse comes to -know his place in the ranks of the cavalry or in the traces of the gun -team, and would gladly go back to that place after he has been cast out -from the service to drudgery between the two shafts of a cart or cab. -Perhaps the horses have their own thoughts about going on manœuvres, -and the change from stable life—such of them as have been kept in -stables while the troops are in barracks—to the open air existence -which is theirs in camp.</p> - -<p>It is a great day for the conscript when the regiment marches out from -barracks. Farewell for a time, and in the case of the second-year men -farewell for good, to the barrack routine. They leave in barracks the -things they will not require on field service, the materials for what -the British soldier knows as "spit and polish soldiering," and the -conscript starts out with his field kit and equipment, prepared to have -a good time.</p> - -<p>The infantry swing out through the barrack gates, a long column of -marching men; they talk among themselves of what they will do when -manœuvres are over; the second-year men talk of going away, back to -their homes, and of turning their backs on military service; they have -done the duty their country asked of them, and now are at liberty to -think of a good time—almost a holiday, in spite of the hard work and -marching involved, with which they will end their service—to last them -through the coming weeks, after which they will resume civilian attire -and work. It has been a hard business, this conscript period, but -France asked it, and <i>ma foi</i>, but we are men now! The stern strictness -of the instructors, the unending discipline imposed by sergeants and -corporals, the everlasting watchfulness of the adjutant over buttons -and boots and the correct method of saluting—proper perspective, -rapidly growing in the mind of the man nearing the end of his second -year, assures him that these things are needs of a good army. And then, -he is going out on manœuvres, among the apple orchards or the hill -villages; he is going to show the country what its soldiers are like, -and almost, but not quite, he regrets that the end of his period of -military service is nearly in sight. The time to which he looks forward -colours his view of all things; the barracks are behind, and before him -is the open road—that long, straight road which, in so many districts -of France, goes on and on across bare plains, to human sight a thread -laid right across the fabric of the world without bend or divergence. -A road of white dust which, as soon as the barracks are left behind, -rises from the many footsteps of the marching men and envelops the -column. The band in front goes free of the dust, and well it is that -the throats of the bandsmen are not choked and dried with the insidious -stuff, for one marches better, far better, with the music.</p> - -<p>Somebody starts a song, for the regiment is marching at ease. A squad -takes it up, and it spreads through the company—the company in rear -has already started its own song, a different one. Interminably that -song goes on, and the miles slip behind. At the end of every hour the -column halts, and its men fall out for five minutes' rest—a good -custom, this, for one can get rid of some of the dust, and often get a -drink of water from a wayside spring—or Jean, who always gets enough -money from home to satisfy the desires of his heart, has brought -a bottle. It would be in the last degree injudicious to incur the -accusation of <i>faire suisse</i> on this first day of the march, and Jean -has long since learned wisdom over such points of etiquette. Jean wants -to keep the bottle till the next halt, but it is pointed out to him -that the morning is already warm, and to carry a bottle for another -hour when one might empty it—with assistance—and be saved the labour -of transporting it further, is very bad judgment. Jean needs little -persuasion—but it is time to fall in and resume the march: the bottle -gets emptied while the column is marching, and Jean is voted <i>un brave -garçon</i>—as undoubtedly he is, in other things beside this.</p> - -<p>Shrouded in dust the column goes on. The grey-headed colonel is at the -head, then comes the band, and then the men of the regiment follow, at -ease, singing, smoking, chatting together. They pass through a village -street in which is a simple monument to the men who fell in '70, and -the colonel pulls his men up to attention while they pass through the -street. Quietly, and with something ominous in the manner of their -march, the men pass out to the open road again, where "at ease" is -the order once more. But, when they march steadily at attention, -these French infantrymen seem the embodiment of military strength and -efficiency. The Army has taken them and made of them what it meant to -make, and, Breton lad or Paris gamin, they are stamped with the mark -of the Army—they are soldiers of the Republic, marching items which, -apart from their personal characteristics, mean each a rifle and a -bayonet for France when the hour shall strike. Over successive horizons -they go, stopping every hour for their five minutes; they grow heedless -of the band at the head of the column, and scarcely know whether it -is playing or no; one or two fall out, perhaps, for the first days of -the march throw out from the ranks all the unfit; there is a doctor -at hand to see to those who fall out, and the column swings on. Some -time, after what seems to the men very many hours, the band strikes -up definitely and with an indefinable new note—and the men know they -are marching into camp. Food and sleep are not far ahead; the column -stiffens at the call from the grey-haired colonel, and swings on to -the camping-ground apparently as fresh as when the men passed out from -the barrack gate. It is a part of their pride that they should come in -well, should end their march like soldiers and men, not like weaklings.</p> - -<p>The cavalry also go out from the barracks with anticipations of good -times ahead. Unlike the infantry, they have to keep formation when -marching at ease as when marching at attention, for you cannot get a -horse to rein back into the rank behind you or come up to the rank in -front of you as easily as you yourself can drop back or go up, and, -moreover, you cannot regain your place in the ranks at the call of -"attention" as an infantryman can. But there are compensations. The -"fours" of men divide into twos, of which each takes one side of the -road; there is room in between the two inner men for the clouds of dust -to roll about, and, although some of the stuff comes up, especially -as regards the rear of the squadron, one is not so much down in it -as the soldier on foot. One sees the country, too; the infantryman, -keeping his place in his company, is just one of a crowd, and, in -marching along and getting very tired—so the cavalryman says—he has -no chance of looking about him and seeing what the country that he -is marching through is like. One's horse does all the work, in the -cavalry march, and one is merely a spectator, enjoying the fine day -and the new scenery. It is good to be in the cavalry, and who would be -an infantryman, when manœuvres start? Patrol duty, for instance, -and the isolated tasks that take patrols of three and four men to -farmhouses where the milk is good and one is invited—yes, invited!—to -pick fruit from the trees—what infantryman knows anything of joys like -these? Assuredly it is a good thing that one chose to serve in the -cavalry.</p> - -<p>Supposing it is the first time one has gone out on manœuvres, there -are all sorts of pleasant speculations in which one can indulge. -Guillaumette, the surly fellow, who when in barracks always occupies -the next bed and snores so atrociously—he who is not always perfectly -innocent of <i>faire suisse</i>, though he has the luck of a pig, and never -gets caught at any of his mean tricks—Guillaumette will be going away -when one returns to barracks at the end of the manœuvres, and who -shall say what pleasant kind of a comrade may not come from among the -new recruits to take his place? Jacques, for instance, who belongs to -the third <i>peloton</i> has a first-year man in the next bed to him, one -who is the son of a deputy, and has always plenty of money. When the -deputy's son was for guard and was warned for duty so late that he -could not possibly get ready in time, Jacques lent him kit and helped -him to turn out, with the result that Jacques had five francs—five -francs, think of it!—with which to go to the canteen. And, soon after -one has got back off manœuvres, the new recruits will be coming -in; one will be a second-year man, then, with perhaps a deputy's son -to sleep in the next bed and dispense five francs at a time to one -who knows all the little ways of soldiering and can be of use. The -possibilities, both of the manœuvres themselves and of what comes -after, are endless, and speculation on them is a pleasant business. -Surly old Sergeant Lemaire, too, is almost sure to get promotion this -year, and the <i>peloton</i> will get another sergeant to take charge -of it—certainly not one with a worse temper, for that would be -impossible.</p> - -<p>And the long road slips behind, while the troopers conjecture with -regard to their future, talk together of horses bad and good, sergeants -and corporals bad and good, comrades also bad and good; they smoke -as they ride, and talk yet more of horses, for any army of the world -the cavalrymen never tire of talking of horses and their own riding -abilities, while in the French Army boasting of one's own horsemanship, -and all the rest of one's own good qualities, is even more common -than it is among English soldiers. Not that the boasting among either -is carried to a nauseous extent, but the soldier is so subject -to discipline, so used to doing good work with only the official -recognition by way of return, that, knowing the work is good, he talks -about it himself since nobody is there to do the talking for him—and -this is especially true of the cavalry.</p> - -<p>Some time ago Conan Doyle created in "Brigadier Gerard" an excellent -picture of a French cavalry officer of the old type, and to some extent -the picture of Gerard—the most human and realistic figure Conan -Doyle has ever penned, by the way—still holds good as regards both -officers and men. One may find in both officers and men of the French -cavalry to-day much of the absolute disregard of risks, rather than -bravery as that is understood among the English, which characterises -the brigadier. There is, too, much of Gerard's vanity in modern French -cavalry officers and men, much of his susceptibility to influence, -and all of his absolute loyalty to a superior. The French cavalryman -will tell his comrades how he dislikes his squadron officer, but he -will follow that squadron officer anywhere and into any danger—his -loyalty is sufficient for any test that may be imposed on him. Like -Gerard, he will brag of the things he has done, will devote much time -to explaining exactly how he did them and how no other man could -have done them just as well, until a British cavalryman, if he were -listening, would tell the speaker to pass the salt and hire a trumpeter -to blow for him. But, though the French cavalryman is true to the -Gerard picture in that he boasts inordinately, it will be found, when -one has got to close acquaintance with him, that he does not boast -without reason. He has done a good thing—why not talk about it, for if -he does not nobody else will? The British attitude toward a boaster is -one of contempt, since the man who boasts generally does little, and -exaggerates that little out of recognition. But the French cavalryman -boasts—and acts too; like the Englishman, he does his work, and, -unlike the Englishman, he talks about it. But it must always be -remembered that he acts as well as talks.</p> - -<p>The picture of Gerard, however, is not a faithful portrait of the -French cavalry officer of to-day, for the modern French officer takes -his work far more seriously than Gerard took his, and understands it -more fully. For forty years or more French officers, in common with -the rest of the nation, have known that there would come a life and -death struggle with Germany; they have set themselves to the task of -mastering the difficulties attendant on the crushing of the invaders -and the avenging of Sedan—no matter to what arm of the service the -French officer may belong, he is first a soldier, and after that a man. -Gerard, on the other hand, was man first and officer afterwards. The -difference has been brought about by the training which the Army of -the Third Republic imposes on its officers, and since that Army is a -conscript force, the difference is of itself a necessity.</p> - -<p>And it should always be borne in mind, especially by those who deplore -the training of the citizens of France into so huge an army, that the -step has been vital to the life of the nation. With a far smaller -population than Germany, France has been compelled, as a matter of -self-preservation, to keep pace with Germany in the means adopted with -regard to military training, has had to train and arm man for man, -produce gun for gun—and when the hour of trial came it was found that -the preparation had been none too great—there was not one trained -man but was needed to cope with the national enemy, with Prussian -militarism and Prussian greed of conquest. The conscript Army of the -Third Republic, unlike that of its eastern neighbour and unlike the -huge levies that Napoleon the First raised, has been intended as a -means of defence only; the worst enemy of the Republic cannot accuse it -of having maintained all its effective citizens as soldiers with a view -to aggression in any direction. The Army is, because it must be for -the safety of the nation, not because the nation desires territory or -conquest.</p> - -<p>And all this time the squadrons are marching along the straight roads -that led over far horizons and to things unguessed, unseen by the -first-year men.</p> - -<p>They stop, at intervals along their marching line, to water their -horses, loosen girths, and stretch themselves; they walk about -the roads and look at each other's mounts; they share packets of -cigarettes—those cigarettes made of black French tobacco that wither -the back of the throat when first one inhales smoke from them. The -lieutenant or sub-lieutenant comes round the troop to inspect the -horses and see that all are fit, and the sergeant comes round too, -probably to point out to the lieutenant some loose shoe or rubbing -girth that the less experienced eye of the commissioned youngster has -failed to detect. Then girths are tightened, the men mount again, and -go on, dividing the road between them as before.</p> - -<p>As camp draws near, the line of men grows silent, or at least more -silent than at the setting out, and the horses take their work steadily -rather than eagerly, for this is their first day out, and they are not -yet hardened to long marches.