New-York tribune., 1921-10-03
Six Million Men
Are 4 nder Arms
In IA Nations s
China Leads With l 100000,
While u. S. Ranks 18th
With 149, 900; FranceHa
l,O64, 900 Active Troops
74O. 500 in Great Britain
Reserve Strength Also VIII
Be Counted When Subject
Comes Before Conference

" WASHINGTON, Oct. . BY The AS
sociated Press Active armies of the
fourteen most important nations OF
the world to-day include approximate
ly 100000 men, according to figures
obtained here and regarded as reason
ably correct With the inclusion cf
land ornaments in the agenda of the
forthcoming Conference on Limitation
of Armament, these are the figures
bled commissioners will have to deal.
While China stands first among the
nations in this summary of soldiers
actually under arms about September
/, last, being credited with 1,370,0
active troops, France Is far ahead
among the nations not distressed by
civil strife in the number Of men with
the colors. The French army strength
is placed at 1,034 900 men, the British
Empire standing next with TAO. 500, and
United States stands thirteen with
$4,000 men in the regular army. eX-
ceeding only Germany, while Italy has
350,000 and Japan 100000 active troops.
$4,000 in Russia
Figures for other powers include
Russia $4,000; Poland, 100000;
Switzerland, 10000; Turkey, 1872 900;
ccho-Slovakia, $50 600.
In considering problems connected
with attempted reduction of armed
forces ashore, it is to be assumed, how
ever, that the Washington conferees
will, if necessary, take into considera-
ton many other factors than the
forces actually under arms in COM
putting the army strength Of any ma
tion for purposes of discussion. Re
serve systems, the extent to which re-
serves have been organized for quick
mobilization and the degree of train
ing they have received-all would be
reviewed by technical experts.
In many countries some form Of uni
versal military service obligation rests
upon the entire male population.
Japan, Italy. France, Greece. Czecho-
Slovakia, Poland, Switzerland and
Spain all have in force such laws. while
among British colonies South Africa,
New Zealand and Australia have sim
liar enactments.
BY these factors the relative figures
take on an even wider Discrepancy
than when national army strength is
viewed from the standpoint of active
armies alone. France. for instance. is
estimated to have beyond her million
mon in arms 4.270,000 reservists. the
majority of them highly trained as q
result of war experience and the whole
body included in highly organized re-
trained fighting personnel at that
point.
1,S45.000 japanese Reserve
Italy's O,0Oo fighting troops are
backed by 4,627,oo0 reservists in an
equal state of preparedness, and
Japan's 300 900 by another army OF
,845 900, trained and equipped to take
the field on short notice.
The United States has at present
nothing in the way of organized re-
serves behind the regular army except
the National Guard, the movement for
of A voluntary reserve
having just been begun.
Still another angie of the army re-
duction problem which may come up al
the conference is the proportion Of
active and organized reserve personnel
to the man power of the nation, the
available number of males OF lighting
age in the population. In France Italy
and some other countries virtually
every male fit for army service already
either is in the active army or has
definite place in the organized ana
trained reserve
One thing clearly established by
these army figures. military experts
said, was that the United States alone
among the victor nations in the war
seems to have completely demobilized.
The regular army to-day is little
stronger in number than it was before
the mobilization in 1917. The National
Guard, due to reorganization after the
war. is actually wcaker.