Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-17
BY FRANK III. SIMONDS.

~ ISQUIETING as have been Ger.
tain details in recent Euro
pean history, the past weeks
~ have seen two encouraging
developments. After long
| hesitations and sharp domestic dis
putes, the German government has
| consented to permit Franco-Belgian
| officers to inspect the work of destruc-
| ton of German Notifications on the
| Polish border. Concomitantly, the
French Parliament has at last agreed
| to the long-pending one-year service
law, which will entail very consid-
| cradle reduction of the armed forces
of France.
The destruction of the Notifications
| on the Polish frontier is the fulfillment
of a contract made early in the year
when it was agreed that allied con-
| troll of German ornaments should
come TO an end. Once, therefore, the
| inspectors have pronounced the Ger
man performance to have been salts
factory, this chapter in the peace set
| Element will have been terminated
and Germany will be the master of
her own house, although still limited
| as to military forces by the treaty OF
| Versailles.
The Notifications along the eastern
| frontier OF Germany were constructed
| after the close of the war, in the main.
| Nominally, they cover Konigberg in
East Prussia and the road to Berlin
via Frankfort on the Oder. But while
for the Germans these Notifications
have had the character Of defensive
works, for the Poles they are an OBJ.
vious threat.
Gave Germans Advantage.
| A glance at the map will show that
the shortest road from German terri.
tory to Warsaw, the Polish capital.
starts in East Prussia and east OF the
Vistula. Moreover, German armies,
based upon the two networks of forti.
| fications which are in question, would
be in position to execute the familiar
| ana favorite German operation of
double development, of which Cannae
was the classical example and Tannen-
berg in the World War the most sue.
cessful modern illustration.
| Conversely, Of course, il East Prus.
STA is destitute of Notifications it
| would be simple matter for the Poles
| TO overrun the territory, which is
isolated from the main mass of Ger
man territory by the Polish corridor.
moreover, 1t is we'll to recall that the
| NA~~IJ VI FCASolHSS ItduG Berlin 1LSelT
almost frontier city. BY rail from
the German capital to stentsch at the
Polish frontier is just over a hundred
miles, little more than the distance
between New York and PHILADELPHIA,
ana, aside from the works about
frankfurt, there are no barriers to in
VaS1on. Berlin itself. too, is an entire
ly open city, and the country from
| frankfurt to the capital is destitute
OF all natural defenses.
| Measurably the same condition
exists for Warsaw. for while on the
Berlin side the Polish capital Is some
200 miles from the frontier and GOV.
cred by the fortress of Posen, it is not
more than half that distance from the
East Prussian boundary. On the other
hand. on both sides Of this frontier
are long stretches of marshes which
proved adequate obstacles in the last
war and prevented all successful mill
tary operations, both German and
Russian.
May Be Reconstructed.
Since Policeman relations are no.
toriously bad and German determi-
nation to force revision of the east
ern frontiers is unchanged, nothing
is more inevitable than that once the
Allied supervision Of German military
programmes has ended, the forts
which have been demolished will be
reconstructed. The present incident
marks only a temporary adjustment.
1t is important because of it's bearing
on the relations between Germany
and her war opponents. not because
it has permanent Importance.
As to the Notifications, themselves,
they are interesting because they dis.
close the application of the lessons
OF the war. In fact. they are moth
ing more nor less than groups of
cement posts, quite like the strong
points which the German sowed all
along the western front. Thus thew
nave nothing in common with the
elaborate and expensive eystems
which the French constructed about
Verdun and Belfort and the Germans
around Metz and Strasbourgh prior
10 1914. And beyond much doubt
tney Illustrate the system which the
french Will employ in their new and
vast program for covering the pres.
ent German frontier.
Inc voting of the one-year service
law in France, by contrast, marks
definite step toward limitation of
land ornaments. Before the war the
French army was filled by recruits
who served with the colors for three
years. AS the annual contingent
that IS the number of youths reach.
ing the age of twenty, was each
year about 225, 900 the standing army
or France at the moment the war
broke was 100000 in round numbers.
Under the new system, the army
Will consist of the annual contingent |
increased to something over FAC, 900 by |
the inclusion of the recruits from AL. |
sace-Lorraine. In addition there is to |
be a regular standing army of soldiers |
enlisted voluntarily, as in the Ameri- |
can and British systems. This contin. |
gent will number 106,0 900 and the whole |
plan is made conditional upon the rais- |
ing Of this force. BY the terms of this |
plan the regular army of France will |
thus amount to 100000, as contrasted |
with 100000 before the war.
Continue Colonial Force,
In addition, the French, like the |
British. will continue to maintain a |
colonial army, portions of which will :,
be available for use in Europe in case |
of war, precisely as the British Indian |
troops and the French North African !
levies were employed in the World |
War. The colonial army of France
will amount to 100000 and of this
number 10000 will be white French
troops and something more than 10, 900
white troops of the Foreign Legion.
Thus the total military strength of
France, metropolitan and colonial,
will aggregate 100000, of which slight.
ly less than 100000 will be white and
French.
BY comparison the British army sta
tistics are as follows: The regular
army in Britain amounts to $4,000,
as before the war. To this has been
added an air force of So 900, main.
tanned as separate unit. The French
air force, some $1,000 strong, is In
cluded in the general establishment
In addition fho RrifiSb maintain |