</p> - -<p>Then camp. The putting down of the lines, grooming, blanketing up for -the night, feeding—one casts a glance over toward where the infantry -have come in and got to their own meals, for this is the time when a -cavalryman may have doubts as to whether it would not have been better, -after all, to have joined the infantry. Unworthy thoughts, these—is -there anything in the world like a cavalryman, for real soldierly merit?</p> - -<p>This business of believing one's own branch of the service to be -infinitely superior to any other is carried into the different branches -of the same arm, as well as existing between the three arms as a -whole. The cavalryman knows that service in the cavalry is infinitely -to be preferred to service in infantry or artillery, but further, if he -is a Dragoon, he knows that neither Cuirassier nor Chasseur nor Hussar -is nearly as good as himself, and the Cuirassier, the Chasseur, and the -Hussar have equally strong beliefs about the unquestionable superiority -of their own branches of the cavalry. Each branch, in the opinion of -its members, can produce the best riders, the best shots, the best -all-round soldiers, and the best officers. It is a harmless belief, -maintained quite impersonally.</p> - -<p>Evening stables finished, the night guards are warned for their duty, -the men settle down to the chief meal of the day, and later they sleep, -the sound, healthy sleep induced by a long day in the open air. They -waken or are wakened early in the morning, and again they saddle up and -go on, for often the manœuvre area is many miles from the barracks, -and days may be devoted to straightforward marching before the mimic -warfare begins.</p> - -<p>One comes back to the guns, the long, murderous tubes that trail, each -behind six horses, just above the dust of the roads. The drivers are -there and the battery officers, but the seats on the guns are empty, -for the most part, for the gunners have marched out from camp very -early in the morning. The drivers are at a disadvantage, compared -with the men of cavalry or infantry—and even compared with their own -gunners; for if a cavalryman has to keep his place in the ranks when -mounted, then the gunner is absolutely a fixture in the battery. There -can be no dropping back to talk to a comrade, whatever the pretext -may be, for no man could take back with him the horse he is riding -and the one he is leading, when both are in the gun team. The driver -rides sombrely alone; the lead driver keeps his interval from the gun -ahead, the centre driver looks to it that his lead horse does its share -of work on the hills, and the wheel driver takes special care of the -direction of his team when an infrequent corner has to be turned, for -on him depends the track the wheels will make, and where they will run -with relation to the middle of the road. Were there only a lead driver, -the sweep taken on corners would not be wide enough, and it takes some -time to get such a ponderous engine as a 75-millimetre gun out of a -ditch.</p> - -<p>The regiment of artillery comes out from barracks in one long column, -perhaps—unless one battery or a greater proportion of the whole has -further to travel than the batteries which take the straightest road. -For, if there are two or more parallel roads leading from the point of -departure to the destination, if it is possible for any considerable -part of the journey to divide up an artillery regiment into separate -batteries, this is done. The civilian has no conception of the length -of line on the road which an artillery regiment of ten batteries would -take up, nor can one who has not experienced the dust of a military -march understand what sort of cloud the last battery of ten would have -to march in. The column goes out as a whole, but as soon as possible -first one battery and then another turns off from the main route. If -there are only two alternate routes, then each alternate battery turns -off, leaving sufficient interval between the rest for the dust of one -to settle before the next shall come along. If there are more than two -roads, all are used, for the more a long column can be broken up into -separate units for a day's march, the sooner will the units of the -column reach their destination.</p> - -<p>The fact that the larger a body of men is, the slower it moves, is one -well known to military authorities, though civilians and even many -military men would be prepared to dispute it. It will be seen to be -incontrovertible, though, if one realises that the pace of any body -of men which keeps together as one whole is the pace of the slowest -unit, and, moreover, that when a long column is in progress, not all -its units can keep exactly the same pace as the head of the column. -Consequently there occur a series of checks in the body of the column; -here and there crowding forward occurs, and then the units of the -column concerned in the crowding have to halve in order to rectify -this—or at least have to check their pace for the time. The check may -travel from the centre of the column right down to its rear, and then -there are gaps which have to be corrected, for when a check occurs it -is always prolonged just a little too long a time—and then the head -of the column has to check in order for the rear to catch up. And, the -longer the column, the more of these irritating little checks there -will be, with a net consequence that the column will take relatively -longer to pass a given point or to arrive at a given spot.</p> - -<p>Because of these checks, as well as to give more air and comfort to the -men, in all arms of the service intervals are maintained on the march, -and a column is divided up into as many separate units as possible. -Infantry maintain intervals between companies, cavalry maintain -intervals between squadrons, and artillery maintain intervals between -batteries, while the two mounted arms split up their columns if -parallel roads are available, for the intervals do not quite compensate -for the checks described, and, the smaller the units of the force can -be made by means of separate roads, the shorter will be the march -between two points.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a></p> - -<p class="center">MANŒUVRES</p> - - -<p>Manœuvres form an expensive portion of the conscript's training, and -it will be understood, when it is remembered that under ordinary peace -conditions France maintains twenty military stations, each forming -the skeleton of an army corps, that the annual cost to the state -runs into a considerable fraction of the total military expenditure, -this including the cost of food for men, forage for horses, the -running of transports and stores, and all the expenses incidental to -the maintenance of troops in the field. One item alone, the cost of -shells fired by artillery during their annual practice, represent a -large expenditure, for each shell is in itself a complicated piece of -machinery, which must be perfectly accurate in all its parts, and is a -costly thing to produce.</p> - -<p>Not that the soldier on manœuvres ever counts cost; the majority of -the troops do not even think of such a thing. They are out roughing it, -a business which gratifies the instincts of most healthy minded and -bodied men, and one which is conducive to health and high spirits. Your -conscript on manœuvres is a different being from the one who came to -the colours in the previous October. He has acquired a self-confidence -and self-reliance of which he was innocent at the beginning of his -training; he came as a boy, but now there are about him the signs of a -man, and the first camp more than anything else gives him a realisation -of the value of military training from a man's own point of view, and -quite apart from its value to the state. By the time the season of -manœuvres is over he is a second-year man, and has begun to feel his -feet.</p> - -<p>If one takes a map of France and picks out the twenty stations of -the various army corps scattered throughout the country, and then if -one realises the numbers of men actually serving that these stations -represent, one will see that it is quite impossible that all the -army corps of the country should make a point of undergoing their -manœuvres as one united body. The disturbance inflicted from a -civilian point of view on the area chosen would be enormous, and -the result of no more value as regards the training of officers and -men than when two or three army corps conduct their mimic warfare -together. Certainly more than one army corps should be engaged in an -annual set of manœuvres. For instance, if one took Lyons as the -station concerned, and assumed that the army corps stationed at Lyons -conducted its manœuvres year after year independently of those -army corps which have their head-quarters at other centres, it would -be easily understood that the army corps with head-quarters at Lyons -would, to a certain extent, get into a rule-of-thumb way of working, -and would fail to keep itself abreast of the various discoveries that -are constantly being made by all sorts and conditions of commanders in -the art of war. It is essential that units should as far as possible -be able to interchange ideas, and learn new ways from each other, for -war is a business in which, given forces of equal strength, the most -intelligently controlled army wins.</p> - -<p>The manœuvre areas of France are many. There are stretches of hill -country like the district of the Vosges; forest stretches like the -Ardennes in which the French Army has recently conducted some of its -stiffest fights; great open plains like that which lies about Châlons, -or like the Breton <i>Landes</i>; and river basins of diversified country, -giving reaches of hill, valley and woodland, and most useful of all -from a military educational point of view, since they afford training -in practically all branches of the soldier's work.</p> - -<p>In average manœuvres, two forces, designated respectively as a blue -and a red force, or in some way distinguished from each other by marks -which enable men to tell "friend" from "enemy," are set to face each -other in a certain limited area. Each force is expected to do its best -to render the other ineffective as a fighting force, and the conditions -are made to resemble those of real warfare as nearly as possible. -It must be said, however, that up to the present, no nation in its -military manœuvres has ever allowed sufficiently for casualties; as -an instance may be cited the case of a regiment which, on a certain -set of manœuvres in France, was surrounded and entirely put out of -action early in the course of the operations. Had the business been -real, the men of that particular regiment would all have been either -dead or prisoners, but they were allowed to continue to count in -the force to which they belonged, and the commander of the opposing -force simply scored up so much credit for having achieved a brilliant -military operation. Of course, from the point of view of training -officers and men, for which manœuvres are specially designed, it was -quite right that the officers and men of this unit should take part in -the operations up to the last day, but, since men do not resurrect in -this fashion after a real battle, it may be said, viewing the matter -disinterestedly, that there was no further tactical value in the scheme -carried out. The opposing forces were so constituted for the operation -as to be of about equal strength, and the presence or absence of the -regiment referred to would have been quite sufficient to turn the -scale one way or the other—and yet they were allowed to take part -after having been theoretically wiped out of existence! This anomalous -method of procedure is not peculiar to the French Army, however, but is -practically common to the armies of all nations.</p> - -<p>The nature of the work which the conscript has to perform on -manœuvres is purely a matter of luck. For instance, the force in -which one is serving may be compelled, in order to carry out the scheme -of its commander, to execute a wheeling or turning movement to either -flank, and, supposing a wheel to the right flank is required, then the -men on the right flank have very little marching to do, and very little -work, since their part in the scheme is to wait for the wheeling flank -to come round. An amusing old scamp whose service began when the five -years' law was still in force, and who served in a French infantry -battalion up to a short time ago, used to allege that he was once -right-hand man of an army corps which wheeled in this fashion with the -right flank for a pivot. "I stood for three weeks," he alleged, "on -that flank, waiting for the outer flank to come round, and looking up -the line to see that the men kept their dressing." The "dressing," it -should be explained, is a term used in both the French and British Army -for the keeping of line by the men.</p> - -<p>But, speaking seriously, these wheeling movements occur frequently -during a term of manœuvres; when the business is over, and the men -of the various units come to compare notes, they are often puzzled at -the enormous amount of work and marching imposed on one unit, while -another had practically nothing to do, and stayed very nearly in the -same place throughout the whole time. For, though the part that his own -regiment has to play in a scheme is usually explained to the conscript, -the strategical nature of the scheme as a whole is generally beyond -his comprehension. This is not to be wondered at, since a strategical -scheme is planned out by the best brains of the army corps—at least, -the staff officers are supposed to possess the best brains, and are -given their posts mainly on account of greater fitness for the planning -of military operations.</p> - -<p>Manœuvres as a whole approximate as nearly as is possible, in view -of the difference in circumstances, to active service, but "nearly as -possible" is not "quite," and the lessons learned on manœuvres, -valuable though they are, cannot be unreservedly applied to active -service. Reference has already been made to the way in which the -soldier enjoys his period of manœuvres, but no man enjoys active -service in a similar fashion, and <i>moral</i>, one of the greatest deciding -factors in war, is entirely absent from the mimic warfare in which -armies engage in time of peace. At the same time the lessons learned -from manœuvres are as valuable as they are varied. Commanding -officers learn the amount of strain which they can impose on their -men; the conditions under which transport can and must be brought up -for the use of the troops can be studied with almost as much accuracy -as in warfare; the cavalry commander learns the value, from a war -point of view, of his men as scouts and on detached duties, while the -artillery officer finds out, as he never could without manœuvre -experience, the possibilities of gun transport, and the business of -ranging positions with a view to rendering them untenable by shellfire. -Where the manœuvre period fails as regards war lies mainly in the -absence of disadvantages. As already remarked, the conditions under -which transport can be brought up for the use of troops can be studied, -but sometimes in war transport goes wrong, or gets captured, and an -army has to do its best to keep the field until supplementary supplies -can be obtained; manœuvres never impose this form of disability on -the troops. The cavalry commander is unable to ascertain what his men -would do when actually under fire, and though artillery officers learn -to range a position, they are unable to judge what the troops occupying -that position will be like after shelling has been carried out. -Manœuvres teach up to a point, but from that point the art of war -can be learned only from the grim business itself, and, since no two -bodies of troops are ever in the same frame of mind, and no two battles -are fought under identical conditions, the art of war is never learned, -simple though its principles are.