Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/908

 856 FRANCE

those maintained in Algeria, Tunis, and Morocco are included in the budget of the Minister for the Colonies. The Metropolitan Army will be divided into the Active Army, the Reserve Troops and the Territorial Army. The Army, with the exception of the Armies of occupation will be localised and territorialised in 20 districts. The Active Army is organised in Army Corps and Cavalry Divisions, the post-war composition of these has not yet been determined, but the normal war organisation, which will probably be retained, was 2 divisions to an army corps ; each division contained 2 brigades and each brigade 2 infantry regiments of 3 battalions. The amount of artillery to be attached to each division and army corps was not decided at the end of 1920. The Reserve Troops form divisions corresponding to those in the Active Army on mobilisation, in the same districts as those to which the Active divisions belong. The Territorial Army forms a second line and is similarly organised in divisions on mobilisation. The Customs Corps is organised in battalions as are the Chasseurs Forestiers, these are both recruited from men who have passed into the Territorial Army.

The Gendarmerie is a police force recruited from the Army but performing civil duties in time of peace. There is a legion in each military district. The pre-war strength of the Gendarmerie was 21,700, of whom about half weve mounted.

The Garde Ripublicaine is also a police force and performs duties in Paris similar to those performed by the Gendarmerie in the districts.

The Colonial Army is distinct from the Metropolitan, and consists partly of white troops and partly of native troops. The Colonial white troops are recruited either bv voluntary enlistment, or by voluntary trans- fer from the Metropolitan Army. It is proposed to maintain 2 Army Corps in North Africa, at Algiers and Rabat, one of these to be Colonial Troops. The normal pre-war Colonial garrisons, except for North Africa, amounted to 19,000 white and 40,000 native troops. The total white overseas garrisons provided by France before the war amounted to 75,000 men.

The administration of the French Army consists of a General Staff and of a number of departments, all under the War Minister. In questions of strategy and of higher military policy the War Minister is assisted by a Council called the Lonseil Supirieur de la Guerre, consisting of himself as President and twelve selected generals.

In September, 1919, it was decided that the uniform of the Army should be the horizon-blue dress with kepi. The Chasseurs or Light Infantry battalions were, however, permitted to keep their distinctive dark bine uniform. Khaki was adopted for Colonial and North African troops.

The French infantry is armed with the Lebel magazine rille : calibre '315. The French field gun is the 7"5 cm. (2*05 in.) Q.f\, shielded gun. The French howitzer is the 10'5 cm. (3'35 in.) howitzer, and as the result of the war the French Array possesses a large variety of heavy guns of all calibres.

Navy.

The personnel of the French Navy was demobilized even more rapidly than thatol'the army. The naval establishments have sdnee undergone a great revision, and with reduced personnel, the work has been slow. Tin* position is not yet normal. Reduced expenditure was demanded, and. in inspecting and reconditioning the ships and vessels attention was devoted chiefly to the flotillas. It was decided to discontinue all work on the super-Dread- uoughts of the Normandie class, and they will not be completed.. The inclusion of ex-enemy light cruisers, destroyers, and submarines in the