The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-04-28
MILITARY (. q. /.
BURDEN jji|i]j|j] OF !.
:. :: WORLD, | is
=: GREATEST RI !; !, | 1 ! / now
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Great War, Hailed as LAST
Conflict" Leaves Heavy
Yoke on Nations
BIGGEST ARMIES AND
NAVIES ARE PLANNED
Baker Recommends SOC, 600
Standing Army for u. S.;
England ass, 900
BIGGEST ARMIES AND
NAVIES ARE PLANNED

Standing Army FOR -. D.
England 4s5, 900
By Henry Wood.
UNITED Press Correspondent
Paris, April'19 (by Mail) Mill
tarism exists today in almost every
country in the world on a bigger and
more crushing basis than before the
war.
LA grande guerre," which was to
have been the worlds last war and
which was to have inaugurated an
era Of universal peace and reduced
armaments has had for it's sole effect
to date the increasing of the military
burden of almost every country in
the world. ~"' ~.
x In; fact the only exceptions are
those defeated countries whose arma-
ments were limited by the peace
treaties, but even these-and notably
Germany and Austria-are doing ev-
e1ything in, their power to escape the
treaty clauses and increase their
armies to a much larger basis than is
now stipulated.
Even the United States, presum-
ably the most peaceful country in the
world, has failed to escape from the
mania for increased armies which
1.-THE last war" has entailed.
Coupled with the increased cost of
living, these increased ornaments and
their increased cost Of maintenance
will throw on the people OF every
country in the world military bur-
den infinitely larger and more crush
ing than was borne before the war.
The only thing that makes it seem
supportable at all is that if it is more
than what it was before the war, it
is at least less than what the military
expenses were during the war.
While all nations Of the world have
not yet succeeded in reorganizing
their armies on the basis which the
recent war appears to have rendered
necessary, yet in almost every coun-
try the reorganization projects are
under consideration, and there is not
q single one that does not provide
for an increase over what the mill
tary electives and costs were before
the war.
While, theoretically, the question
Of the military force to be maintained
is purely an internal one which every
country has right to settle for itself,
yet as matter of fact, every coun-
try, as has always been the case in
the past, is obliged to govern the size
of its military electives and strength
by what its neighbors are doing.
Likewise as in the past, Germany
is still the worlds predominating fac
tor in this respect. The peace treaty
originally reduced the German army
to 100000 men. Later this was tenn
porarily increased to 100000 in order
to enable Germany to meet internal
troubles and possible bolshevik as
saults from without.
Ir reality, the most accurate in
formation from Germany shows that
she still has 100000 men under
arms. These consist Of her regular
army of 100000 men; OF $4,000 SOL
diers temporarily serving with the
marine; and four large organizations
attached to the ministry Of the in
terror for internal defense totaling
over 100000 men. With every in
dication and certainty that Germany
intends to- maintain as much Of her
military strength as possible every
European country is forced to take
this INTO consideration in her own
army reorganization. ,-....,.sr, 49,.
+ England, for example, has definite
" decided upon her new army organ
ixation which is for 485, 900 men d.
vided into fourteen divisions and or
ganized into a. regular and terri
tor'al army. The budget for this
military organization is $4,000, 600
pounds as against 100000 pounds
before the war. This means mill
tary, burden four times larger than
before the war.
Naturally, the size of England's
army, just as much as the size of Ger.
many's army, dictates the size fol
every other country.
At Washington despite the recon-
mendations of Secretary Baker fol
an army of 10000 men, the present
bills before congress provide only fol-
100000 men. Nevertheless, this i:
double the United States electives Of
before the war.
In Italy the reorganization of thu
army provides for an, increase from
1O8 regiments of infantry to 12O ant
from SO regiments of artillery to 81
drawn by horses and Is by tractors
While. a shorter period of militar!
service is provided for the financia
burden is UNNECESSARILY increased.
In France, the definite plans TO-
the reorganization of the. army hav'
. not yet been worked out. In tn
meantime France has just called t.
the. colors her. entire class of 1922
and as her period of service has no
yet been changed they come unde
the old three year term of service
adopted just before the war. Wit
the necessity of furnishing the grea
bulk OF the troops that are to hol'
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