</p> - -<p>The average conscript is troubled little about such matters as these. -As an infantryman, his business is to entrench himself when ordered -to do so; to advance by short rushes, squad alternating with squad, -during the work of getting nearer the enemy; to charge if bidden, or to -retreat as he advanced, in the way that would produce least damage to -the force of which he is a member if that force were exposed to actual -fire. Both in infantry and cavalry there exists a prejudice against -firing the first blank cartridge of a manœuvre day, though, once -that first cartridge has been fired, a man does not care how many more -he fires, and often men have been known to beg blank cartridges from -others, after firing their own. The reason for the prejudice consists -in the fact that the firing of the first cartridge fouls the barrel of -the rifle and renders necessary far more thorough cleaning at the end -of the day than would be required if the rifle had not been fired. But, -no matter how many more cartridges may be fired through the same rifle, -they cannot make the fouling of the barrel any worse, and once the -fouling has been incurred, there is a certain amount of fun in blazing -off blank cartridges at the "enemy."</p> - -<p>The work of the cavalry is considerably more varied than that of -the infantry. Charges, which form the culminating point of cavalry -training at drill, are infrequently indulged in on manœuvres, for -even in actual warfare, apart from the fact that the quick fire of -modern rifles has rendered the charge a rare thing, the conditions -imposed by the selection of infantry and artillery posts do not often -admit of a definite cavalry charge, owing to the nature of the ground -to be covered. During manœuvres the chief value of cavalry lies -in their ability to act as mounted infantry; that is, they are able -to concentrate fire rapidly on a given point, and to get near that -point more quickly than infantry, thus rendering their fire decisive. -Further, small bodies of cavalry are employed in reconnaissance and -detached duties of various kinds; the modern army in movement always -throws out well to the front a screen of cavalry, whose object is to -find and report on the presence of the enemy, to maintain contact with -him, but not to engage in decisive action, which is as a rule, and -practically always when the opposing forces are of equal strength, left -mainly to the artillery and infantry following on behind the cavalry -screen. During a period of manœuvres cavalry patrols theoretically -cut telegraph wires, destroy bridges, and do all they can to impede -the progress of the advancing enemy. Sometimes small parties of scouts -are sent out to get on to the enemy's lines of communication, and, -if possible, cut them. An army with its line of communication cut is -in practice like a man with his windpipe severed, and thus it will -be understood that if cavalry perform this business effectively, -their value to the force to which they belong is enormous. This, -however, is more true of manœuvres than of war, for in the latter -communications are so well guarded that as a rule it takes a stronger -force than a body of cavalry unsupported by artillery to get on to a -line of communication with a view to damaging it.</p> - -<p>Mention has already been made of the prejudice which the infantryman -has against firing the first blank cartridge of the day. Since this -is the case where the rifle is concerned, one may guess what the -artilleryman's feelings are like when his gun has to fire the first -shot, for the cleaning of a field-gun, even after firing blank -ammunition, is no light matter. The bore of the gun has literally to -be scrubbed out in order to remove the fouling, and the gunner's task -is not an enviable one; the clothing of the first-year conscript, when -the gun has been cleaned after firing, looks as if the man had been -hauled up a chimney by his heels, and though men keep a special suit of -fatigue clothes for use on this task, they like it none the more for -that.</p> - -<p>In addition to the ordinary manœuvre period in which cavalry and -infantry participate, artillery units go every year to a practice camp -which is a special area set apart for the firing of live shells, with -a view to giving officers and men alike training in the realities -of their work. The so-called smokeless powder—which in reality is -not smokeless—used on these occasions, together with the passage -of a shell through the rifling of the gun, renders the cleaning of -the bore an even more messy business than that incurred in firing -blank ammunition during tactical exercises. Drivers and gunners alike -generally enjoy their time at practice camp, but the gunners use -language over cleaning the guns, and with good cause too, when one -considers the nature and difficulty of the task.</p> - -<p>But, whether the occasion be that of practice camp for the artillery, -or tactical exercise for the three arms, there is more to enjoy than to -cavil at. Manœuvres come at the best period of the year, from the -weather point of view; the days are warm, but not too warm, and the -cool nights induce healthy sleep. There is plenty of food, generally a -sufficiency of tobacco and cigarettes, and the canteen travels with the -men. There is a pleasant uncertainty about the nature of the day's work -and the length of time it will take; one may be out until late in the -evening, or one may finish in the afternoon, and, after an inspection -of arms, be at liberty to go to the canteen and discuss things in -general with one's comrades, or with the men who, coming from other -stations, have new stories to tell and new matters to discuss. One may, -granted the necessary leave, walk over to a near-by town, where is -certain to be at least a cinema hall, and restaurants outside which -one may sit by a table at the pavement edge and view civilian life. -Or there may be a night march to be accomplished, and, though this -is a tiring business, it has a certain amount of interest as long as -the weather holds good. The chief drawback to manœuvres is a rainy -season, when the soldier has a particularly unenviable time of it. -There are seldom sufficient fires at which to dry one's clothes; there -is, perhaps, the business of pitching tents in the rain, and then the -crowding of self, arms, and equipment into the canvas shelter, while -outside the rain keeps on in a way which suggests that fine days are -things of the past, never to be experienced again. The infantry go -squelching out from camp in the morning; the cavalry pull up their wet -lines and, getting mounted, splash out through mud puddles, while the -artillery drivers harness up their horses with a knowledge that a hard -day is in store for them, both on the road, where their horses will be -overtaxed by the heavy going, and in camp, where the cleaning of wet -saddlery and equipment and the grooming of muddy horses is enough to -spoil temper at the end of the day's work. And the transport waggons, -standing parked in the rain, look as if they were used for the carriage -of materialised despair, and had been abandoned because the loads were -too heavy. A wet town or village is a dreary sight, but a wet camp is -the most depressing thing on earth.</p> - -<p>Even in wet weather, however, the spirit of the conscript is usually -proof against depression. There are compensations: for one thing, work -is lightened as far as possible, and usually the operations of the -manœuvres are modified in case of a continual spell of wet weather, -for it is not only the men who suffer from adverse climatic conditions, -and it is not the business of a period of manœuvres to impose too -great a strain on the forces taking part therein. When the men are in -their tents and the rain is driving down outside, the interminable -songs of the army may be heard from the interiors of the tents. Even -in a standing camp—that is to say, a camp located in one position for -a period of several days—the men are made to undergo a certain number -of parades in order to keep them in health, for continued idleness in -camp almost certainly means disease, and, as has already been remarked, -the authorities of the French Army are fully alive to the necessity for -preserving the health of the men.</p> - -<p>On the average, manœuvre days are fine days; a spell of wet weather -is exceptional, for the season of the year is chosen, in some degree, -with a view to imparting as much instruction to officers and men alike -as is possible in the allotted period. Given fine weather, one has to -work—but then, one has to work in barracks, and not in such congenial -fashion as in this life of open air and comparative freedom.</p> - -<p>As the end of the manœuvre period approaches, the second-year men -get more and more excited, for your Frenchman, whether as conscript -or civilian, is an excitable person, and not ashamed of showing his -feelings as is the man west of the Channel. For these second-year men -civilian life is getting very near. Pierre will go back to the farm, -and Jacques will return to his place behind the counter, while Jean -will once more polish the seat of the office stool for a stated period -each day. But Jacques and Pierre and Jean will at times look back to -the good days and the cheery comrades of the last manœuvres, and -perhaps, although this is a conscript army, they will know a transient -regret in that they will never again go out from the barrack gate as -units of a column setting out on the long march.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a></p> - -<p class="center">WITH THE CAVALRY SCOUTS</p> - - -<p>The incidents related in this chapter took place a few years back -during a certain manœuvre season, and for obvious reasons it is -impossible to indicate the men, forces concerned, or locality more -closely than that. The forces concerned were an army corps advancing -from the south, and one advancing from the north, toward each other, -with a view to trying conclusions under manœuvre conditions. The -story concerns scouts of the blue force, advancing from the north—it -was one of these scouts of the blue force who told the story. It must -not be taken as a typical story of army life, for the circumstances -under which these men were placed were exceptional, agreeably so; it -is, however, sufficiently typical for relation, in that it embodies -things actually accomplished by soldiers of the Army of the Republic. -Like most things that happen both in manœuvres and in war, it could -never happen again.</p> - -<p>The blue force, with at least fifty miles to go after leaving barracks, -knew that the red force would have further to travel, since the limits -of the manœuvre area were clearly marked out on maps supplied to the -officers taking part, and each force knew from what garrison the force -opposing it was coming. Beyond this, though, neither officers nor men -of the blue force knew from what direction the "reds" would attack, -and the composition and strength of each arm of the "reds" was for the -"blues" to find out; that is what cavalry patrols and scouting parties -are for: to ascertain the strength and disposition of the enemy; and, -in order to make the manœuvres as much like real war as possible, -each side was kept in ignorance, as far as might be, of the movements -of the other.</p> - -<p>There were two days of steady marching, through days that were not too -warm and nights that were decidedly cold. Marching in column, this -business, with plenty of dust along the roads and the squadrons closed -up so that one's horse's nose was not far from the tail of the horse in -the next rank. In the cool weather the horses travelled well, and the -cavalry got into camp fairly early in the afternoon, when the bivouacs -were made and the men rested and ate, after seeing to the needs of -their horses. Late in the afternoon of the second day a canvas town -came into view after the troops had passed over a small river, and -here the regiments went into camp. At twelve o'clock that night the -manœuvre period was to start, and no action of any kind bearing on -the actual manœuvres might be undertaken until midnight had passed, -though commanders might make their plans and allot their units and men -to the various parts they intended the latter to play in the struggle -for points in the game. The troops themselves looked forward to an -exciting time: in the blue army, every man knew that he was to capture -a "red" if the chance came his way; he must act as in real war, except -that the cartridges would be blank and the business would be one of -sport with the grimness of war left out.</p> - -<p>In a certain regiment of chasseurs which formed part of the blue -army, Lieutenant Lenoir received his orders with regard to special -reconnaissance duty, and, acting on these orders, he gathered together -Corporal Jean and Trooper Jacques, both qualified as signallers, -whose first names will serve for the purposes of this narrative. He -also collected from their respective troops certain men more than -usually efficient in scouting duty, known respectively as Pierre and -Guillaumette—or little Billy—from one <i>peloton</i>, Henri and l'Anglais -(the latter from his English way of drinking beer when he could get -it, a trick acquired in his native Lorraine, though his fellows gave -him his nickname because of it, and from another <i>peloton</i> more good -men to the number of four). Lenoir would have liked to take more, but -he knew that for the success of the plan with which he was entrusted a -small body of men would get through with less chance of being seen—the -smaller the better, down to a certain point. So he took the minimum -possible. They obeyed the rules of the game thoroughly, for it was -not until the stroke of twelve that the men were given permission to -saddle up; all they knew at that time was that they were going out on -detachment duty of some kind, away from the army itself, and that was -enough for them. Detachment duty is always welcome, and Lenoir had -a reputation among the men of being one of the best officers in the -regiment, although a very quiet man, comparatively speaking.