Evening star., 1924-08-24
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

d
era, with the world, a major part of
1T at least, feeling that there must
be progress and peace, grim suspicion
already has begun to daub the canvas
so carefully painted by artist-states-
men in London.
Did not these suspicious find orr
gin in the hearts and minds of the
nationalists of France and Germany
they necessarily would have to be
reckoned with. They may be dis
counted at the moment, but only for
the moment, inasmuch as the ma
tionalistic schools of thought in both
France and Germany always will be
dangerous. The Marx government in
Germany is yet to see Germanic full
flllment of the Dawes report without
serious collision with nationalist ele-
ments in the Reichstag. Herriot's s
tenure in France largely depends
upon the complacency of the national
ist blood and thunder cliQues so
ably led and championed by Poincare,
Foch and others. The Dawes report
undoubtedly will go into effect, and
all governments signatory to the Lon
don agreements will begin their tasks
in perfect good faith but glimpse
into the future and its possibilities
may be gained by the apparent re-
fusal of the nationalistic elements to
mark time and give the Dawes plan a
sporting chance of fulflment without
emphasizing national distrust and
freeing into surcharged atmosphere
all the political banshees of old.
French See War Of Revenge.
In Germany the Nationalists dwell
upon the French intention to dena-
tionalize the Rhineland and remain
ever ready to control the western
reaches of Germany. In France the
question of German disarmament has
been raised. That Germany is con-
sistently and persistently preparing
for a war of revenge is the string
upon which Gen. Nollet and other
military leaders are strumming. De-
spite agreements in London militar-
lists and nationalists undoubtedly will
make difficult complete fulfillment of
all features of the Dawes report and
make even more hazardous invest
ments under the Dawes plan of
financing Germany.
Success of militarist activities
however. will come only in the meas
ure of confidence the general public
continues to place in these alarmiSts.
If two years are permitted to elapse,
with all parties concerned conScien-
tiously endeavoring to give life to the
Dawes report, the militarist and
nationalistic activities of both France
and Germany will be SO discounted
as to insure the eventual fulfillment
| of all terms with continued peace and
| progress for the continent.
1t cannot be said that the French
warning of German preparations fol
war, whether it be an offensive or de-
fensive struggle, are without founda-
tion. Even Premier Macdonald oi
England has been informed of the
military activities under nationalist
prodding in Germany and has warned
the Germans that there must be
stricter compliance with the treaty OF
Versailles if the allies are not forced
preparations.
Gen. Nollet of France has declared
| that Germany needs but six more
months to be in position to wage a
defensive war and, with this start
| unless allied restrictions should be
made effective in short while, Ger
many would be in position to start ar
offensive struggle. BelgianS have
| caught the fever from the French and
the Independence Beige declares the
German danger is not to be denied
and the allied powers must be ready
| at all times to offset any chance OF
German perfidy. The French govern
| ment in bulletin discussing the
| question of German preparations fol
war says:
Size Of German Military Force.
According to the treaty of Yer
sailles, the strength of the German
army was to be reduced, not later
than March 81, 1920, to seven divi-
sions of infantry and three divisions
Iof $IA foI ,lar 80 ,;,t,
| was not to exceed 100000 men includ.
depots. But Germany's pretending
she was threatened with Bolshevism
| managed to get from the allies in
January, 1921, permission to organize
security police, 100000 strong, which
| today is commonly called 'Schupo.
| This 'schupo' to all intents and pur-
poses is a regular army, which the
interallied commission of control has
vainly tried to have abolished.
$50 it is that Germany today has a
permanent army of 250,000 men made
up of former soldiers and men en-
listed for twelve years. Around this
strong military nucleus there exists
| another army which enjoys the ex-
ceptional privilege of being ready fol
mobilization at any time, thanks to
! a clever system of regional recruit
| ing.
Before the war the territory OF
| the Reich was divided up into Is
! military regions, which were, after
| 1919, to be reduced to seven regions
corresponding to the seven divisions
| allowed under the treaty. But the
| limits of those seven regions were
drawn in such a way as to include ar
| exact number of the former army
corps regions. The military regions
were then subdivided into certain
| number Of districts. which CORE
spond to as many units of all arms
! as were formerly included in the army
corps.
Territorial Distribution.
How are those units constructed
Among the innumerable societies now
existing in Germany there is one
| which is particularly in favor with
| the government. 1t is the Regiments
| verein," which has been represented
| as a sort of club for former soldiers
These were founded by Ludendorn
| Each verein Is group OF former sol
diers of one particular regiment and
| its avowed mission is tn perpetuate
| the memory Of one particular unit OF
| the great 'undefeated army The
territorial distribution of these units
| is such that each one has its quarters
| in the same place where the old regi-
ments were quartered. 1t is not diff
cult to see that these units are per-
| manent military formations to be
used in mobilization centers.
Germany has now more than seven
million we'll trained men. All men OF
| military age up to 1921 were already
drafted during the war. The younger
ones had been trained during short.
time enlistment periods or by so.
called 'sportive organizations
According to the treaty of Yer.
sailles, the German army Is supposed
to be recruited by means of volun-
tary enlistments for twelve consecu.
tive years. Gen. Won Seekt, in a proc