M. Maurice Berteaux may, however, make his mark in the
reorganisation of the Army. Though by training a stock- broker, in which capacity he has accumulated a great fortune, he was early recognised in the Chamber as a man of the first force ; rapidly took the lead, though a strong Radical, or "Socialist," on all questions of military finance; fought on the liberal side in the Dreyfus case ; and is said by the Times Paris correspondent to have extorted from his Conservative opponents an admission of his competence. He will, it is known, continue the policy of making the Army Republican ; and has, it is reported, already begun by sending most of the Staff of the War Office back to their regiments. If the accounts of his capacity are correct, he is evidently destined to play a great part in French politics, and may possibly become even a European figure. It is, we suppose, the first time that a stockbroker has had a chance of playing such a role ; though why a stockbroker should not be a great politician as much as an advocate like Gambetta or a littgrateur like Thiers we do not know.
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