</p> - -<p>The men were a good crowd, too. The signallers knew their work -thoroughly and were keen soldiers; the scouts chosen were men who -took actual pleasure in solving problems of country, second-year and -re-engaged men, who took soldiering seriously and enjoyed work like -this. Altogether it was a very contented and very keen little party -that set out from the camp a quarter of an hour after midnight, with -Lenoir leading into the black and rainy night that came on them as they -rode. They went steadily on for some time—it was three in the morning -when Lenoir halted his men under shelter of a tree that branched -out over their road and told them the object of their journey. He -explained, by the aid of the map, what they were expected to do.</p> - -<p>The line of country that would be chosen by the "reds" had been -carefully calculated: the commander of the "blues" had estimated that, -with a view to avoiding rivers and hills, and keeping to open ground, -the commander of the red army would bring up his men—or, at least, -most of them—by the western side of the manœuvre area, leaving a -large stretch of country unoccupied to the east. It was the business -of this patrol to go down by way of the eastern boundary of the -manœuvre area, get on to the "reds" line of communication, and cut -it, thus preventing (in theory) the sending up of stores, and (also in -theory) reducing the red force to such a state as regards stores and -ammunition that it would be forced (once more in theory) to surrender. -The scheme bespeaks the way in which modern military plans are thought -out, and how one calculates on probabilities. The "blue" commander -assumed that such a course as bringing the men up the western side -would be adopted by the commander of the "reds": he was not certain -of it, but assumed it to such an extent that he considered it worth -while to waste a cavalry patrol on it; supposing he were wrong, then he -only lost half a dozen men or so and one officer from his effectives; -supposing, on the other hand, that he were right, he would have -accomplished a movement that would render ineffective anything his -"enemy" might do.</p> - -<p>It was their business, Lenoir explained, to get quite down to the -southern limit of the manœuvre area, so as to cut the line as nearly -as possible to neutral ground, for the further back they got the less -likelihood there would be of encountering any strong force left for the -purpose of protecting the line. They were to ride warily, avoid hills, -and keep in hollows, and at the same time they were to keep an eye out -for any bodies of troops that they might see. Their business was to run -from everybody whom they might see during the following day, for it -would not do to risk the capture or loss of a man while on the journey; -every man would be needed at the journey's end.</p> - -<p>All this was explained by the aid of the map, and, realising the -importance of their mission, the men were more keen than ever over its -fulfilment. They mounted again and rode on, Lenoir always leading; at -times he halted them that he might consult his map with the help of -an electric torch where two roads branched, or where there was any -uncertainty about their direction. The rain passed off; the stars came -out and paled as dawn grew; they halted in the grey of early daybreak -down under the shelter of a hill. Before them was a tiny valley through -which a stream flowed, and beyond an unbroken range of other hills of -which the crests showed no signs of human occupation. A short distance -along the way they had come was a farm-house built into a nook of the -hills, while open country marked the way ahead, beyond the base of the -hill under which they had camped. They gave their horses water at the -stream, and, since Lenoir said they would halt there for nearly two -hours to rest the horses, they got out their own food, after feeding -their mounts, but did not off-saddle or remove any equipment, for the -men as well as their officer knew that they were parallel now with the -enemy's force.</p> - -<p>Jacques and l'Anglais went out to collect firewood, for they thought it -worth while to make coffee during their halt. These two passed well out -of sight of the rest round the base of the hill, and walked suddenly -and unsuspectingly on to two of the scouts of the enemy's force, who, -being a little more quick than either Jacques or l'Anglais, informed -them that they were prisoners and must come with them. Jacques, -however, temporised; he pointed out to these scouts of the "reds" that -he and his companion were, like their captors, mounted men, and they -certainly could not walk and leave their horses to break loose and -perhaps damage themselves. They had tied their horses up round the -corner, said Jacques, and if their captors would only come with them -they would get the animals and follow as prisoners without trouble. -The two "reds" hesitated a bit, but finally saw reason in this, and, -thinking that their two prisoners were quite alone, followed without -dismounting round to where the horses were supposed to be tied. So well -was Lenoir's little camp located that the two "reds" followed Jacques -and l'Anglais almost into it before they perceived that they were in -the vicinity of a force far stronger than their two selves. When they -grasped the situation fully, they put spurs to their mounts, turned, -and fled. Jacques grabbed at the bridle rein of one, but missed, and -l'Anglais was so lucky as to secure the helmet of the other man, which -he tied to his saddle by way of a trophy. The two "reds," who were well -mounted, went off round the base of the hill and vanished; apparently -they formed a patrol on the extreme flank of the red force, for no -other men appeared to reinforce or replace them while the little party -of "blues" remained halted.</p> - -<p>The men of the blue patrol got their firewood and made coffee, which at -that hour of the morning was more to them than food. More quickly than -he had at first intended Lenoir bade them tighten girths and mount, for -he feared lest the patrol which they had encountered would carry news -of their presence, and bring down on them a greater force from which it -might be impossible to escape.</p> - -<p>Through the early hours of the day they rode, sometimes on roads, -sometimes across country. The average of their course took them over -two miniature mountain ranges, and on the second of these little hill -ranges they saw, very far off, a body of cavalry advancing across -country. Corporal Jean, together with Jacques, got down from their -horses and set up a heliograph, with which they tried to "call up" the -troops away on the plain. They could get only fragmentary answers from -the other people's heliographs; Lenoir sat on his horse beside them and -waited for a coherent message, but evidently the cavalry force would -not trust them, nor reveal its own identity, for all Jean could get out -of it, after persistent calling up, was the query, "Who are you?"</p> - -<p>"Don't tell them," said Lenoir, "but ask them that yourself."</p> - -<p>This Jean had already done, but he tried it again with no better result -than before. By this time they could see that the cavalry signallers -who had stopped to answer them were getting left far behind by their -main body, and Jean, finding that he could get no satisfaction out of -them, packed up his own heliograph and mounted again. They went on down -the hill into a shallow valley through which flowed another little -river. At the foot of the hills they halted, and Guillaumette went back -on foot to the top of the hill to keep guard while the others rested. -After half an hour one of the others relieved him from this duty, and -both men reported that the country all round was clear of enemies, or -friends. This was as Lenoir had anticipated, for he had judged by this -time they would be well behind the main body of the advancing red force.</p> - -<p>They made of this a long halt for the sake of their horses, which -had already done the equivalent of a day's work. It was late in the -afternoon, and the power of the sun had almost gone, when they slung -their saddles on their horses again, and girthed up. The valley through -which the little river flowed lay level before them for miles, and -they rode down it toward where a curve of the hills on either side -prevented sight of their destination. That curve seemed ever to recede -as they rode, and the sun dropped over the crests of the western hills, -leaving the men chilled and tired. By order of Lenoir, who set the -example, they dismounted and trudged on, leading their horses—all save -l'Anglais, who left his reins on his horse's neck and trusted to the -animal to follow him. L'Anglais and his horse were good friends.</p> - -<p>Dusk fell on them as they mounted again; on their left the little river -had been companion of their journey since leaving the last range of -hills, but now they turned away to the right and ascended slightly -from the valley. Suddenly the ground fell away from before them, and -they went down past three houses to a railway station and goods yard, -in which stacks of forage and other stores, covered by waterproof -sheets, lay with only one man to guard them, one who was unsuspecting -of surprise and easily captured. Lenoir left here all his men with the -exception of Pierre and l'Anglais, and these he took with him away out -to the other side of the village. Beyond the houses the officer and his -two men sat down on the ground, waiting. At last the moon rose, and -they espied a tent almost concealed among trees. Within the tent they -found a corporal and a squad of men belonging to a squadron of train, -all asleep. Lenoir wakened the corporal and informed him that he and -all his party were captured, and that the stores under their charge -were subject to the orders of the officer commanding the blue army.</p> - -<p>That was the end of the task. With his little squad of scouts Lenoir -had captured the unguarded stores of the red force, and had thus -rendered ineffective anything that they might accomplish in the matter -of field operations. Theoretically the red force was beaten on its -first day in the field, but in actual fact the stores went up from the -captured base to the red army, as if no capture had been accomplished, -for it would not do to go to the expense of moving out two army corps -from barracks for the purpose of manœuvres, and then cancelling the -manœuvres because a cavalry patrol had, by means of hard riding and -good cross-country judgment, achieved a theoretical victory. Practice -has shown that in real war a chance for such an achievement as that of -Lenoir's patrol does not occur in one out of a thousand situations, -and in actual war, also, no commander would be so foolish as to leave -his chief supplies in charge of a corporal and squad of men of a -squadron of train. Adequate protection is always afforded to lines of -communication by an attacking force in war.</p> - -<p>The incident is noteworthy, however, in that it affords an example -of the way in which military plans are thought out. The commander -responsible for the conception of Lenoir's mission judged exactly -what line of country would be clear for such an advance. He could -not know whether or no his judgment would be at fault, but he saw -that the plan was worth the risk of an officer and a dozen or so -of men, whose absence would not materially weaken his force. Some -slight psychological knowledge must have been his as well, for even -on manœuvres a commanding officer usually protects his lines of -communication, and the base from which his stores are sent, more -effectually than did this red commander. Again, the way in which -Lenoir chose his men is noteworthy. He picked the best scouts from -the squadron to which he belonged; possibly, had he chosen to look -throughout the whole regiment, he might have obtained even better men -to accompany him, but he chose men whom he knew to be good riders, -careful of their horses, and able to undergo a long march. The two -signallers represented a minimum that he must take if he wished to -send or receive messages to or from any other force. As a matter of -fact nothing occurred to render it necessary that any individual scout -should be placed in a position where the exercise of initiative would -be an essential; neither were the signallers called on for special -exertions, or for the full exercise of their special department of -knowledge, but they might have been. Lenoir chose his men with a view -to compressing the greatest possible effectiveness into the smallest -number compatible with the accomplishment of his mission. He chose them -also with a view, not to what they actually did as individuals, but -with a view of the demands that might have been made on them. As the -affair turned out, they simply had a quietly good time in this "base" -village until the manœuvres concluded; Lenoir saw to it that the -horses received all necessary attention, and for the rest he left his -men to their own devices. And one may trust a soldier, either conscript -or volunteer, to make life worth living when given such a chance as -this.</p> - -<p>It was a week or more before the scout of the red force got his helmet -back. He met l'Anglais by appointment in the canteen devoted to the -use of the blue cavalry, and received back the headgear undamaged. It -may be said in conclusion that he compensated l'Anglais in the usual -fashion—and any soldier will know what that means.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a></p> - -<p class="center">INTERNAL ECONOMY</p> - - -<p>If one should take the trouble to enquire of the chef at any leading -hotel as to whether he had undergone military service as a conscript, -the answer would in nineteen cases out of twenty be in the affirmative, -and probably the full nineteen out of every twenty would also reply -in the affirmative if asked whether they were Frenchmen. It would be -enlightening for the average Englishman to make such enquiries, for by -that means he would realise to a far greater extent than in any other -way, the universality of the French Army. Comprehension of the fact -that virtually every man of the French nation is capable of taking his -place in the ranks of some regiment without undergoing some form of -preliminary training, is impossible to the English mind until concrete -examples of the effect of this are confronted.</p> - -<p>The point with regard to the chefs is in connection with the way in -which the French Army has its food cooked and served. The <i>pantalon -rouge</i> lives well, for cooking is an art indigenous to France, and the -very best cooks of France practise their art on their comrades of the -barrack-room, while there are few companies or squadrons in the French -Army that do not contain at least one professional chef. The British -Army suffers at times from monotonous menus, "stews" alternating with -"roast" until a meat-pie would be a joy, and any variety of diet would -be welcome. But in the French Army, given materials corresponding in -any way to the needs of the soldier, there is no lack of variety in the -food. There are two ways of cooking a potato in the British Army to -twenty in the French service; the British soldiers get eggs served in -two or three ways, but the conscript cook of the French Army can cook -an egg in a way that disguises it to such an extent that a hen would -disown it—and there are many ways of doing this. Soup precedes the -more solid course of the French soldier's meal, and there are savoury -dishes and concoctions which to the British soldier would be but -mystery. The French cook is an artist at all times, and his art is no -less evident during his conscript days than before and after.