The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1919-05-14
Military Power
Peace Terms Mean Elimina.
ton OF Huns as a Menace
to World Peace.

| - PN"N' NiNhtl IOu iuCtS
army officials here that the
point at which it is proposed to
start on limitation of arma
ments lis the absolute cxtirpa-
ton of militarism in Germany
Not II vcstige Of the vast mill
tary framework built up in forty
years OF preparation for world
conquest by Germany is to be
left.
Measures have been fornulat.
ed even to stamp out the mill
tnry spirit bred so carefully in
the people. Under the treaty
any enterprise aiming at u mil
itary propaganda is forbidden
aud military education cannot
be carried on except in the
ranks OF the army of 100, 900
Such AN army cannot perpet-
uate itself in any way TO cx-
pand through turning trained
men back To civil life as an IN.
organized reserve.
This feature of the military
tcrms-the Inhibition upon dis.
charging from the army in any
year more than per cent. Of
It's strength-coupled with the
tweive-yeur enlistment period,
II Is said 10y American army Of
Ulcers, vii! prevent n recurrence
of the scheme by which Ger
many was once able to throw
oil the yoke Napoleon sought
to impose when hc limited her
army to Il few thousand men
each year. 1t was apparent,
these observers said, that the
lesson OF that day had beon com.
p!etely learned by the French
mlllturists generally credited
with having devised the terms
OF the present treaty.
The twelve year enlistment
| period required, it was spid, was
calculated TO make the army
highly distasteful To the aver.
age man There cuu be for him
no hope of advancement but on.
| ~ the drudgery of soldier life,
for it will not be an expanding
force. Officers doubted very
much that the 100000 men al
lowed could be maintained as
required by voluntary recruit
ment.
Buffer against Bolsheyism.
Since the dismnnlling OF the
forts on the eastern frontier
was not required it was assum
ed by some observers that the
treaty contemplated interpos
ling Germany and its limited
army as Il buffer against the
8olsheyiki in Russia. Should
Russia find herself and strong
government arise there which
could be recognized by the west
crn powcrs,it was said undoubt-
eddy the reduction of the eastern
defenses would be insisted up
on
It's the view here that the
provision IF the treaty resery-
ing TO some Russian govern
ment yet to be Indicated ali the
benefits enjoyed by the allied
and associated powers, proba
bly, would cover such an extern
sion liz the meantime, how
ever, Germany is to he kept on
guard along her eastern front.
Ter in self defense against the
Bolshevism and at the same
time acting as Il buffer for the
western powers.
Naval Terms.
The naval terms are If any
thing more drastic than those
Imposed as To the army, navy
officers said. From II sea pow
er claiming ii sire myth second
only.to that of Great Britain,
Germany will be reduced TO n
naval power virtually without
rank in the world. The six
battleships she may retain, the
largest not TO exceed 10000 tons,
would not dare risk action with
any two modern dreadnaughts,
and every other department. of
the naval service is scaled down
accordingly.
In the provision that no CAPT.
tai ship might be replaced until
twenty years of active service
had been rendered, naval de-
4 al 4 - ~.