The messages sent by pigeons were at first written in very small handwriting, but afterwards they were photographed in microscopical minuteness, so that a very large number could be carried by one pigeon. These photomicrographs were projected on to a screen by means of an optical lantern to read and transcribe the messages when received in Paris. The films were placed in tubes attached to the pigeon's tail. One pigeon arriving in Paris January 28, 1871, delivered 40,400 messages by this means. The later and more peaceful history of France has been typified on its stamps by M. Jules Sage's allegory (_Fig._ 143) representing Peace clasping hands with Commerce across the world by means of the post, and by the late M. Roty's pleasing Semeuse or Sower design (_Fig._ 144). [Illustration: 143 144] By a law promulgated February 9, 1900, a long discussed project to allow soldiers and sailors serving with the colours a limited free postage was brought into operation. Each man coming under the description was allowed to send two letters a month free, and by another law of December 29, 1900, the _Franchise Militaire_ stamp system was introduced. These were at first the then current 15 centimes stamps with the overprint F.M. (_Fig._ 145); their distribution is in the hands of the military authorities, who allow two stamps a month to each private or non-commissioned officer in the Army and Navy, enabling them to send two letters not exceeding 20gr. free of postage. The two types of the 15 centimes "Rights of Man" issue exist with the F.M. overprint, issued in 1901 and 1903 respectively (_Figs._ 145, 146), and the succeeding Sower type (_Fig._ 147) appeared in 1904. When the French inland postage rate was reduced from 15 centimes to 10 centimes, April 16, 1906, the 10 centimes stamps were overprinted F.M. instead of the 15 centimes, two of the Sower types of 10 centimes value receiving the overprint F.M. respectively in 1906 and 1907 (_Figs._ 148, 149). Since January 30, 1912, these stamps have been used on the official correspondence of the French civil service as well as by the military. [Illustration: 145 146 147 148 149] After forty years the fair fields of France are once again ravaged by the German invaders, and already our allies across the channel have issued special stamps which serve the double purpose of denoting postage and of collecting small contributions to the French Red Cross. The following is the official decree: Le Président de la République Française. Sur le rapport du Ministre du Commerce, de l'Industrie, des Postes et des Télégraphes, Décrète: Article premier.--Il est créé un timbre-poste spécial, dénommé "Timbre de la Croix-Rouge Française." Le public aura la faculté, dans le régime interieur seulement, d'utiliser ce timbre qui vaudra affranchissement jusqu'à concurrence de 10 centimes seulement.