</p> - -<p>Sweet dishes are rare, and the taste of the soldier lies more in the -matter of savouries. In addition to the regular provisions made for the -troops, there are many men, who, in their spare time, cook dishes to -suit their own fancies. The "messing allowance" of the British service -is a thing unknown, for the French soldier's limited pay is pay pure -and simple, and is not sufficient in amount to admit of deductions of -this nature. Much is often made of the fact that the rate of pay in -the British Army is far higher than that of any conscript force, but -against this it must be said that, so far as the French conscript is -concerned, the Government provides in kind for practically all his -necessities, leaving the total of his pay—small as that is—as his -own pocket money. The bread ration, for instance, is larger in the -French than in the British Army, and the French Government provides, -free of cost, all necessary articles for a varied and nutrient diet. -The sergeants in the French Army contribute to a slight extent toward -the cost of their messing, but then it must be borne in mind that all -non-commissioned officers of the French Army are re-engaged men on a -considerably higher rate of pay than that allowed to a conscript during -his first two years. Among the rank and file, mess books are kept -for the companies or squadrons of each unit, and usually these mess -books are placed in the hands of corporals, who eat with the men, and -thus benefit from their own good judgment in the matter of choosing -provisions to the value allowed by the mess book, and equally they -suffer for their own mistakes.</p> - -<p>With a view to the possible disorganisation under war conditions of -arrangements for cooking food by the company or squadron, the French -soldier is taught and encouraged to cook and prepare his own food -on the field. During the manœuvre period, the arrival of French -troops in camp is marked by the lighting of fires, at which men cook -their own food, and officers supervise this business in order to make -certain that no man goes to sleep for the night without having first -had a sufficiently sustaining meal. Within a quarter of an hour of the -arrival of an infantry regiment in camp, the kettles are boiling and -the coffee is made; the slabs of compressed soup, which form a feature -of the culinary service of the army, are broken up and dissolved, and -bread and meat are issued to form the solid part of the day's meal. -Motor-driven vans travel with the army, filled with quarters of fresh -meat hung in dust-proof compartments; these travelling meat safes form -a recent innovation, and have been found thoroughly satisfactory in -that they increase the fresh food supplies of the troops.</p> - -<p>A point worthy of note in connection with the arrangements for the -supply of food is that in the French Army the principal meal of the -day falls at the end of the day's work, both in barracks and in camp. -In the British service the principal meal is taken at midday, with the -result that, so far as official meals are concerned, the soldier gets -nothing but a light tea between the dinner of one day and the breakfast -of the next, and he has to buy his own supper to compensate for this. -In the French Army men are provided with coffee before turning out for -the first parade in the morning; at ten o'clock soup is served; at two -o'clock or thereabouts, according to the nature of work on which men -are engaged, another light meal is provided, and then with the end of -the day comes a two or three course meal which corresponds in quantity -and nutrient value—though not in the manner of its cooking—to the -midday dinner of the British soldier. By this means the French soldier -is relieved of the necessity of buying any supper, and his official -rations of food are, in the majority of cases, amply sufficient for his -needs without his having recourse to his own pocket.</p> - -<p>Although, as has been stated, the mess books are controlled by -corporals, this by no means forms the total of the supervision entailed -on French military cooking and provisions. The senior officers of the -regiment are especially charged with the supervision of these details -of internal economy; the officer of the week is a frequent visitor -of the cook-houses of his regiment, and surprise visits are made to -the dining-tables of the men in order to make sure that no cause for -complaint exists with regard to the quantity or quality of provisions -supplied. The adjudants also are concerned in the efficiency of the -cooks, and the provision of proper meals for the non-commissioned -officers, while, since these latter have a share in paying for the -goods supplied, they have also a voice in matters of choice and -cookery. On the whole, bearing in mind the quality of French cookery -and the fact that that cookery is as much in evidence in the French -Army as out of it, it may be said that the French soldier fares rather -better than the man serving in the British Army in this all-important -matter of food and its preparation.</p> - -<p>In other matters of internal economy, officers manifest an unceasing -interest in the well-being and comfort of their men. The canteens of -the French Army are under the direct supervision of senior officers, -and thus such supplies as men may purchase individually in the way -of food, drink, or cleaning materials, are always up to the required -standard of quality. The matter of laundrywork is also in the care -of officers of the various regiments, and altogether the comfort -and well-being of the men are matters for which officers are held -responsible to a greater extent than in the British service, where, -with regards to some things, departments rather than men are made -responsible.</p> - -<p>The conduct of drill and routine, directly under the supervision of -the commanding officer of each regiment, are managed differently -from drill and routine in the British service. For instance, British -soldiers go out to drill for an hour, and at the conclusion of that -hour, whatever has happened, the parade is dismissed; the French squad -turns out for drill nominally for an hour—assuming that as the period -taken for illustration—but in reality the drill lasts until the -superiors are satisfied that the men have done what they set out to -do. Stereotype is not compatible with the methods of the French Army, -but efficiency counts before set rules, and the object of training -is always efficiency, without regard to former practices. Slaves to -custom do not exist; custom itself does not exist, except in so far as -it is essential to the performance of duties, and the maintenance of -efficiency.</p> - -<p>It should be borne in mind that this difference in the ways of two -armies, French and English, is rendered necessary by the basis on which -the armies are founded. The British Army is based on a voluntary -system, and the lowest stated period of service is three years. The -French Army is based on conscription, which does away with all idea of -selection, and the stated period during which men can be compelled to -train is two years only—or rather it was two years only up to a short -time before the army changed from peace strength and conditions to a -war footing. Under the two years' system, men must be kept at work all -the time in order to teach them the whole of their work; drill and -fatigues alternate, and there are but short intervals between; one -of the rules of the French Army is that the conscript shall be made -to work all the time, and another rule that must be borne in mind in -connection with this is that each man shall be provided with sufficient -food of a suitable nature to enable him to do his work, at no cost to -himself.</p> - -<p>The rules of the army provide that during all manœuvre periods -conscripts shall endure active service conditions. Pipeclay and polish -disappear, and no "parade movements" are indulged in. There are no -stage effects, and a cavalry leader who on manœuvres indulged his -men in a charge that would not be really useful under war conditions -would get a severe reprimand, if not a more substantial punishment. All -unnecessary show is condemned, and the French Army on manœuvres -is made to understand that its work is genuine preparation for the -rough business of active service. Another point worthy of note is -that, during manœuvre periods, full use is made of all available -buildings for purposes of sleep and shelter, just as would be done in -time of war, and straw is used to supplement the coverings carried, -when the nights are cold. The bulky and ungainly-looking great-coat of -the French soldier is practically sufficient for covering when in camp, -since it is extremely warm, and is manufactured from a porous class of -material which swells and becomes waterproof in even a slight shower. -It has been long since realised in the French Army that individual -comfort makes for collective efficiency, and, though discipline is -exceedingly strict, yet this is counterbalanced by the way in which the -well-being of the men is studied.</p> - -<p>To each regiment two doctors are allotted, and the medical service of -the French Army as a whole, though only a modern growth, is equal to -that of any other continental nation. The French Red Cross Society is -but little more than forty years old, but the facility with which the -nation as a whole, adopts and adapts all things to its use, has been -well manifested here, for the Red Cross service of the French Army -gives place to none in the matter of efficiency. In such a time as the -present, when every resource of the nation is strained in coping with -a ruthless invader, it is only to be expected that medical provision -will at times be found hardly or only just adequate for unprecedented -demands, but the medical service for the army has risen to the occasion -in just as heroic fashion as has the nation as a whole.</p> - -<p>In the matter of making each regiment as self-contained as possible, -the French Army is about equal with the British. In a French regiment, -signallers, scouts, and others are trained from the ranks of the -regiment itself to undertake the special duties imposed on each of -these branches of military activity. In the matter of scouting, and -in such things as taking cover, trench-digging, the use of extended -formations, etc., the French Army has benefited largely by the British -war in South Africa, of which the lessons were studied quite as keenly -as in the British Army itself, and the training of men was modified on -experience thus gained by others. Again, French officers attached to -the Russian and Japanese staff in the Russo-Japanese war brought back -much practical knowledge which was applied in their own army, more -especially with regard to fortifications, defensive positions, siege -warfare, and the work of armies in close contact and in large masses. -It may be said as a whole, with regard to the working of the army, that -France has never hesitated to adapt the lessons taught by others to her -own use, while there can be no doubt that the lessons learned from the -failure of such armies as Napoleon the futile forced into action in -1870 have been taken to heart and applied, with a view to fitness for -the struggle that is not yet ended.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a></p> - -<p class="center">SOME INCIDENTALS</p> - - -<p>The subject of disciplinary battalions is not a pleasant one in the -opinion of the French soldier, but the formation of such battalions is -a necessity in the conscript army of a nation which demands military -service of all its citizens. For in such an army the criminal classes -and bad characters are included with the rest, and, if they do not -conform to military rules in a better way than they submit to the -ordinary restrictions imposed on any law-abiding civil community, -then some form of discipline must be adopted in order to coerce -them. When the regimental authorities of any unit in the French Army -have ascertained, by the repeated application of ordinary corrective -methods, that it is impossible to make an efficient soldier of any man -in the unit in question, the man concerned is taken before the <i>conseil -de discipline</i>, which has power to recommend that he should be sent to -service in the disciplinary battalion stationed in Algeria.</p> - -<p>The <i>conseil</i> consists of a major as president, together with the two -senior captains and two senior lieutenants of the regiment to which -the man belongs, exclusive of his own squadron or company officer. The -case against the man is presented by the senior officer of the squadron -or company to which the man belongs; this evidence for the prosecution -having been taken, the prosecuting officer retires, and the accused -man is brought in to make his defence. Then the court, after due -deliberation, makes its report, recommending either that the man shall -be given another chance in the regiment, or sent to a disciplinary -battalion. The report is then sent to the colonel of the regiment, -who either endorses or rejects the decision of the court. Should his -decision be favourable to the accused, the man is given another chance, -but if, on the other hand, he endorses the recommendation of the court, -the sanction of the general commanding the station is required in order -to complete the proceedings. With this sanction the offender is sent to -Algeria, where the disciplinary battalions are known as "Biribi" and -are stationed on the most advanced posts of this French colony. Owing -to their shaven heads, the men in these battalions are known as <i>têtes -des veaux</i>, and their release from this form of service is entirely -dependent on their own conduct. In one historic case, the son of a -general served four years as a private in one of these battalions, -which include, in addition to men of a distinctively criminal type, a -number of social wrecks. A disciplinary battalion is a veritable lost -legion.</p> - -<p>Some years ago one of these battalions was on the march from Biskra -in Southern Algeria, and on the march one unscrupulous ruffian, who -cherished a grudge against the major commanding, fell back to the -rear of the column, pretending to be ill. He feigned greater and yet -greater exhaustion, and at last sat down as if unable to march further. -The major came up and inquired kindly what was the matter, and on the -soldier stating that he felt too exhausted to march, the major handed -him a brandy flask, from which the man took a drink. As the major was -occupied in returning the flask to his saddle wallet, the soldier fired -his rifle at him, but fortunately missed, owing to the swerving of -the officer's horse. At this the major realised with what a dangerous -class of man he had to deal, and, drawing his revolver, he blew the -man's brains out. Some time later another officer of the same battalion -found a stone placed on the spot commemorating the memory of the -soldier criminal; the stone was removed, but was replaced; six times -in succession this was done, and yet it was never ascertained who was -responsible for cutting inscriptions on the stones, or placing them -there.