Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-12
new GERMAN ARMY
CHIEFLY OFFICERS
Force Down January | to
100000, Required by
Peace Treaty.
HUGE INCREASE IN COST
Nation Plans Foundation Upon
Which Large Force May Be
Built, If Needed.
HUGE INCREASE IN COST
BY GEORGE wIrTE.

BY GEORGE WHITE.
Special Gable to The Star and Chicago Dali,
News. Copyright. 1920.
BERLIN. Germany. December IL
Beginning January /, Germany will
have an army of 100000, the size al
lowed under the peace treaty, but il
will be an army Of 100000 officers
Germany will thus have the best
trained army in the world.
The army budget, which comes UP
early date. is put at 5000. 000, 0OO
parks tnominally $1,000. 0o0. O00). Be
, fore the war the kaiser spent only
l,OO0. 1000. geo marks ($250.000,000) an
nually for both army and navy. In
1913 the army cost Germany 1885
marks ($271.25) per man. officers in
Guided. Next year each soldier will
Of the mark. instead Of being 23.S
cents in American money, is less than
cent and half)
SeIective Training Proposed.
Germany will put every man through
a selective training course, winnow
out the unpromising material. and
give the rest thorough military
training. or such as only officers have
received heretofore. Already there
are academies in existence where
privates are taught the elements of
modern military leadership and are
given practical instruction in all
branches Of the service. These acad-
emies will eventually be built up into
large universities. which every mem
Der of the German army may be COM
PEELED to join to pass examinations
after each school period.
Germany will thus receive solid
foundation on which at any time a
large army can be built. The pres
ent army is composed chiefly of nom
commissioned officers Of the old re-
gime and others who are thoroughly
militaristic in their views Their
leanings are far more monarchistic
than democratic. and whether. In case
of a monarchistic uprising. they would
remain loyal to the social democratic
government Is more than questionable.
Expenditures Explained.
In some quarters where the gov
eminent Is condemned for lavishing
such large sums on the army 1t is
said that the idea behind these prep
to lead the militia organizations.
particularly the "orgetsch." in case
of internal or external trouble. To-
days Freiheit declares that the ma
tionalistic delegate. Herr Won der
osten. admitted in the Prussian diet
now numbered more than 100000
men and was daily gaining recruits
not only in southern Germany. but
also in Berlin and recently in the
OCCUPIED areas under the noses Of
the French. British, Belgians and
Americans"
Regular Rife Practice.
Herr Sewing. Prussian minister of
the interior. announced that the
orgetsch had at its disposal large
quantities of arms and munitions.
and that the. members were holding
rifle practice regularly. despite his
order .forbidding it. =
The left wing parties are continual
" warning the government to cut
down the army budget because shey
would not stand for such vast ex.
penditures for an army de luxe"
In the face OF the great misery ev-
erywhere The independent socialist
communists threaten to organize
militia organizations Of workmen to
fight the government troops II the.
budget goes through.