The German Military Staff, when in earnest, are wonderfully frank.
A writer in the Militar Woehenblatt, known to repre- sent their opinion, defends the new Army Bill, declaring that in the event of the great war the Russian army is so superior to that of Austria-Hungary that Germany would have to help her on the eastern frontier, while fighting France herself on the western, with the assistance only of part of the Italian army, brought np through the Tyrol. Italy would not be able to invade France, and would have the greatest difficulty in defending her own coasts against an attack from the French fleet. Germany, therefore, would be nearly alone, while she would have to face a France very different from the France of 1870. " The conquered always learn more from the experience than the conquerors do." It would be impossible to enter France without carrying part of her line of fortresses ; and Russia also can fall back on fortresses, while she is de- fended by the character of her territory, which baffled even Napoleon. It is indispensable, therefore, that Ger- many should put her whole population in the field, and thus avail herself of her superiority in population, a superiority of quite ten millions over France. This is very plain speaking, and is certainly free from any taint of boastfulness, the ex- traordinary advance made by France being fully recognised.
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