BEFORE THE WAR.
Recruiting, General Effective', Budget.— The law of 7 Aug. 1913, called uthe three years service bill') ratified the principle of obligatory and equal service for all French citizens. Serv ice is contracted for 28 years, viz. three years with the active army (this time is all passed under the colors), 11 years in the Active Army Reserve, comprising two periods of training; the first of 23 days and the second of 17• days; seven years in the Territorial Army with one period of training of nine days, and seven years in the Territorial Army reserve, the men in this category taking part in reviews and eventually in sentry work on lines of com munication. The are divided into parts: men fit for active service and men only apt for auxiliary service. Voluntary enlist ments can be contracted by youths attaining their 18th year. Up to a figure fixed by the War Office young men possessing a certificate for military aptitude granted to them for efficiency may contract a three years' enlistment which will enable them to be discharged sooner from active service. Enlistments may be made, moreover, for four and five years, and, in case of war, for the duration of hostilities. Men undergoing their military training period may re-enlist for a total duration of 15 years. In the Gendar merie and in certain special services re-enlist ments may be contracted beyond this period. The age limits are 55 years for the Gendar merie and 60 years for special services. The ad vantages derived by the men contracting re enlistments consist in better pay, premiums and pensions. The pension is granted after 25 years' service. A proportional pension is allowed after 15 years.
The Colonial troops are formed of young men demanding such service, voluntary enlist ments, re-enlisted men and young men residing in the colonies. Special privileges are granted to the enlisted and re-enlisted men in gory. The Algerian native troops are by enlistments and re-enlistments and r.
of classes (calls to the colors) wherein r 1 ciple of replacement is allowed.
The black troops of West Africa recruited by by enlistments and re-enlistrac by properly authorized calls accordin local customs. The census taken hi France showed a population of 39.6013C figure for the colonies, for the sane e was about 60,000,000. In 1912 the. 314,369 conscripts, from which had ducted a number of men unfit for serozii previously rejected and men who hae contracted enlistments, which reduced ber to 240,502. The number of troops
not including colonial troops, was 28.319 _1 762,450 men and 187,317 horses. The le its for France in'1913 amounted to 4.73- • francs ($947,720,707). Of this sua. expenses accounted for 983,224,3715 ($196,644,875) for the arm and an ma 488,941,062 francs ($97,788,212) 12) for the High Command and Central A constitutional laws of Fri• vide that the army be placed under tht nal command of the President of the .. The War Minister is the acting cit Superior Board of the National Defm tree of 14 June 1913) examines all regarding the co-operation of the varioc.-4 istries. The Superior War Council src,:ei questions relating to the preparation e h is composed of the Minister for general staff and 10 generals selected high command in case of war. The staff of the army (decree 14 May I911, vided into two groups. The first grog; cerned with the preparation of war px second looks after current affairs. of the general staff is assisted by two s officers. The first of these, who is at of the first group, holds the rank c: general in time of war, the other at of the second group, remains at the ra., once the mobilization order is issued Under-Secretary of War (decree of 1914) is in charge of administrative ao The directing bodies are divided u; lows: The Board of Control prepares r1 get, centralizes the accounts, has an tive control over the infantry, cavalry, engineers, quartermaster, munitions ani tary services, over the Colonial troops questions dealing with the various services. The Technical Board, actin; :1,1 the direct authority of the War Ministr sponsible for unity of direction and frl: technical missions that may be confide The principal missions are: Inspection : airy,. unmounted artillery, batterie. !leering service, schools, aeronautics. biles, reserves, military preparation, etc nical committees and permanent or study those questions of ; important technical order. The vided into 21 regions as follows: 1. 2, Amiens; 3, Rouen; 4, Le Mans; 5, 6, Chalons; 7, Besancon; 8, Bourges; C. Tr 10, Rennes; 11, Nantes; 12, LimogesiV mont-Ferrand; 14, Lyons; 15, Montpellier; 17, Toulouse; 18, Bordery Algiers; 20, Nancy; 21, Epinal.