</p> - -<p>A very common mistake is made in confusing the disciplinary battalions -of the Algerian frontier with the world-famous Foreign Legion of -the French Army, and consequently the Foreign Legion has gained an -undeserved reputation for iron discipline and unduly harsh treatment -of its men. The chief disabilities attendant on service in the Foreign -Legion consist in periods of service in some of the peculiarly -unhealthy localities included in French colonial possessions. The -Foreign Legion suffered more than any other unit of the French service -during its period of active service in French Cochin-China, while -inland in Algeria its members are subjected to a peculiarly trying -climate, and in other parts of French Africa the Foreign Legion does -duty in company with a considerable amount of epidemic disease.</p> - -<p>Service in the Foreign Legion is, of course, a voluntary matter, -and the fact that the Legion is always up to strength is sufficient -evidence of methods adopted with regard to the discipline of the men -and the treatment accorded to them. For, although the Legion itself is -famous, its individual members are not, and it cannot be said to offer -any conspicuous attractions to intending candidates for admission. -It is probably the most cosmopolitan body of men in any part of the -world, and the formation of such a body, in which the distinctions of -nationality are abolished, is peculiar to the French nation. The Legion -includes natives of every country populated by the Caucasian races, -and especially of Italian, German, English, and French citizens. It -is an agglomeration of adventurers, of whom the largest proportion -desire only obscurity; it may be said that the Legion is made up of -the bad bargains of half a world, but it is good fighting material, -for all that. Ouida has drawn a highly coloured picture of service in -the Foreign Legion in the book "Under Two Flags," but this picture -consists mainly of romance with the soldiering left out, while actual -service with the Legion involves soldiering with the romance left -out. Hard soldiering, in various climates and under many conditions; -in company with various kinds of men, of whom one never asks details -of past history; one is accepted in the Legion for present soldierly -qualities, and by tacit agreement the past is given the place allotted -to most sleeping dogs. The period of service in the Legion has the -merit of being intensely interesting to any man who, consciously or -unconsciously, is a student of the psychology of his fellows. The -Legion itself affords instances of devotion and self-denial as heroic -as any that Ouida has penned, but it may be said here with regard not -only to the Foreign Legion, but to all the armies of all the world, -that such systematic persecution on the part of an individual officer -toward any individual man as Ouida has pictured in "Under Two Flags" -is a rank impossibility. The system of decentralisation of command, of -interlinking authority and supervision, and of central control by heads -of units, renders impossible the persistent gratification of spite by -an individual officer against an individual soldier.</p> - -<p>In this connection, stories of persecution of individuals who have -done nothing to merit the punishment inflicted on them, especially in -military service, should always be accepted with the proverbial grain -of salt. For there is never smoke without fire, and the man who is -unpopular with all his officers and non-commissioned officers to such -an extent as to incur a succession of punishments is usually deserving -of all that he gets. Humanity is so constituted that sympathy almost -invariably goes to the individual who is at variance with the mass, -and in the exercise of sympathy one is apt to overlook the qualities -and characteristics of the object on which it is bestowed. We hear, -usually, the story of the man who considers himself aggrieved or -unjustly punished, and, without listening to the other side of the -case, we immediately conclude that his statements are correct in -all their details. As a rule, the man who thus attempts to secure a -reversal of the decision against him has some inherent quality which -makes for unpopularity. He is inclined to curry favour, which renders -him a marked man among his comrades, or he commits acts against -discipline in such a way that, although it is practically certain that -he is the offender, the evidence against him is insufficient to warrant -punishment. These and other characteristics of the man concerned bring -heavy punishment on him when is finally caught, and, although the -punishment is perfectly just, the offender immediately whines over it -in such a clever way that sympathising outsiders accord him far more -consideration than he deserves, and consider that his just judges have -been inhuman brutes, though they merely fulfilled their duty. The -offender makes sufficient fuss to be heard, but the individual or body -of individuals who ordered his punishment are not able to advertise -themselves in similar fashion, and thus a one-sided view is taken.</p> - -<p>To return to the Foreign Legion, it may be said that any attempt to -quote incidents typical of its members and their ways would be quite -useless, for there is in the Legion sufficient material to furnish -all the novelists of this and the next century with plots to keep -them busy. To outward seeming the soldiers of the Foreign Legion are -average men, engaged in average military duties, and it is not until -definite contact with them has been established that any realisation -of their exceptional qualities and curious defects can be obtained. As -is well known, the Legion includes every class of adventurers from men -of royal blood and noblemen of the highest rank downward, and many an -assumed name conceals a story which would be worth untold gold in Fleet -Street, or in the journalistic equivalent of Fleet Street in some other -European capital.</p> - -<p>It is not generally realised in this country that the extent of -the French colonies is such as to necessitate the maintenance of a -considerable body of colonial troops. With the exception of the troops -stationed in Algeria and Tunis, service in the French colonies is -a voluntary matter; the natives of the various French dependencies -have been induced to accept military service on a voluntary basis to -a considerable extent. In addition to the famous Algerian Turcos, -battalions of Senegalese troops have been formed with excellent -results; it has been found that the natives of this dependency make -good soldiers, particularly suited to service in the interior of -Africa, owing to their immunity from diseases which render tracts of -country almost impenetrable to white troops. The numbers of native -colonial troops given in Chapter I are constantly and steadily -increasing, for, in addition to making good soldiers, the natives of -French dependencies come forward readily and in increasing numbers to -recruiting centres.</p> - -<p>As regards the regular army, matters have been much better with -reference to discipline and punishment since the system which permitted -of <i>volontaires</i> was abolished. The <i>volontaires</i> were men who, on -payment of a certain sum to the State, were permitted to compress their -military training into the space of one year. The payment of this sum -was supposed to guarantee a certain amount of social standing in civil -life, and the <i>volontaires</i> were always regarded theoretically as a -possible source from which to promote officers in case of need. In -practice, however, the experiment worked out quite differently. The -<i>volontaires</i> were found to be men of varying grades in life, with -varying degrees of education, and equally varying mental qualities. -They were extremely unpopular among the ordinary conscript rank and -file, on whom many of them affected to look down as inferior beings. -The more unscrupulous of them would attempt to evade duty by bribing -non-commissioned officers, while those who were unable to compass -bribery railed against the unequal treatment meted out to them in -comparison with that enjoyed by their comrades. Their one year of -training was insufficient to make practical soldiers out of the raw -material submitted, and altogether it was a good thing for France -when the whole system was swept away, and, consistently with the -Republican principle, all citizens were regarded as equal under the -drill instructor. The <i>volontaire</i> system was no more and no less than -favouritism on the part of the State.</p> - -<p>It must not be overlooked that, although the initial period of service -in the French Army is compulsory, quite a large percentage of the -men remain in the Army of their own free will at the end of the two -compulsory years. For such as elect to make a career of the Army in -this fashion, there is a materially increased rate of pay, ranging -from an approximate equivalent of 8d. a day upwards, with a pension, -and usually with Government employment if desired, after only fifteen -years of service. These <i>re-engagés</i> very seldom stay down in the -ranks, but form the chief source from which non-commissioned officers -are obtained. Kipling's phrase with regard to British non-commissioned -officers is equally applicable to the Army of the Republic, for the -non-commissioned officer is the backbone of the French Army just as -surely as the officer is its brains. The sergeant-major of a squadron, -or the French equivalent of a British infantry colour-sergeant in a -company, is the right hand of the captain commanding, adviser as well -as intermediary between officers and men. The sergeant in charge of -a <i>peloton</i> or troop is not only the principal instructor with whom -the men of the troop have to deal, but is also counsellor and guide -to the young lieutenant who comes straight from a military school -to take up his commission, and needs experience of the ways of men -in addition to the theoretical knowledge he has already gained. The -corporal, who does not hold non-commissioned rank as in the British -Army, and counts his position as an appointment rather than a definite -promotion, forms a sort of go-between for men and sergeants, imparting -individual instruction to the men, and supervising their welfare in the -barrack room, while himself qualifying for the rank of sergeant. The -revolutionary proposal to abolish corporals in the French Army rose out -of an idea that men resented being governed by one who had formerly -been a comrade with them, but could no longer be so regarded after he -had assumed authority over them. It is to be hoped that the proposal -will never be acted on, for the principle of entrusting matters of -individual tuition and supervision to the old soldiers takes no account -of personal worth or fitness for command.</p> - -<p>The life which the conscript must lead during his two years of service -is determined largely by the garrison to which he is drafted. Life in -a sunny and sleepy garrison town in the wine-growing district of the -south is—granted reasonable military conditions—quite ideal; the -monotony of the life spent in drill in a frontier fort tends to make -the conscript bad-tempered, while men stationed among the French hills -of the south and eastern frontiers gain most in the way of physical -fitness, and also, in their work of making new roads, clearing passes, -constructing frontier obstructions, ascertaining distances, and -carrying the heavy loads incidental to their work from point to point, -acquire a certain quality of mental celerity of which men stationed -in the sunny garrison towns of the south go free. But the various -attractions and drawbacks of the twenty great garrison towns, together -with their situation and special characteristics, are sufficient to -merit separate consideration.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</a></p> - -<p class="center">THE GREAT GARRISON TOWNS OF FRANCE</p> - - -<p>Paris, as capital of the Republic, first merits consideration among -the great garrison towns of France. It has the most extensive system -of fortifications in the world, and has had the doubtful privilege -of having undergone more sieges, burnings, and other military -experiments than most large cities can boast or mourn. The inner -line of fortifications was planned as far back as 1840, with a total -measurement of 22½ miles, but after the war of 1870 two main -lines of detached forts were erected in addition to those already in -existence, which formed the skeleton on which the more modern plan -is built. The older forts are those of St. Denis, Aubervilliers, -Romainville, Noisy, Resny, Nogent, Vincennes, Ivry, Bicêtre, Montrouge, -Vanves, Issy, and Mont Valérien; the new forts which completed the -scheme are those of Palaiseau, Villeras, Buc, and St. Cyr, which form -the Versailles portion of the scheme, and Marly, St. Jamme, and -Aidremont, round St. Germain. On the opposite side of the Seine are -situated forts Cormeillers, Domont, Montlignon, Montmorency, Écouen, -Stains, Vaujours, Villiers, and Villeneuve St. Georges. The Chatillon -fort occupies a position between the two lines, and is placed on the -site whence German batteries bombarded Paris during the siege of -1871, forming a proof of the wisdom displayed in the German choice -of position. The double line of forts thus disposed renders Paris as -nearly impregnable to the attack of an enemy as is possible under -modern military conditions.</p> - -<p>The total number of troops garrisoned in Paris in normal times is -about 25,000, and there are also about 4500 <i>gendarmerie</i>. Paris in -itself ranks as a separate military district of the Republic, and -is noteworthy as being the head-quarters of the Republican Guard, -practically the only body of picked men in the French military system, -and analogous with the Guards' Brigade of the British Army.</p> - -<p>Amiens, the head-quarters of the 2nd Army Corps, is a city of nearly -100,000 inhabitants, containing a cathedral which is generally -considered the finest existing example of Gothic architecture. Situated -eighty-one miles north of Paris, it is one of the principal points of -concentration for troops in the vicinity of the northern frontier, and -forms head-quarters for the departments of Aisne, Oise, Somme, and -parts of Seine-et-Oise and Seine. Although head-quarters of an Army -Corps, Amiens does not rank among the principal fortified posts of -France.