The French Army, again, under the stress of war has
developed into one of the noblest and toughest fighting forces that the world has ever seen. The armies of the First Republic and of Napoleon could show no finer body of men
than those who are now guarding the national frontiers from Flanders to the Vosges. Nor is the process over. Every week adds to the fighting power of France. The same may be said of Russia. No doubt she has met with extraordinary difficulties in the manufacture of material and is still struggling with those difficulties, but the human product, both for quantity and quality, has far exceeded the highest expectations. Some seven million men have joined the colours, and another seven million are said to be ready waiting for the call. Lastly, the Italian Army has added well over a million men of excellent fighting quality to the armies of the Allies. No one who knew the Italians expected them to do otherwise than well, but here again they have far exceeded expectation. The mountain fighting on the northern and eastern frontiers of Italy has shed glory upon the whole Italian nation.
