Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-17
DESTRUCTION OF GERMAN
FORTS NEW PEACE STEP
Permission Granted Allied Officials to
Inspect Works Seen as Aid to
European Progress.

the British maintain In India alone
something more than 160, 1000. They
are, in addition, forming a new force
for the Sudan, and have small forces
in many of their native colonies, not
ably In Nigeria. All told. therefore,
there is probably little difference be.
tween the figures for the native con-
tingents in the colonial armies OF
Britain and France. OF course, this
excludes all count of the forces main
tanned by the white dominions. which
do not properly come into the reckon
ing, although they would doubtless be
in part at least available in case
Britain were forced again to fight for
existence.
Little French Excess.
When one considers the fact that
France is a continental state with
frontiers both on the German and
Italian sides which might be i'm
periled, whereas British is an island
empire and covered by fleet vastly
stronger than the combined navies of
all Europe, the comparison of armed
establishments shows little excess on
the French side. And it is fair to
conclude not merely that France has
now reduced her army to the mini.
mum, but that with the passing of
years the colonial army will be stead
lily increased.
For the youth of France, however,
1t is a manifest gain to be freed of
two-thirds of the period Of service
with the army. One year instead of
three means an enormous amount in
the first twenties, and the change
gives an increase of nearly 400 900
n al fny
labor. This, too, is important in
France, where there is a shortage not
of jobs but Of men, and in the past
five years upwards of 1000 900
foreigners have had to be imported
to replace the losses in manpower of
the war.
British and American critics Of
France will continue to complain that
the French have not discarded the
consumption system altogether and en-
ployed the volunteer system OF the
United States and Great Britain, the
system which the allies imposed upon
Germany by the treaty of peace. But
the fact remains that the volunteer
system is equally unpopular in all
continental nations. Moreover, It does
not provide any training for the mass
Of the youth, and all the continental
states continue to believe that it Is
necessary that every young man shall
be trained and available in case of
war.
New Frontier Force.
The new army Of France, the met.
ropolitan army as contrasted with the
colonial, will constitute 20 divisions.
Its mission will be to cover the from
tiers in case of war and thus permit
the nation behind it to mobilize it's
manhood and organize its defense. In
August, 1914. France modified As d.
visions for the first shock; thus II is
possible to calculate the extent Of the
reduction achieved by the present pro-
gram.
Moreover, It Is also necessary to note
that the reduction at this moment
supplies a clear evidence of the fact
that the French sense Of security is
growing and that, despite cotempo.
rary local disturbances in Europe,
French opinion remains calm; the
French Parliament, which must short
iy face a general election, is manifest
ly responding to a sentiment among
the people which is both significant
and reassuring.
In the face of the familiar charge OF
French militarism it is, therefore,
worth while to recognize that since
1914 France has reduced the total Of
her military establishment by one
third. that is the numbers Of her met
ropolitan and colonial armies com.
bined; that she has cut her period OF
military service by two-thirds and that
she has scaled down her metropolitan
army from $50. 900 to $50, 900. At the
same time she has made very great re-
auctions in the strength of her navy,
49, al H. Iak
represents very great saving In
money.
Forces Greatly Reduced.
Thirteen years after the outbreak
of tho World War, then, the military
forces Of the two great powers of 1914,
France and Germany. have been
enormously reduced. Their combined
strength today Is not equal to the
numbers of either before the World
War. But, as far as Germany Is con-
cerned, 1t must be recognized that the
present weakness cannot endure, and.
that presently Germany will present
Europe with the alternative of the
creation OF new conscript army at
least equal in strength to the French
or the abolition of CONSUMPTION in all
countries. Meantime, while the French
and German armies have been reduced,
the British has been increased by
nearly fourth, that Is, the army in
Britain, as consequence of the ad-
dition Of the air force, while Italy is
steadily adding to her establishment.
We are, then, a long way from dis.
armament, and the numbers of the
armies Of the smaller states-Poland,
Jugoslavia, Rumania
swell the totals Of 1927 to a point
where they invite unfavorable COM
parlson with those of 1914. Neverthe-
less, the French program Of reduction
Is worthy of comment, and as a baro-
metric evidence of European condi-
tons, at the moment reassuring,
(COpyriRht 1921