The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-18
FRANCE CHARGES IF ERMAnS MAKING BATTLE IN SECRET
Details of Preparations Care. fully Laid and May Be Put
 Into Effect Suddenly

luiIy LdIu dIlu Way oe Tut
 Into Effect Suddenly
 PARIS, March 17.-Can Germany fight France? The best German military authorities say she cannot. They would say that even if she were able to, it is more important to know what the French experts think.
 In recent article in "Le Journaf M. Henry Bdou summarizes the best French opinion on this subject. He says:
 Germany has protested against the occupation of the Ruhr. but at the same time declared that she would remain at peace. Doubtless when she saw the French army tra- enter Dortmund, in the part of the Reich in which the German army may itself maintain garrison, she mobilized the nearest division-that of Muenster. This mobilization was accomplished according to the fol- lowing plan:
 "A curtain of volunteers-Grenz- scutz, orgesch, etc.-covered the dis position with infantry forces armed with machine guns, crossing their fire in positions already determined But they were instructed to retreat before the invader. Behind this cur tain the division occupied a pre- arranged line This measure of pru- dence was not followed by action. How are we to interpret such silence:
 
 Tcutons Lack War Material.
 The answer is double one. Ger many did not make war because she has not the material Since the arr msitice 33,000 cannon have been de- stroyed, S7,000 machine guns. and l4.200 airplanes. The material all lowed by the treaty (600 cannon) IS insufficient for campaign. Undoubt- edly hidden depots exist. But, the watchfulness of the allied control commission has reduced their num- Der. So long as it functions these scattered depots cannot be easily utilized. It will be different if this commission disappears and is re- placed by one of reduced powers. an- alogous to those of the aeronautlc commission, which has no investi- gating functions.
 This war which the organizers of papers are making so violent an at tack on the central commission. pie turing it as crushing burden upon Germany.
 revenge are planning in their hearts can Germany make it?
 Full Training Plans.
 "She has effectives enough all the mobilizable classes except the last having been trained and the military instruction of the young men hav- >,-k associations. These effectives have primary organization. They are the groups known under the name of Buergerwehr in East Prussia, the wohnerwehr in Bavaria, the Ar gesch, etc. The regimental associa- tions include all men who belonged to a, former regiment, and that company in one of the formations of the active army. Thus it may be reconstructed on short notice.
 "The cadres are ready. They will be furni shed as follows: First-By the 100000 men of the active army (the Reichsheer), who all receive in- struction. as ub-officers. Second By the Schutzpolzei, 15o.0o0 strong, of whom only 50,000 are policemen, the other 100000 being destined to double the strength of the Reich sheer. They comprise 5000 officers and 50,000 sub-officers of the old army. As to the great general Etaff, it is reconstructed under the name of the Heeresletung. It's chief is General Won Seeckt, who would be- come generalissmo. The war school, in which the officers of the staff were educated, has been replaced by staff schools in each of the seven circumscriptions corresponding to the divisions.
 War Material Supplies
 There remains the question of material We know that it is insuf- ficient, Germany seeks to remedy this insufficiency in two ways. First, she is conserving on her soil the ele- monts of an industrial mobilization. That explains why material for the fabrication of machine guns was re- gently discovered in Berlin (Janu- ary, 1923). Secondly. she is trans porting her fabrication to foreign countries. Krupp has factory at Bofors. in Sweden. Darnier has one for airplanes at Marina di Pisa. in Italy. Fokker has one at Veere. Hol- land. Zeiss has one for optical in- struments and gun sightings at Ven loo. Holland. Evidently Germany's tactics, the day she decided on war, would be to begin secretly the man ufacture of armament. and by dipio- matic artifices, to gain time to con- t1nue II. IL may pc doHiittCu euOt six months after the beginning of manufacture Germany would have armed more than 40 divisions. At the end of 10 months she would have armed more than 100 divisions.
 These are the facts. We under stand sufficiently that the problem of security determines French pol icy. The Germans have toyganized strong propaganda to persuade the universe that our fears are hysteri- cal. The simplest examination, un- fortunately. shows that this press campaign Is itself one of prepara- tion.- We are therefore compelled to maintain an army capable of meet ing these threats. And if the occu- patton of the Rhineland has incon- veniences, which all the world recog-, nizes, it has at least the advantage of postponing every immediate pro- ject of revenge. While we are on the Rhine all attempts to break the (. l~,- Ike 1vrNv. al k>1 .