The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-03-12
ARMY Of GERMANY
is CUT To 100000
AND IS VOLUNTEER
MILITARY TERMS REDUCE HUNS
STANDING FORCE TO
MINIMUM.
LESS THAN SWITZERLAND
Arms and Munitions Limited TO Guam
tity Required by Small Force Per
mitted-Forts Along Rhine Must BE
Destroyed - Imperial STAFF Is AbOl-
isheG.


Paris, March 1l.-Military Ger
many will go out OF existence As
the result OF The adoption by the
supreme council tonight of the mill
tary terms 10 Germany as they will
go into the peace treaty. These
terms provide for 4 sweeping re
ductiOn of the German military es.
tablishment down TO 100000 men,
with 1000 officers, the arm TO be
recruited by the voluntary system
for a period of twelve years.
The eilect Of this is to limit Ger
many's military strength TO less
than the number of men Switzerland
has in her army.
Other provisions IN the military
terms limit the arms I'd munitions
Germany may possess "a quantity
sufficient for 100000 IN, and all
the remainder must delivered
over or destroyed.
The German forts along the Rhine
also must be- destroyed.
The imperial general stan is
abolished as the result of reducing
the force ---
Discussion Of the subject was resum
ed By the supreme council today, the
basis for the debate being Marsha
Foch's report on Premier Lloyd Georges
proposal TO reduce Germany's armed
Il rec from 100000, as has been sug
gesgnd, to l4o, ,0O0 men, and to substitute
yo untary for compulsory service.
Marshal Foch favored the change, as
tn e conscription plan providing fol
100000 men serving one-year terms
wtould have given Germany a trained
a .Fmy Of 1000 coo men in ten years,
! As against this, Mr. Lloyd George
proposed to fix the enlistment term at
twelve years. Marshal Foch embodied
jthis in his report when ne proposed
an army Of 100000 men, but the coun
ciI finally adopted an amendment fur
ther reducing this force to 100000.
One Of Premier Lloyd Georges main
purposes in substituting voluntary ser
vice for the cOnscription system was
10 pave the way for the disappearance
Of the conscrlptlon system throughout
Europe. as it was believed that the cf
feet Of the abolition of the system in
Germany would be that the other Flu
ropean countries would generally follow
it, thus ending the menace Of large
standing armies and their proyocaro'
to warfare.
The council already has adopted tnc
naval terms Of the treaty except for q
few reserved provisions which will be
discussed tomorrow.
Peace Possible by March 20.
The progress that has been made with
ihe work Of framing the peace treaty
ENSURES the completion of the task by
March 20. The first rough draft vii
he in readiness when President Wilson
arrives in France Thursday, and the re
vision will be concluded before the 20th
1t is the present purpose Of the peace
conferecs to call the Germans to Yer
sailles soon after March 90 probably
from March 30 to March %. The doc
ument then will he delivered to the
German delegates, and in case they are
not prepared to sign it at once they vii
be given the opportunity TO return tC
Germany 10 consider il and return fot
the formal signing at Versailles.
This plan obviates the necessity ot
holding sessions for debate at Versailles
and restricts the functions to be con
Quoted with the Germans to the de
livery of the document and their re
turn for its signature or such other
action as they desire to take.
II is known definitely that Count vor
Bernstorf, former German ambassador
to the United states, will not be onI
of the German delegates at Versailles
The presence of Premier Lloyd Georg,
In Paris is permitting of daily confer
ences of premiers of the powers as d
sort of steering committee to direct th'
course of the main work of the con
ference. The session this morning wa'
attended by Premiers Clemenceau anC
Iloyd George and Col. T.. NJ. House, rep
resenting President Wilson.
Premier Orlando of italy will join tn,
other premiers tomorrow, and wher
President Wilson arrives it is expected
that these conferences of the govern
ment heads gradually will take the place
of the council of the great powers
which experience has shown to give too
much time to speeches. The confer
ences of the premiers, on the othei
hand. are providing an effective exec
utiye organization for the rapid dis
charge Of business. The rapidty in
sures the drafting of the peace within
the limit fixed, a week from next Thurs
day.