TRENCH 215 FRENCH EST. IN INDIA FRENCH, DANIEL CHESTER, an American sculptor; born in Exeter, N. H., April 20, 1850; was educated in Boston and in Florence, Italy; had stu- dios in Boston and Concord, N. H., in 1878-1887, and in New York City in 1887-1900. His principal works include "The Minute Man of Concord"; statues of General Cass, Rufus Choate, John Harvard, and Thomas Starr King; "Dr. Gallaudet and His First Deaf Mute Pupil"; "Statue of the Republic"; the Milmore Memorial, etc. Consult Caffin's "American Masters of Sculpture." FRENCH, VISCOUNT JOHN DEN- TON PINKSTONE, British general, son of a British naval officer, born at Rip- ple Vale, Kent, England, in 1852. He began his career in the Royal Navy as a midshipman, which he entered in 1866, but eight years later he was VISCOUNT FRENCH transferred to the Army. He saw serv- ice in the Sudan with the Nineteenth Hussars, during 1884-1885. In 1889 he had reached the rank of colonel. In 1893-1894 he was Assistant Adjutant- General of Cavalry on the General Staff, and during 1895-1897 he was an assistant adjutant-general at Army Headquarters. In 1899 he became Major- General, commanding the cavalry divi- sion in Natal during the Boer War operations, and had command of oper- ations around Colesberg, from Novem- ber, 1899, to January 31, 1900. His cavalry assisted in the relief of Kim- berley. In 1907, having now attained the full rank of General, he became In- .spector-General of the Home Forces. In 1913 he was made Field Marshal, but early in 1914 he resigned, on ac- count of friction with the Liberal As- quith Cabinet over the Government's military policy in Ireland. At the out- break of the World War he immedi- ately proffered his services and was placed in command of the British ex- peditionary forces sent to France. In the beginning of December, 1915, he was relieved of his command at his own instance and appointed to the com- mand of the home forces. He was given a viscountcy in recognition of his long and faithful services. Nevertheless, there had been much criticism of the ability he had displayed in his com- mand in France. In 1918 he was ap- pointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. FRENCH EQUATORIAL AFRICA, or FRENCH CONGO, a French pos- session in west central Africa extending from the Atlantic Coast to the Congo river. The boundary prior to the World War was most irregular, being di- vided at two points by the German Kamerun, but by the Treaty of Versailles Germany ceded these regions to France. A large section of the land is still un- explored and it is only possible to esti- mate of its area; this is about 700,000 square miles with an estimated popula- tion of approximately 11,000,000. The land is very fertile, its numerous and large river valleys being capable of sup- porting a vast population. The climate is, however, unhealthful for Europeans and the population consists almost en- tirely of negroes. In the forests the gorilla and chimpanzee are found and along the rivers crocodiles abound. The most valuable product is rubber and the costly woods that come from the trop- ical forests. The exports are chiefly these and coffee. The mineral resources are believed to be extensive, particularly in the mountainous southern region. French Equatorial Africa is divided into three colonies, Gabun, Middle Congo, and Ubangi-Shari. The three are united for administi-ative purposes un- der a governor-general, who is assisted by a secretary-general and a council of government. FRENCH ESTABLISHMENTS IN INDIA. Territories in India which still belong to France. They are very small, their total extent being but 197 square miles, with an estimated population of 270,000. They are the French colonies of Chandernagore, Pondicherry, Kari- kal, Mahe, and Yanaon. The imports before the World War were valued
