New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-10-06
Delegates to Tell Arms
Conference 100000
Force Is Needed to
Meet German Menace
Can Reduce Tt if
Allies Pledge Aid
Berlin Said To Be Able
to Mobilize a Million
Equipped Men i'm Week

PARIS, Oct. 5 (By The Associated
Presa) .-The aim Of the French gov
ernment at The Washington conference
on limitation Of armament and Far
Eastern affairs is 20 convince the
delegates OF other nationalities, especi-
ally those OF the American govern
ment, that France is not unduly armed
and that her security requires the
number Of men now in active service.
Marshal Foch will be prepared to
lay before the conference every par
ticular concerning the present land
armamcnts Of France. General Wey-
gand and General Degouttc arc COLA
borating with General Desticker, who
will accompany Marshal Foch, in the
preparation Of documents which will
be submitted to the Washington con.
ference by Marshal Foch.
France Reducing Forces
France is reducing her army. The
troops i'll active service are about 80
per cent of the number on May ! of
this year. France then had about 8OO,-
GOO men under arms. She now has be
tween 100000 and 100000, including
the army Of the Rhine and colonial
troops. Figures will be Incorporated
in the report Of Marshal Foch, show
ing Frances position to be substanti-
ally as follows:
eve already have done a great deal
toward land disarmament, having prac-
tically demobilized 40 per cent Of our
army in five months. The 300 odd
men have not all been demobilized per-
manently. A large percentage of them
are away on unlimited leave of alb
sence' and remain subject to immediate
call from the general staff and could be
mobilized in few days should circum-
stancesN require it. Some OF the men
have been away on crop furloughs'
since July"
How closely the French troops in
Paris have been cut down in numbers
was shown at the ceremony last Sunday
when General Pershing decorated the
American Congressional Medal. When
the city command had to concentrate
$4,000 men from the Place de Ia Con
corde TO the Arch dc Triomphe, it was
found at the last moment that INSULT
cient troops were available in Paris,
and sentries and clerks on duty in the
various ministries had to be pressed
INTO service.
France Demands 100000 Army
The French attitude will be to show
just how far France can 90 toward dis
armament in the face OF information
received from Germany concerning
that country's power for prompt mo-
bilizaton and in the absence Of other
guarantees than Frances own troops.
It will be the viewpoint of the French
Il lao ion, Ia4
antics along the lines of those con-
tanned in the American, British and
French defensive agreement against
unwarranted aggression, as elaborated
by President Wilson and Premiers
Lloyd George and Clcmenceau. but
never ratified, a standing army Of
from 100000 to 100000 men, with 4
like number subject to immediate cal
so mobilization, will be required.
The French General Staff is declared
TO have information to the effect that
every regiment in the German army as
allowed under the Versailles Treaty has
800 commissioned officers to each
regiment, 200 Of whom are serving as
prvates. 1t is asserted that they auto
matically can be reinstated as non
commissioned officers in the event OF
mobilization. bringing the number of,
on-commissioned men in each regi-
Ahti4L w lhc pIC~Ntsi IG ul5. uC lCS4~
nj nts then would be able to muster
900 commissioned men for a di-
vision, exactly as provided for under
the German mobilization plan of 1914.
Germany Could Mobilize Quickly
This, according 10 the French infor-
nation, would permit the mobilization
+ of German army of 100000 men Al
side Of q week, as the former soldiers
are we'll organized into gymnastic Sc
cieties, war veteran camps and other
societies and are subject to prompt con-
centration. 1t is asserted that the
present German army also has three
times the number of transport vehicles
per unit than in 1914, and thai the same
is true regarding the engineers and
other branches of the service.
French army officials say that the
only arm in which she is totally lacking
. artillery. She would have chem GALS
a abundance, while airplanes woul1 be
forthcoming in sufficient numbers with
slight delay.