Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-27
Western Forces
Greater Than
I'm 1913.
3,OOO,OOO MEN
ARE In SERVICE
Distrust and Fear
Still Grip Con-
tinent.
BY the Associated Press.

PARIS, August 27.---Consummation
of the Kellogg BRAND war renuncia-
ton treaty finds Western Europe. with
the exception of Germany. more heavily
armed than in 1918.
Upwards of 100000 men are in ac-
tual military service, and. as it happens
at this season, many hundreds of thou
sands have been called to the colors
for training. Swift practice mobiliza-
tions are in progress, and trial war
maneuvers are under way throughout
Europe.
Greater Than Ever.
In artillery, in stores of munitions,
in chemicals and in works for making
gases, in aircraft. in tanks, in all the
complicated apparatus of destruction
the nations have a striking power i'm
mensely superior to that of 1918
This is especially true of the powers
large and small, lately allied in the war.
The central powers are compulsorily
disarmed under peace treaty limita-
tons, but the victorious and non-com-
batant powers, excluding Serbia and
Russia. have added to their armaments
of 1918.
Great Britain and Ireland, which
just prior to the war had 100000 men
under arms, now have troops totaling
100000: France, whose troops before
the war numbered $4,000, has added
10000 to this figure: Italy, whose 1918
army consisted of 274,000 men, now has
BAT 900 men under arms; Belgium has
increased its army from 1000 to 10000,
and Greece from $4,000 to 66,000 Ru-
mania has an army of 205 900, COM
pared with 100000 maintained there be-
fore the war.
States nom -combatant in the great
war have felt impelled to add to their
military establishments. Switzerland,
which had so-ealled active militia
before the war of $4,000, now has l70.-
600, owing to an improved organization.
Denmark has increased its peace
strength from $4,000 in 1918 to 80 900.
Holland from $4,000 to 29,99D, spain
from $4,000 to 224,000. Portugal has
declined from 10000 to $4,000. Norway
from 1000 to 1000, while Swenden has
increased her forces from 26,500 officers
and voluntarily enlisted men to 28,500.
German Army Smaller.
The phrase Western Europe" has
been used for the reason that Europe,
taken as whole. has about 1000 900
fewer men under arms. The German
army has shrunk from 100000 to i00,-
600. Russia and the states carved from
her have about 100000 now instead of
200, 600 as In 1913 Austria and states
taken from her have 10000 instead of
424,000 in 1913 Bulgaria instead of
60 900 is limited to 10000.
Why these armaments?
That is question thrusting up in
parliaments when budgets are debated.
at Geneva always, in periodical litera-
ture frequently. The comprehensive re-
ply is the widespread distrust. sus-
picion, fear that pervade the councils of
governments. Peace engagements of
much formality have been adopted by
European powers at Genoa in 1922, at
Geneva in 1924, at Locarno in 1925,
and now. the most solemn of all per-
haps, the BriandKellogg convention of
1928. The distrust of the present is an
inheritance of the past, the survival
of tradition and the habits of thought
deeply fixed by the training of the
elderly statesmen In command Of pub
lie business
Each country has It's specific reasons
adequate to itself even if unexpressed
or not much talked about. There are
the Itaio-Jugoslav differences. Ru-
mania has her Bessarabian question.
Poland. with 242, 900 men under arms.
has her doubts of Russia, her fears
Of Germany on account of the Dan2ig
corridor, her open dispute with Lithu-
ANA. The Little Entente"-C2echo-
slovakia, Jugoslavia and Rumania-
have their contentious with Hungary
over the minority question.
France Explains Armaments.
The armaments Of France, easily the
most powerful country on the continent
require some explanation, the French
feel. Prevailing thought in the higher
political level is that France more than
any other power is responsible for
peace in Europe, that Is to say for
the maintenance Of the status quo Be-
sides that, 1t is felt here that the en-
gagements Of France are such that
there can hardly be a war anywhere
In Europe without affecting French in
tefcsts. She has military alliances with
Belgium and Poland France also has
limited alliances with Rumania and
one or two other Balkan states,
There is the delicate Italo-French
situation. Almost anything that one
might say on this subject would be con-
troVerted by competent authority Ill
Rome or IN Paris Nevertheless, Sit
nati0n does exist that gives some con-
Germ on this side of the frontier The
incidents along the southern part of
the frontier last year were viewed as
a disagreeable hint Of certain unrest
in Italy In respect to France, The
newspapers Of the two countries en-
gage from time 10 time in polemtcs.
and on both sides Is driven "the bit
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