The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-05-08
WILL STRANCLE
EVEN WAR SPIRIT
Absolute Extirpation Of Mill
tarism in Germany Pro-
posed in Terms.
SKILL TO DIE OF DISUSE
Twelve. Year Enlistment Re-
quired Will Make Army
Distasteful.

Washington, May S.-(A. PO--Ex-
tended study today of the military
terms of the peace treaty convinces
army officials here that the point at
which it is proposed to start on linn
itation of armaments is the absolute
extirpation of militarism In Germany.
Not a vestige of the vast military
framework built up in forty years of
preparation for world conquest by
Germany is to be left.
Measures have been formulated
even to stamp out the military spirit
bred so carefully in the people. I'M
der the treaty any enterprise aiming
at military propaganda is forbidden,
and military education cannot he
carried on except in the ranks of the
army of 100000. Such an army
cannot perpetuate itself in any way
or expand through turning trained
men back to civil life as an morgan
ized reserve.
This feature of the military terms
the inhibition upon discharging from
the army in any year more than per
cent of it's trength-coupled with the
twelve-year enlistment period, 1t is
said by American army officers, VIII
prevent a recurrence OF the scheme
by which Germany was once able 10
throw off the yoke Napoleon sought
to impose when he limited her army
to few thousand men each year. 1t
was apparent, these observers said,
that the lesson of that day had been
completely learned by the French
mlitarists generally credited with
having devised the terms OF the pres
ent treaty.
Make Soldering Drudgery.
The twelve-year enlistment period
required, it was said. is calculated to
make the army highly distasteful to
the average man. There can be for
him no hope of advancement, but
only the drudgery Of soldier life, for
it will not be an expanding force.
Oficers doubted very much that the
100, 900 men allowed could be main
tained as required by voluntary re-
cruitment.
Since the dismantlng Of the forces
on the eastern frontier was not re-
quired it was assumed by some OBJ
servers here that the treaty contem-
plated Interposing Germany and its
limited army as a buffer against the
bolsheviki in Russia. Should Russia
find herself and a strong government
arise there. which could be recognized
by the western powers, 1t was said
undoubtedly the reduction OF the
eastern defenses would be insisted
upon.
The naval terms are in anything.
more drastic, than those imposed as
to the army, navy officers say From
a seapoWer claiming strength second
only to that OF Great Britain, Ger
MANY will be reduced to a naval
power virtually without rank in the
world. The six battleships she may
retain, the largest nor to exceed TO-
600 tons, would not dare risk action
with any two modern dreadnaushts,
and every. other department OF the
naval service is scaled down accord
ingly
ShpbuIdino Skill TO Die Out.
In the provision that no capital ship
might be placed until twenty years of
active service had been rendered. na-
val designers saw the death Of the
science of naval architecture FOR bat
lie purposes in Germany. The skill
that create The ships now held by
the allied powers will have died out
for want of employment. these officers
said, long before the pre-dreadnaugnt
batteships of the German fleet would
need TO be replaced.
The same extreme severity charac-
terizes the air terms, it was pointed
out All that Germany has lelrncd
of dirigible balloon building and navi-
cation is to be scrapped. All tn Ca
perience of the war In airplane manu-
facture also is to be discarded and
should Germany ever again be free
to develop air navigation, she will
have to build from the ground Up.