Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/279

1899.] further defended the establishment of the howitzer batteries proposed in the bill. Their present artillery had a flat trajectory and was intended to sweep the whole field of battle; but where the enemy sought cover from artillery fire it was necessary to have the howitzers, with their curved trajectory, in order to seek him out—a task which would give the guns with flat trajectory too much trouble.

After justifying the new organisation of the railway, ballooning, and telegraph troops, the minister proceeded to explain the position of the Government with reference to the two-years' service system. Experience had not yet shown whether the shortened term of service now in force for the infantry could be permanently adopted. It was true that it enabled them to catch their recruits early, so that the men were available for a longer period of their best years as Reserves. But the system had at first left them with a very inferior class of men who chose or who had to remain for a third year of service with the Colours; and it had deprived them of the old class of third-year' men, who furnished such admirable material for non-commissioned officers of the Reserve and of the Landwehr. The two-years' system also imposed very hard work on Army instructors. They were now going to try to remedy these disadvantages by offering to the men, as an inducement to remain with the Colours for a third year, the exemption for a corresponding period from their liability to be called out for training during their time with the Reserves. In the meantime (that is, till 1904) they would maintain the two-years' system. In conclusion, the War Minister gave some unfavourable statistics as to the number of those recruits who entered the service as convicted criminals. The numbers of this class had increased between 1882 and 1897 by 82 per cent.

The following interesting statement was also made by the Minister in the course of the debate as to the Armies of France and Russia: "The French Army has greatly improved in discipline and marching power, and is a match for the German Army, but its artillery is insufficient. The value of the Russian Army has also considerably increased. Not a single man had been withdrawn from the frontiers, but its guns are not yet adequate. As regards field guns, Germany's preponderance is so immense that she has nothing to fear for some time to come. The whole Russian Army is now armed with the new rifle, and the shooting of the Russian soldiers is considerably improved. The fire discipline of the French Army is excellent. The Lebel rifle is inferior to the German one in velocity; but, on the whole, all the small-bore rifles are of the same value. The French term of service is not likely to be altered, since the one-year's service is a privilege granted to numerous classes, and would be abandoned if two years' service were introduced. A great deal has been done for the training of the higher French officers. It is probable that the French