Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-09
EUROPE'S BALANCE OF POWER.

why Germany. having lost hopelessly the
support of Turkey in Europe-no longer
q power in Europe-should see rise before
her the phantom OF the Slav. Hence
Germany's sudden and feverish haste To
augment her army.
The German law Of 1905 decreed that
s she attain to0sns % tine e1 VA.
creed that the effective should attain
5l5,QOO. BY reason OF the Franco-Ger-
man crisis In 1911 the new law Of 1912
raised the effective (by 1919 to ~. 600.
teers of one year, 5000 non-commission-
ed officers. 5000 officers and 1000 other
officers. a total Of 725.000. Now this
total. which should have been attained In
1915. has already been reached On 1919.
In a word, for the army as for the fleet.
Germany has broken her own record ami
abridged the delays that We're accorded
her.
The project OF present increase Is to be
presented in the form Of another quin-
quennat, or five years. In which Ger
many's army will be increased by l1S.0oo
plus 5000 recruits. a total Of 965. 900.
This increase will cost Germany very
dear. at least 1sOOOO.000 marks. or 49,
10000 of permanent annual expense.
VIII the financial question which has al
ready disturbed the people most seri-
ously prevent the government from pass
Ing its proposition In the reichstag? Not
for moment. Experience shows tina;
In recent years. in all military questions.
the German socialists. the only real op-
position, vote all military appropriations
without question.
The German army. therefore. in a few
months or weeks will exceed the peace
footing of the French army more than
81 per cent For the first time since forty
two years II doubles the numerical SUI
periority which II formerly maintained.
Gen. Lacroix has written several arti-
cles In the Temps on the subject OF mill
tary aerostation in Germany and France
which are highly instructive. All the
more instructive. II may be added, be-
cause of a dispatch from Berlin which
reports project Of the government
there to ask for a credit for military
aviation of 29,O0O.0ao marks. or 81, 10000.
Gen. Heeringen, minister OF war. in the
discussion in the reichstag. with the
brutal frankness of a soldier.
Pointed said: Between the law OF the
IT. last quinquennat and the law
As' now introduced there stands
the experience of the last year, which
was conclusive
The experience OF 1911 of which the
general spoke was the crisis at Agadir.
1t showed to Germany very plainly that
France was not afraid OF war. and that
rather than submit to further humilia-
flict.
voted herself two additional army corps,
and she did SO Immediately. in order to
lose no time to re-establfsh as quickly
as possible between Germany and France
that military disproportion which SEEM
ed indispensable to her hegemony.
France made no effort to take up the
challenge. But since then great changes
have taken place In France-the anti-mii-
itarism spirit has been effectually stamp
ed out and a military and patriotic spirit
has arisen. Besides. q man has risen
the man just elected president: man OF
peace IL he Is permitted to be peaceful.
but who will not hesitate IL war Is forced
Germany has 100000 inhabitants.
against the forty millions Of France.
Germany pretends that her army, In face
of the French. should bear the same
proportion as to the population. 1t was
necessary that the high personality and
Judgment Of the new president should
awaken the country to the gravity OF
the situation. It was necessary not only
to vote the credits, but also vote the
men. How was 1t possible to remedy
the wrong perpetrated by former French
government which had committed the
crime of reducing the three-year term
Of military service to two years. The
men could be found In restoring the serv-
ice to three yeare which would 1dve 20
France an excellent and SUFFICIENT army.
That France has been thoroughly
awakened q dispatch from Paris dated
the 9Th instant is proof The French
cabinet has accepted the decision OF the
supreme council Of war in favor O a
in all it's branches, as hitherto. This
measure will add at least 10000 men to
the peace footing Of the army, which at
present stands at $4,000. excluding OF.
ficers.
A dispatch from Cologne at the same
time announces that the bill offered In
the reichstag gives the peace footing OF
the army as 100000. excluding oficers,
an increase of 10000 men.
i. x
M. Cheron, chairman Of the committee.
In presenting his bill in the French cham
Der, invited the attention
Comparing of the chamber to the fact
that in the war budget of
0u0kets' France, as In the budget
Of Germany. there was a third section
of expense-one that applied to the per-
lection Of armament called in the Ger
man budget for once only"
M. Cheron compared the war budget
of 1902 to 1918 Of both France and
Germany. When France expended. Tor
example. $196. 900. 900. Germany expended
$4OO, 400, 600, 1O4.J0 per cent more than
France. These figures show the peril OF
Frances past apathy. u.
The German press accept with
gravity. but without apparent irrita-
ton, the news of the French projects
concerning the increase OF the French
army The Courier de Ia Bourse, Tor
example, writes:
TT cannot be denied that the increase
man military law. The increase was
not unexpected. but 1t is surprising
because Of it's magnitude. The ques-
ton is a vital one for France. The
situation OF the French and German
armies after the application of the new
German law would be most unequal
In order to Judge Of the French project
it, is necessary to see the ngures
At this hour the German press nave
seen the figures and win have understood
that the control of France has definitely
passed from the hands of the anti-mili-
tarist and peace sophists who nave untii
now imperiled the nation.
The conservative tone Of the German
press would Indicate that the increase OF
the German army is more defensive than
offensive. and is inspired perhaps by the
new peril to both Germany and Austria
in the birth Of powerful Slav nation.
dispatch from Athens dated the 9Th
instant announces the capture or the
fortress of Janina with its Turkish garri-
son of 81, 200 men. The capture OF Janina
by the Greeks destroys Austria s hope or
including that place at least In the
autonomous Albania which is the cause or
the continued mobilization or the armies
of Austria and Hungary
II a II