The New York herald., 1921-12-19
GERMANY HELPLESS
AS FIGHTER, HE SAYS
DIR. Gessler Denies Nation is
Ready for War, as Charged
in France.
sMENACED AND INSULTED'
Minister of Militia Answers
Lefevre Accusations-PeO-
pie Desire Peace.
sMENACED AND INSULTED'

In reply TO new accusations and
charges made by NJ. Lefevre, formerly
French Minister of War. and published
IN the Journal, and other statements
made by Louis Barthou and Premier
Brand. DR. Gessler, German Minister of
the Reichswehr (militia). said:
THE French statesmen bring charges
intended to nrove that Germany still is
aimed and prepared for war. In reply L
wish to state tnat the figures and facts
are known 10 the Inter-Allied Commls-
sion of Control The organization Of the
German army is in conformity with
the peace treaty. 1t consists of 1000
officers and $4,000 mon, which number
is not even complete. Ore-fourth OF the
non-commissioned officers and men come
from the cld army. The remainder are
recruits.
The equipment likewise corresponds
- the regulations OF the peace treaty
our army. including all reserve forma-
tloiis. possesses the following arms:
Twenty-Five immovable fortress
guns, sixteen anti-aircraft guns, 294 field
guns. 2,3S6 machine guns, 156,0S0 rifles
and carbines and not single tank or
a single airplane.
"On the other hano. the peace foot
ing OF the French army consists OF 40,-
troops, 1,160 heavy guns. tens Of thou
sands OF machine guns, several million
rifles. 1850 military airplanes and 5000
tanks. Several thousand field and
heavy guns belonging to the French
mobilization stocks and fortress arma-
ments and thousands of civil airplanes
are not included in these figures.
by October / of this year there were
destroyed in Germany $4,000 cannon
barrels. 2S.S40 mine throwers, 27.600
cannon carriages. 102.S50 machine guns
and 5,S37000 rifles and carbines. II
here and there in Germany some hun
dred rifles still are to found. that is
nothing compared with the figures just
named.
This situation is not changed by the
case of the Hei-Denau factory. which,
by the way. is single exception, and
vhich is so strongly exploited by the
French press. One hundred and fifty
half finished and 353 finished cannon
barrels We're found which had been made
during the last stages of the war. They
we're found without carriages, utensils or
ammunition, and under circumstances
which clearly proved the barrels were
Intended to be used for raw material in
the factory. The number of German
factories of war material is limited to
the minimum In each the number of
machines is limited in such a way that
only the maximum production pre-
scribed by the Allies is attainable.
"All other special machines were or
are being destroyed. The alleged new
machine guns mentioned by NJ. Lefevre
are products of the Anal periods of the
war. They do not exist in the Reichs-
wehr. and the few specimens which
existed were destroyed. The munitions
%ock OF Germany is that prescribed by
The peace treaty. It would not suffice
even for an eight day campaign.
III there should really be hidden
stocks in existence they must have be-
come unfit for use long since. as explo-
sives and fuses do not endure. The
two factories allotted TO Germany for
this purpose. namely, one for hand fire.
arms and one for artillery and muni-
lions, have not begun to operate. Be
sides raw materials are lacking and the
Industrial centers of the Ruhr district
and Upper Silesia. as NJ. BRAND HIM
self admits, cannot be used for mobili-
2ation purposes
Frances armament industry, how
ever works without restriction. In
view of these circumstances, what dc
occasional small finds Of arms and am
nunition in Germany mean? They dc
not mean anything as an indication OF
pretext 20 the French Control Commits
sion to extend indefinitely its control
over Germanys economic life and in
dustry.
"They talk about the prospects oi
nobilizationl Frances mobilization
plans are ulinutely prepared, as they
we're in 1914. Within a few days she
can put perfectly equipped army OF
100000 men into the field. in spite OF
The alleged German strategic line in the
Black Forest. This line does not NEAR
anything but the construction of 9
double track railway line connecting
Stuttgart, Horb and Zurich, which ha:
been planned for communication rea
sons for the last thirteen years
with the dlsbandment of her ole
armies Germany has dismissed all tho
authorities who were in charge of mob
ilization preparations--the Great Gen
oral Staff. the so-called Landwehr in.
spection and the organization OF dis
irict commanders. It Is impossible q
arm an army Of millions with solitary
rifles scattered here and there over The
whole country. II is impossible e
0iothe II with uniforms collected from
here and there. Where should the mu.
nitions come from7 IT would talk,
months TO get n small number OF units
rsady for action.
Meanwhile Frances well equipped
army stands ot tho bridgoheads Of tn,
'fhine. II Is ready TO march as soor
as Germany moves. as soon as wai
preparations are noticed. Thousands
az airplanes are ready for attacks OF
Germany's capitals. munitions depots
Industrial oenters and railway functions
Besides. on Germany's western Dor.
der is Bclgun's army Of 1900. 00C
men; in the east the Poles. with .00C
men. and the Czecho-Slovaks with
10000 men. II Is one huge armed
camp around a disarmed country.
This Is one of the principal reasons
For Europe's economic ruin. France s
not willing 10 disarm. Therefore. Ger.
many must be represented with all tho
means OF misleading propaganda as al
armed antagonist full OF the spirit o
= aggression from whom allogedly unpro
tccted France must protect herself
I'm reality. however. Germany Is In.
spired by a will to work peacefully
Plans for war would be shipwreclsec
through the opposition OF the German
people. This has been proved by In
numerable manifestations and demon
straiions. Germany should be left q
work peacefully without being tortured
md n1enaced and insulted. Granted thi