</p> - -<p>Besançon, situated 243 miles south-east of Paris, ranks as a -first-class fortress, and is the head-quarters of the 7th Army Corps. -It is the centre of military administration for the departments of Ain, -Doubs, Haute-Marne, Haute-Saône, Jura, Belfort, and part of Rhône. It -is an ancient town containing Roman remains dating from the second -century of the Christian era, including an amphitheatre and triumphal -arch. Situated on the main line of rail from Dijon to Belfort, Besançon -is one of the centres of mobilisation for the defence of the eastern -frontier, and it is from this point that a good many of the first -line of troops were drafted to the area of recent conflict in Alsace -and Lorraine. In itself Besançon is a quiet and pleasant city on a -peninsula stretching out from the left bank of the river Doubs, and it -has a reputation as the principal watch-making centre of France.</p> - -<p>Bordeaux, the metropolis of south-western France, is 360 miles distant -from Paris by rail, and forms the head-quarters of the 18th Army Corps. -As one of the finest cities of France, and a coastal town, it is a -popular station among the troops, and serves as head-quarters for the -departments of Charente-Inférieure, Gironde, Landes, Basses-Pyrénées, -and Hautes-Pyrénées. The military history of Bordeaux dates back -to very ancient times, for it was sacked successively by Vandals, -Visigoths, Franks, and Norsemen, and attained to a period of peace -only at the middle of the twelfth century. As centre of one of the -principal wine-growing districts of France, it is as near climatic -perfection as the conscript can expect to get, though those who serve -in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées undergo more rigorous conditions -of weather. In addition to being a port of departure for trans-Atlantic -traffic, Bordeaux is a popular pleasure resort, and thus plenty of -amusements are within reach of the troops serving at head-quarters.</p> - -<p>Bourges, the head-quarters of the 8th Army Corps, is one of the -principal military stations of France, although not in itself a town of -very great importance. Its training establishments rank very highly in -the military life of the nation, including as they do a national cannon -foundry, very extensive engineering works, and schools of artillery and -pyrotechnics for the training of officers. Bourges is head-quarters -for the departments of Cher, Côte-d'Or, Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire, and -part of the department of Rhône. It is one of the chief arsenals of -the Republic, and occupies a position near the geographical centre -of France. The town dates back to Roman time, and had the doubtful -distinction of being destroyed by Julius Cæsar, at about the time of -his invasion of Britain.</p> - -<p>Châlons-sur-Marne has been a centre of conflict in most of the wars in -which France has been engaged from very early times. It was destroyed -by the Vandals, by Attila and his ruthless Huns, and by the Burgundians -in mediæval times, and is situated on a plain which has always been -considered an ideal battlefield, and has served that purpose throughout -the centuries up to the present day. It is the head-quarters of the -6th Army Corps, and is the military centre for the departments of -Ardennes, Aubes, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Marne, Meuse, and Vosges. It is -107 miles east of Paris by rail, and is one of the principal brewing -centres of France, the wine trade in which it used to be engaged having -gone northward to Rheims. In the scheme under which the French Army -is constituted, Châlons is one of the centres for early mobilisation -of troops of the first line with a view to the defence of the -north-eastern frontier.</p> - -<p>Clermont-Ferrand is head-quarters for the departments of Loire, -Haute-Loire, Allier, Cantal, Puy-de-Dôme, and part of the department -of Rhône. It is the head-quarters of the 13th Army Corps, and is a town -of about 55,000 inhabitants, situated 260 miles directly south of Paris -by rail. It may be regarded as one of the first centres of systematic -mobilisation of which France affords historical record, for at the end -of the eleventh century Peter the Hermit preached the first Crusade in -the church of Notre Dame at Clermont-Ferrand.</p> - -<p>Grenoble, dominated by Mont Rachais, a hill rising nearly 3500 -feet above sea-level, ranks as a first-class fortress, and is the -military centre for the departments of Hautes-Alpes, Drôme, Isère, -Savoie, Haute-Savoie, and part of the department of Rhône. It is the -head-quarters of the 14th Army Corps, and is one of the most beautiful -of French cities. In consequence of this it is a well patronised -tourist centre, and as such is a popular station among the conscripts.</p> - -<p>Le Mans, the military centre for the departments of Eure-et-Loire, -Orne, Mayenne, Sarthe, and parts of the departments of Seine-et-Rise -and Seine, is situated 131 miles W.S.W. from Paris by rail, and -has historical associations with Richard Cœur de Lion and Henry -II of England, having been the birthplace of the latter. It is the -head-quarters of the 4th Array Corps, and has a population of about -65,000, including the garrison of about 5500. It was a walled city -of the Roman Empire in the third century, and has undergone sieges -by the dozen from mediæval times onward. It was one of the centres -of conflict in the internecine strife between Bendean and Republican -troops at the time of the Revolution, while in 1870 it was the scene of -a French defeat. Its cathedral contains the tomb of an English queen, -Lion-hearted Richard's consort, and the town is one of great historic -interest.</p> - -<p>Lille, the military centre for the departments of Nord and -Pas-de-Calais, is the head-quarters of the 1st Army Corps, and is in -the centre of one of the most thickly populated manufacturing districts -of France. It is situated 153 miles north of Paris, and up to a few -years ago ranked as a first-class fortress town, but, on account of -its great commercial importance, and the manufacturing character -of the district in which it is situated, it was decided that Lille -should be regarded as an open town, and not subject to bombardment. -The nature of the country in which Lille is situated and the density -of population may be judged from the fact that it forms a military -centre for two departments only, instead of for four or five, as in the -case of other head-quarters garrison towns. The old fortifications -of Lille have been converted into boulevards; under the old scheme of -defence the works were so constructed that large areas in the vicinity -of the citadel could be placed under water, in case of attack. As -French cities go, Lille is comparatively modern, dating back only to -<span class="smcap">a.d.</span> 1030, when Count Baldwin IV walled in the village from -which the present prosperous town of nearly 200,000 inhabitants has -sprung.</p> - -<p>Limoges, the military centre for the departments of Charente, Corrèze, -Creuse, Dordogne, and Haute-Vienne, is situated about 250 miles S.S.W. -of Paris by rail. It is the head-quarters of the 12th Army Corps, and -even at the time of the Roman conquest was a place of importance, -having contributed 10,000 men to the defence of Alesia against the -Roman invasion. During the Hundred Years' War it sustained alternate -sieges by French and English, and from the time of John of England to -that of the Black Prince it was under threat to fire and sword, to -which the Black Prince gave it up after taking the town by assault. -Remains of a Roman fountain and amphitheatre still exist in the town, -of which the present population is about 85,000.</p> - -<p>Marseilles is the military centre for the departments of Basses-Alpes, -Alpes-Maritimes, Corse, Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, Var, and -Ardèche. It is the head-quarters of the 15th Army Corps, and is a naval -station as well. It has been a place of commercial importance from -the earliest days, and, situated as it is in one of the healthiest -districts of France, as well as being on the coast, it forms an ideal -military station. In former times it was subject to epidemic diseases -on account of the sub-tropical nature of the climate, but modern -methods of sanitation have neutralised this drawback, and Marseilles is -now as pleasant a place as any that a conscript can hope for in order -to undergo his term of service. It is the principal port of France, -and as such is strongly fortified, but its fortifications belong to -the naval administration of the Republic. Historically, Marseilles -dates back to the year 600 <span class="smcap">b.c.</span>, when the Greeks established -a colony here. It passed to Roman rule at the time of the invasion of -Gaul and became connected with, among other notable Romans, Petronius, -the arbiter of elegance at Nero's court. Throughout the Middle Ages -Marseilles enjoyed a semi-independence, and it has always played a -prominent part in the history of the Mediterranean sea-board.</p> - -<p>Montpellier, the head-quarters of the 16th Army Corps, is the military -centre for the departments of Aude, Aveyron, Hérault, Lozère, Tarn, -and Pyrénées-Orientales. It is about 480 miles south of Paris, -and about seven miles distant from the Mediterranean, from which -it is divided by the lagoons of Perols and l'Arnel. The town is of -comparatively late formation as towns go in France, having become a -place of note only in the eighth century. It is a wine and brandy -centre, and is also engaged in silk works, and, owing to its situation, -enjoys a congenial climate. The population is upwards of 80,000.</p> - -<p>Nantes, the head-quarters of the 11th Army Corps, is known as the -most populous town of Brittany, and is the military centre for the -departments of Finistère, Loire-Inférieure, Morbihan, and Vendée. It -is situated about 27 miles from the sea and about 250 miles from Paris -by rail. The population is about 140,000, and from an historical point -of view Nantes is one of the most interesting of French cities. Its -name is derived from its having been the chief city of the Nannetes, an -ancient Gallic tribe, and under the Romans the city became one of the -principal centres of Western Gaul, having retained its prominence up -to the present day. It has seen many sieges and assaults, and was the -last city of France to surrender to Henry IV of France, who signed here -the famous edict that gave Protestants equal rights with Catholics for -nearly a hundred years. Many notable Frenchmen owned Nantes as their -birthplace, among them Jules Verne and several famous French generals. -Unto the present day the Bretons of Nantes and the surrounding district -retain their distinct peculiarities of character, forming for France -what East Anglia forms for England, and Norman influence, combined with -Celtic origin, is evident in the people of the country. The Breton, -by the way, makes a fine soldier, having more of doggedness than the -usual Frenchman to combine with the dash and agility of body and mind -characteristic of the Latin races.</p> - -<p>Orleans, the head-quarters of the 5th Army Corps, is the military -centre for the departments of Loiret, Loire-et-Cher, Seine-et-Marne, -Yonne, part of Seine-et-Oise and part of Seine. It is situated 75 miles -south-west of Paris by rail, and has a population of about 60,000, -including its garrison. As the capital of a separate kingdom, Orleans -enjoyed great prominence throughout the Middle Ages, and it is always -remembered for its associations with the soldier-maid of France, Jeanne -d'Arc. One of the principal artillery schools of the Army is situated -here. An ancient Celtic centre, the town was renamed in the period of -Roman occupation, and was a flourishing city as early as the fifth -century. It was vainly besieged by Attila and the Huns, taken by -Clovis, and held against the English at the time when Jeanne brought -reinforcements to the garrison and compelled the raising of the siege. -The long wars between Huguenots and Catholics brought more strife to -Orleans, and in the revolutionary period it suffered severely, while -it was occupied by the Prussians both in 1815 and in 1870, numerous -battles being fought in its vicinity during the last-mentioned war. It -is worthy of note that a Duke of Orleans, a member of the old royal -family of France, served in the British Army in the reign of Victoria.</p> - -<p>Rennes, the ancient capital of Brittany, is the head-quarters of the -10th Army Corps, and the site of a large arsenal in addition to the -barracks, while it is the military centre for the departments of -Côtes-du-Nord, Manche, and Ille-et-Vilaine. In the early part of the -eighteenth century the town was almost destroyed by fire, a catastrophe -that is not even yet forgotten; while as the birthplace of Boulanger, -who introduced many reforms into the French Army and was largely -responsible for its efficiency in recent years, Rennes is peculiarly -connected with military matters. It may be remembered, by the way, that -the second Dreyfus trial was held here in 1899. The population of the -town is about 75,000, and it is 51 miles south-east of St. Malo and 232 -miles west-south-west of Paris. Historically, Rennes was the centre of -several Roman roads which are still recognisable, and in mediæval times -it suffered greatly from the wars between French and English. In the -revolutionary period the Republican Army made Rennes their centre for -the operations against the Vendeans, but it has no later prominence in -connection with military history.</p> - -<p>Rouen, 87 miles north-west of Paris by rail, is the head-quarters of -the 3rd Army Corps, is the ancient capital of Normandy, and military -centre for the departments of Calvados, Eure, Seine-Inférieure, and -parts of Seine-et-Oise and of Seine. It has a population of about -120,000, including the garrison, and is a town of narrow, picturesque -streets and of old-world dignity and interest. Here William the -Conqueror died and Jeanne d'Arc was burned—a statue commemorates -the latter event in the town. Although 78 miles from the sea, Rouen -is one of the principal French ports, the bed of the Seine having -been deepened from the sea to the city by an ingenious system of -embankments, which forced the river to deepen its own bed rather than -extend its width—and military labour went far toward the construction -of the embankments.</p> - -<p>Toulouse, the head-quarters of the 17th Army Corps, is the military -centre for the departments of Ariege, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Lot, -Lot-et-Garonne, and Tarn-et-Garonne. The town is peculiarly liable to -great floods, and those of 1855, which swept away the suspension bridge -of St. Pierre, and of 1875, which destroyed 7000 houses and drowned -300 people, are still remembered in the city. It is situated 478 miles -south of Paris and 160 miles south-east from Bordeaux, and, with a -population of about 150,000, ranks as the metropolis of Southern France.