New-York tribune., 1922-12-05
Former Find Police Force
Being Held as Nucleus
for Ready Formation of
New Army of Revenge
No Proof, Opposite View
Thinks 1914 Empire Dead
and Reports of Plottings
Merely Its Last Gasps

10 OCTUt0HB oTWtHO gOT o. Hct0
War?
That Is the big question raised By
Clemeneeau on his American tour.
In an effort 10 get an approximate
dnstoer The Tribune Instructed It's
correspondents in the capitals Of Eu-
rope to sound ont official opinion.
What they found ioiu be told in a
series Of articles in The Tribune, Of
which the foIIoicino is the first;
By Joseph Shaplen
Special Cabs 10 TIE Trsbans
Copyright. its2. New York Trbun. Inc.
BERLIN, Dec. Ais Germany pre-
pairing for new wari / addressed this
question to a number Of the high Allied
military representatives here who have
supervision Of the military clauses Of
the Versailles treaty. The question as
to whc her Germany is observing the
provisions Of part Of the tr, ty-thc
military, naval and air clause and II
not whether II indicates she Is prepar-
ing for another conflict, evokes two
points Of view which may be styled
roughly the French and the non
French.
The French opinion is; Germany has
not carried out the disarmament pro-
visions Of the treaty. She has not dis
armed and is now maintaining an army
larger than she is permitted under the
provisions. Her army Of 100 600, with
a police force Of 100000, constitutes
the nucleus Of a much larger military
force, which, under the present mode
Of organization, may be speedy and
efficiently extended.
French authorities contend the Ger
man police force contains az least 5000
former army officers and Thousands Of
former non-commissioned officers. IL is
organized, the French say. into mill
tary units, each Of which Is the nucleus
for a larger body, capable Of being
brought into existence on short notice.
II is therefore, a military oTganiza-
tion undergoing military training at ell
times.
AtNnNAhNANa RhaAahtk RAh'g
The army, the French further insist,
Is not being used 20 maintain internal
order, but is being kept in barracks as
a regular standing army would be, and
its members enlisted for twelve-year
periods.
Like the police force. the army Is
composed almost exclusively Of former
officers and nOn-commissioned officers,
organized into units, which are capable
Of rapid expansion, for which a COM
plete and definite scheme has been
evo we'd by the staff.
Concerning armaments, the French
say that while all the larger weapons
necessary 10 modern warfare have
been destroyed and Germany's In
dustrial plants rendered incapable OF
producing military supplies for an
army, the $4,000 900 industrial workers.
in comparatively short time, eould'be
started on producing munitions. There
arc thousands Of machine guns left
In the country, as we'll as scores Of
thousands Of rifles. but these the
French consider negligible quantity
so far as carrying on q big foreign war
is concerned.
Hatred for France Mounts
Lastly, the French point out that
while three years ago the sentiment OF
the people for var had reached It's
lowest ebb. to-day the majority Of the
people are animated by bitter hatred,
which will some day find expression in
another onslaught on France.
The non-French viewpoint, main
tanned with equal assurance By other
Allied military authorities, answers
the question Of whether Germany Is
preparing for another war. Men
tally. yes; actually, no." They say
That while there is not the slightest
evidence Of actual military prepara-
tione. there is a growing feeling Of re-
sentment against France, backed b.
tbe hone that some day Germany will
be able to throw of the burdens which
now weigh her down.
The French view OF an indefinitely
exnsnded German army and police
foTce is dismissed with the belief the
organization exists only on paper and
cannot be taken seriously. Generally
the non-Freneh officers MAINTAIN Ger
many's position would not permit her
20 carry on a modern war. Not only u
she completely disarmed, so far as the
heavy engines Of war arc concerned
hut she cannot arm for such a war
unless the rest Of the world goes total
Iv blind. II Is one thing, these experts
argue, 10 have a paper army reposing
In pigeon holes in the War Ministrys
archives. but quite another 70 produce
sueh an army, fully equipped for vic
tory, to the field OF battle.
Thus far there Is no evidence OF
the enlisted men OF the regular army
being passed TO the reserve IN ar
effort to create a large reserve force.
and while II Is true most Germans have
tceauass6 on nsri DasC