Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-13
ARMY OF FRANCE
At LOWEST EBG
German General Refers to
Present Force as "Can-
non Fodder"
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.
By Gable to The Star and chicago Daily
News Copyright, 1929.


Ry Gable to The Star and Chicaso DAILY
News. Copyright, 1873.
PARIS, October 12-With the reduc-
ton of compulsory military service to
one year, beginning Octobe 81, the
French Army will have reached pre-
sunably the lowest ebb of the present
century. This ebb may be and probably
is temporary, but nevertheless Is sig
nifcant.
Far from possessing vast combatant
force capable of dominating the Euro
pean continent, France, contrary to the
opinion still held abroad. might even
find some difficulty in facing theoreti-
cally "disarmed' Germany.
The question is somewhat compli'
Gated and difficult to explain to non
military readers. but some specialists
are of the opinion that the German
Army is, at least temporarily. the
superior. One German general recently
referred to the present French Army
as cannon fodder" Another declared
that the German reichswehr ought to
I 60 through the inadequately trained
French battalionS like a knife through
butter.
Frontiers Not Fortified.
The Rhineland will soon be evacuated
and nothing seems to have been done
toward fortifying the new frontiers. and
the actual covering force behind which
!; mobilization would have to take place
} does not exceed 10000 men. Mobuiza-
ton, it is calculated, would take at least
three weeks, for some divisions would
need supplementary training before they
could be utilized in the field.
Against these 10000 men Germany,
it is estimated, could throw almost I'M
mediately 100000 perfectly equipped
men, all Of whom have had more than
i've years training. OF these 100000
are supposedly enlisted for IL years. but
1t Is known that the entire force has
been turned over at least once and full
equipment has been kept In readiness
to rake these admirably trained and
drilled young reserves back into the
army at days notice.
French Hate War.
with the present army organization
it would apparently be impossible for
France to take the offensive several
weeks after the beginning of the war
This fact alone Is sufficient evidence
. of the extent to which moral disarma-
ment has been carried here. The
French people hate war. They want
} peace and are willing to make many
. budget IS sttngy. The feeling Of the
people is such that it has discouraged
many officers. Not few have resigned.
} In Paris it Is extremely rare that one
sees French officer in uniform. On
& the other hand, in Germany the war
equipment Is nearly all brand-new. in
. Guiding the planes Of convertible COM
mercial aviation. The French mate
!: rial Is mainly what the French had at
the end OF the great war. ! Even in
aviation, which In some respects is the
. arny's crack service, new planes are
needed. But 1t Is particularly in eff
. fectives that the new situation Is most
apparent.
: In the early months Of 1914. thu
. French army, including garrisons In thu
= colonies, totaled nearly 100000 men
The term Of military service was thres
years. The army was organized int
some ~ divisions of infantry and II
. Of cavalry, plus IS reserve divisions
s almost Immediately available on tn
y weeks Of August. 1914, nearly 5000, o0(
9 reservists were called to the colors.
Army Less Than 100000.
!. At the present time the standing
y army, including colonial garriSons, con
IL
term of military service is one year, al.
though the nlechanization Of armie
z theoretically demands q longer, nc
short service, than the old simple
Z: system.
y The army is now organized into 2
divisions of infantry instead Of Al, an
4 of cavalry, instead of 10, plus
8 reserve divisions, instead Of IS. Mos
4 of these divisions for technical reason:
y are not really available until at leas
g three weeks after the outbreak Of war
4 The number of reserves quickly avail.
s able is estimated at 100000, instead Of
z 100000.
y This deficiency In framework is
9 being partly compensated by re-enlist-
a ments and the gradual formation OF
s sort Of professional army, which
= theoretically, should consist of over
y 100000 men, but which actually seems
Z: nearer to $4,000.
Z: Army Widely Scattered.
Z Furthermore, in 1914 only $4,000
men were In the colonies. Now OF
z: the total Of some $50 900, only about
y 100000 are on the Continent. The
81 rest are scattered among the far-dune
Z colonial empire; $1,000 In Morocco
$4,000 in Syria, 1000 in China anc
q others in Indo-China, West Africa
y Madagascar, equatorial Africa and tht
&: Pacific islands. Nor is this all Ir
y 1895 boys born during the years Of Tho
s. World War will begin to be liable
3. to service. and, owing to the fewer
> births in those tragic years, the annua
g contingent will fall from 100000 tx
y only $4,000. Except for professional
re-enlistments and colonials this 1885,.
q 600 must suffice for the whole French
y army and navy.
9 1t may be said that the diminutior
y of the army is partly compensated BY
s the French system Of continental al
= liances. But supposing that Frances
y opponent was Germany, it can be
q: imagined that Russia will neutralizs
y Poland. while Czechoslovakia may pre-.
81 fer to remain neutral. This leaves only
q Belgium sure to be helpful ally witt
. $4,000 men.