</p> - -<p>Tours, the head-quarters of the 9th Army Corps, is situated 145 -miles south-west from Paris by rail, and is the military centre for -the departments of Maine-et-Loire, Indre-et-Loire, Deux-Sèvres, and -Vienne. Under the Gauls it was the capital of the Turones, from whom it -derived the name which it still bears, and traces of Roman occupation -still remain in the form of the ancient amphitheatre. After the fall -of Roman power, Tours was fortified against barbarian invasion, and -subsequently it was closely connected with the great names of French -history, notably those of Clovis, who presented rich gifts to the -church at Tours out of the spoils won from Alaric and the Goths, and -with Charlemagne, who disciplined its monasteries. Few towns surpass -Tours in historic interest, and it is noteworthy in modern times, as -the birthplace of Balzac and the two Marshals Boucicaut. In 1870 the -government of the national defence was established at Tours, and the -Third Republic may thus be said to have had its birth here.</p> - -<p>No list of the great garrisons of France would be complete without a -reference to Verdun and Toul, the ends of the great chain of fortresses -which defend the eastern frontier. Toul, 14 miles to the west of Nancy, -is the centre of a vast network of entrenchments and defences, and the -hills surrounding the town are crowned with forts which command all the -country within range to the east. A series of forts, echeloning along -the ridge of the Meuse, connect Toul with Verdun, and forms a defensive -line which is only equalled in strength by the defences of Paris, as -far as the French military defensive system is concerned. Verdun, at -the northern end of the line of frontier defences, is surrounded by a -ring of detached forts, eleven in number, and occupying a circumference -of 25 miles. Since the loss of Metz to Germany, Verdun has been so -strengthened as to form the most formidable fortress in France.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2"><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</a></p> - -<p class="center">SOME EFFECTS. ACTIVE SERVICE</p> - - -<p>One of the principal effects of a conscript system such as that of -France is that the great majority of the population of the country -is characterised by fixed habits and ideas with regard to the way in -which work should be done. The Latin races are all marked by a certain -flexibility and dexterity of mind, a quickness of apprehension which -is absent, for the most part, from other Caucasian stock, and military -training increases this and applies it to physical use as well as to -mental qualities. The conscript, back in civilian life at the end of -his training, is to be compared to the sailor of the British Navy in -many respects; he has learned a certain handiness, a dexterity in -connection with his daily work, and it is a lesson that stays with him, -as a rule, to the end of his life.</p> - -<p>While military service alters, it does not create; the stolid -Breton—stolid by comparison with the men of central and Southern -France, remains stolid as before he went up for training, for the -Army has grafted on him nothing that is new—it has merely added to -his knowledge and developed, in the way of characteristics, what was -already there. But the Breton is the better for his two years—without -them he would be a very stolid and unimaginative person indeed, and -he has learned to stir himself, to make the best of himself and the -work that is his to perform. Similarly the traditional Frenchman, -coming from the wine-growing districts of the south, and a hot-headed -and impetuous individual, has his eccentricities modified, for -hot-headedness does not pay in military service, and this man has -learned to control himself just as the Breton has acquired a little -more rapidity of movement. Yet the individual characteristics of the -two types remain; personal traits have been modified by discipline, but -not destroyed, for while the Army of the Republic creates nothing, it -also annihilates nothing. The men have been moulded to a pattern, but -they are the same men in essence, with no quality removed altogether. -Usually, they are vastly improved.</p> - -<p>Especially is this last true of the many youths who think—it is a -common failing of youth—that they know everything and are capable -of all things. The Army modifies their self-conceit; it teaches -them that they are but as other men, needing to learn. It first of -all destroys the unhealthy growth of unjustifiable self-confidence, -reducing these men to utter self-abasement; then, on this foundation, -the Army and the training it involves gradually build up, not a belief -in self-powers, but a knowledge of the capacities and powers of self, -of their limitations as well as their extent. The braggart who goes to -his military training comes back chastened and, if he still boasts, -it is of things that he is really capable of doing, knowledge that he -has actually obtained—he makes no claims that he cannot justify, as a -rule. This much the Army of France does for the men who pass through it -and back to their normal tasks in life.</p> - -<p>The life of the conscripts has been charged with blunting the finer -sensibilities of those who have to undergo its rigours, but the -charge cannot be allowed. For one might as well say that the engineer -is rendered incapable of appreciating music, or the doctor has no -conception of the beauty of a garden, by reason of the mathematical -nature of the work accomplished by the one and the physical -repulsiveness of much that the other has to perform. The Army and the -training that it involves never injured a Frenchman yet, so long as the -laws governing the Army received proper interpretation. In the end of -the last century there were injustices prevalent both among men and -officers, but the world and France gain wisdom with experience; the -Republican Army as at present constituted is a growth of only forty -years, and its predecessor, the Army of Napoleon the futile, showed by -the war of 1870 what an immense amount of reform was necessary before -French arms could regain their lustre. In the history of an army, forty -years is a very short time, and, rather than cavil at the slowness with -which reforms have been accomplished, it is due to France that one -should admire the way in which the Army has been built up from so sorry -a foundation into the great and effective machine of to-day.</p> - -<p>In civilian France, military ways persist. Habits of neatness and -method, and accuracy in trifles, attest the military training that men -have undergone. The very step of a Frenchman walking is reminiscent -of the days when he was taught to march, and he has a respect for -and knowledge of firearms which the average civilian of English -life—unless he be addicted to some form of sport—never acquires. The -Frenchman is never at a loss with a sporting gun, knows better than -to point the weapon at the head of another man when loading, and in -other ways betrays familiarity with the tool of a craft—one that many -Englishmen regard as something to be handled carelessly or passed by -as a thing of mystery. This is given only as an instance of the many -ways in which the conscript system modifies men, for there are many -ways in which modifications are effected. Some students of the subject -question whether the French flexuousness and adaptability are results -of the military system of the Republic or whether they are ingrained in -the race independently of military training. Since practically every -citizen is a soldier, this is a point that cannot be easily determined, -but there can be no doubt that the characteristics in question are -increased by military service.</p> - -<p>Every Frenchman who has passed through the Army is in possession of -a little book which he guards most jealously, since in that book are -inserted full particulars of his term of service with the colours, and -all things relating to his military history, as well as details of his -duties in case of mobilisation of the Army. The little book of the -ex-conscript is to him what "marriage lines" are to a woman—except -that the ex-conscript incurs penalties if he loses his book, while -the woman who loses her "marriage lines" can always get another copy -as long as the register containing particulars of the ceremony is in -existence.</p> - -<p>It must be understood that, in case of need arising for the -mobilisation of the Army, the body of men brought to the colours is -so great that some system must be followed in bringing them on to a -war footing. The little book contains particulars of the place at -which the conscript on the reserve is to report himself, together -with the day of mobilisation on which he will be required to join the -colours—the actual mobilisation is spread over a period of days, in -order that some men—the first line troops—may be drafted out to their -posts before the rest come in. When the order for mobilisation has -been given out—by the ringing of bells, proclamation by criers, and -in various other ways—the reservist immediately consults his little -book, and ascertains on what date he will have to present himself to -the authorities, and at what station he is expected to rejoin. His wife -or his mother or sister cooks him food for the day of his going, and, -after a prayer at some wayside shrine or in some sanctuary, and perhaps -an offering vowed to the Virgin or to the patron saint, the citizen -sets out to become a soldier again. August, 1914, was the first time -of complete mobilisation in the history of the Third Republic, and the -system under which the men were gathered back to the colours worked -smoothly in all its details. There was no confusion anywhere; to each -man his place, to each unit its place, and the Army Corps went out to -the Belgian frontier or to the edge of the provinces that slope down -toward the Rhine, with ominous celerity, and with those interminable -regimental songs sounding as they sound when men go out to manœuvres -at the end of the soldiers' year. The hour for which this Army had been -prepared had come, and the Army was found ready to meet the hour.</p> - -<p>Although the effective strength of the French Army, when the last man -has been armed and placed in the field, is about 4,800,000 men, it -must not be supposed that the Republic maintains all these numbers as -a fighting force in the field throughout the campaign. About a million -and a half of men go out as the "first line," and from those who remain -this line is strengthened as and where required. It has become clear -since the battle of the Marne that almost a second army was collected -under the shelter of the Paris forts to reinforce the retreating line -of men who fell back from the Belgian frontier, and in this connection -it may be noted that the traditional French method of conducting war is -with sixty per cent of the men in the firing line, and the remaining -forty per cent in rear as reserves. France's conduct of the war against -Germany has shown that this method of fighting—diametrically opposed -to the German conception of war—is still being adhered to, and the -troops in the firing line by no means compose the whole of the French -striking force.</p> - -<p>As to active service in the French Army, the general English view -is that the French soldier, with the exception of the Algerian -garrison, sees no service outside European bounds, and the deeds of -French soldiers are ignored as regards French colonial possessions -and expeditions. In the expedition to Tonquin, to which reference -has already been made in connection with the Foreign Legion of the -French Army, there were deeds done by individuals and by regiments -that are worthy of memory besides the brilliant exploits of our own -Army. It is not only to the war in the Crimea and the present campaign -that we must look for evidence of the indomitable courage that the -French undoubtedly possess, but also to service on the French colonial -battlefields, in Chinese swamps and African wilds.</p> - -<p>The present campaign has proved that French soldiers are capable of -retreating in good order when strategy renders a retreat necessary—a -feat hitherto deemed impossible to the army whose sole strength was -supposed to consist in its power of impetuous attack. The retreat -from the Belgian frontier has rendered necessary a reconstruction of -ideas as regards French psychology, and has shown that the training -imposed on the conscripts of France in time of peace was the best that -could be applied. Just as in the field the best general is the best -psychologist, so in time of peace the best administration is that -which, regardless of criticism of its methods, prepares its men most -effectively for war, selecting the form of training to be applied in -a way that takes into consideration the mental characteristics and -temperament of the material required to be trained. The merits of the -form of training selected can only be determined by the effectiveness -of the trained material in action, and, granting these things, the -conduct of the French Army in the present campaign is a splendid -vindication of the peace training of that Army. The first stages of -the war have been all against the French way of fighting—the way in -which the French soldier is supposed to exhibit himself at his best; -yet in retreat, and in action approximating in length and tedium to the -monotony and continued exertion of siege warfare, the French soldier -has given his commanders cause for pride.</p> - -<p>Let it be remembered that the men who are fighting the battles of -France, and of all civilisation, on French soil in these closing months -of 1914 are not like the veterans with whom Napoleon won his battles. -The wars of the Napoleonic era, lasting for years as they did, brought -into the field a host of trained men—trained in war by the practice -of war, rather than by experiments under peace conditions; from the -time of the Revolution onward there were sufficient veteran soldiers, -seasoned in real warfare, to stiffen the ranks of any army that might -be raised to attack—neither to retreat nor to defend, but to attack -in accordance with French tradition. The Army of the Republic to-day -is made up of men who have had two years' training apiece (with the -exception of the small percentage of <i>re-engagés</i>, who also have had -no war service) under peace conditions, and who for the most part have -never seen a shot fired in anger, as the phrase goes. Yet out of this -semi-raw material (semi-raw as far as war experience goes) France has -raised an Army which may without exaggeration be termed magnificent, -an Army that has kept the field under harder circumstances than those -which brought about the surrender of Sedan, an Army that no more knows -when it is beaten than does the British force fighting by its side.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The French Army From Within, by Anonymous - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRENCH ARMY FROM WITHIN *** - -***** This file should be named 53417-h.htm or 53417-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/4/1/53417/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, Graeme Mackreth and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from images made available by the -HathiTrust Digital Library.) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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