Evening star., 1932-07-03
HIDDEN FUNDS USED TO PAY
FOR PARIS WAR MACHINE
Conference at Geneva Will Study Budget
of Nation Called Strongest
for War.


over and above amount fixed in air
force budget. expenditure for new con-
structlon and air corps equipment 870,-
600 900 francs.
Article 90. finance law. provides for
governmental work and national defense
research studies l12 100000 francs.
The Ministry Of Interior budget pro-
vides for the Garde Republicaine 542,-
$50, ,955 francs.
Article 10. finance law for barracks
and quarters for Mobile Garde Republ-
caine 305. .625 900 francs.
Article II, finance law, provides for
educational contracts to industries
necessary for the national defense 35,-
10000 francs.
Article II, finance law, authorizes the
utilization for purchase Of new mill
tary equipment of sums derived from
sale of abandoned barracks etc, H.
250000 francs.
The Ministry of Finance budget car
/ ries for pensions for professional SOL
diers 1473,000,000 francs.
Article 10, finance law, provides for
( expenditure over and above naval bud
I get $50 1000, 600 francs.
These few items-and there may be
many more-a6d to Frances total mill
/ tary expenditures. if the estimated
900 00O, 900 francs which will be au-
[ thorized during the year for new forti-
fications the tidy sum of 1929, 1913, $50
francs.
Shortage of Men Claimed.
one argument advanced by French
military experts to explain why France
cannot afford to disarm or limit her
armaments now is that for the next
few years. due to an allegedly low birth
l.,
dearth of conScript material for the
army The French delegation, how
ever. has overlooked one thing, namely
that the official records of the military
authorities show that while there was
a shortage of $4,000 men for the ranks
last year, the shortage will be only
1900 this year. Furthermore, it is esti-
mated that there will be $50, 900 physi-
cally fit men of 81 years of age avail
able next year and thereafter The
average of the annual contingent called
TO the colors is 100000. The eXplana
ton is that, thanks to the increase in
physical education of the youth of
France, a higher percentage of the an
nual contingent is now found to be
physically fit for service. Hence. even
though the number of men reaching
conscript age in the next few years
may possibly be below normal. there
will be more boys than ever before who
can be given military training.
Another interesting fact is that de-
spite her pathetic plea of insecurity at
Geneva, Frances regular army this
year consists of 63S,e64 professional SOL
diers. of which number 32,381 are
officers.
Frances trained reserves number
10000 officers and 6.197.512 non-com-
miSSioned officers and men.
Her total effective fighting force is
70S6,476 officers and men, not count
ing the navy
Germany's Army Limited.
Germany's army, which presumably
strikes terror into the hearts of French
men and makes more security indis-
pensable. is limited by the Versailles
treaty to 100000 officers and men. In
1881 Germany had 3,79S officers and
81, 900 men in her army. Furthermore,
Germany has no big guns, no tanks, no
mobile heavy artillery, no submarines,
no warShips over 10000 tons, and no
military or naval aircraft or air forces
Frances air force totals 32,340 officers
and men and 1900 fighting planes.
So far as Germany is concerned, if
she were to go to war with France to-
morrow (and that would mean war
against Frances allies, Poland, Czecho-
slovakia and Belgium. she could mob
ilize for every 10 kilometers of her
frontiers tabout six miles, only 243
men, equipped with two light machine
guns and rifles. For every 100 kilo-
meters of front she would have in ad-
dltion seven light guns and % light
and two heavy machine guns.
France, on the other hand, could
mobilize on every 10 kilometers of the
western front Of Germany 69,122 SOL
diers, armed with % light and 25 heavy
guns, 318 light and 258 heavy machine
guns, anti-aircraft guns, Sc airplanes
and Al tanks
The Belgians could throw against
Germany on every 10-klometer sector
38, 431 men, armed with 38 light and
IT heavy guns, 3 anti-aircraft guns,
1877 light and rs heavy machine guns,
IA tanks and Is airplaneS.
The Poles could mobilize on every 10
kilometers Of frontier 11,118 men,
equipped with seven light and two
heavy guns, 80 light and % heavy ma
chine guns. tank and 5 airplanes,
while the Czechoslovakians could mus
ter for each similar length of line
8.506 soldiers, equipped with five light
and two heavy guns, 42 light and 8
heavy machine guns and 3 airplanes
And yet, despite Germany's complete
helpleSsness so far as aggressive
strength is concerned, France continues
to be the main stumbling block in the
path Of disarmament.