On Monday in the French Senate consternation was caused by
the statement of M. Charles Humbert, who submitted his Report on the vote for materiel for the Army :— " Forts," he said (we quote from the Times summary), "were defective in structure ; guns lacked ammunition, and the men were without boots. There was no provision for the defence of fortifi- cations against attacks from the air, and the wireless installation for communicating from fort to fort was inadequate. When the German wireless installation at Metz was working the Verdun station ceased to receive messages. The French artillery was rapidly falling behind that of Germany. So-called improvements were themselves almost obsolete by the time they had been dis- cussed and adopted. As fur the boots of the Army, the supply was two million pairs short of requirements. If war broke out the men would have to take the field with one pair of boots, and only one reserve boot in their knapsacks, and that one thirty years old."
M. Messimy, the Minister for War, begged for time to consider his reply, but amid much excitement M. Clemenceau insisted that an instant reply was necessary. It was accordingly decided to sit on Tuesday, the national fête day.
