Evening star., 1932-09-11
MISCONCEPTION is SEEN
ON DISARMAMENT ISSUE
German Equal Rights Plea Could Not
Be Realized for Years, Expert
Declares.

SON
"free" countries, Is stored to an amount
sufficient for the increased army in case
of mobilization and for the first replace
ments
This great number of men is avail
able as result Of the one years active
service of the conscripts The compul-
sorry service in France lasts % years,
every year 250,000 men are trained so
that about 100000 men are trained
within these % years. If we deduct 10
per cent loss on account of death, disa-
bility, etc, and make further allow
anceS because not all trained men would
be available in case of war, we can con-
servatively say that at least between
4,500,000 and 100000 men would be
available to reinforce the active divi-
sions and for the establishment Of the
reserve divisions.
Quick Action Provided.
The skeleton for the new units would
be taken from the 100000 profession
ais, /. e. soldiers serving longer than
one year in the active army
This defense organization which is to
be regarded as meeting best all modern
requirements would enable France to
start the advance practically few
hours after the declaration of war, in
order to occupy great areas of the en-
emy's country, so that the mobilization
OF the masses could be carried out un-
disturbedly.
When considering Frances war
strength we have to mention the
strength OF her military allies as well,
all OF which have more or less a SINH
lar peace organization providing for a
nnnCiHnT0 1f
case Of war. The rough figures follow:
strength. Trained SS but 4 listed isasp
soand 1885, 1890 ssSSSSS sSS SSS 100000
lssSS $4,000 ssSSSS sSSS 100000
without frontier guard units.
| Considering only the trained men the
armies of France and her allies with
an aggregate peace strength of about
100000 men are able to increase the
war strength Of their armies to at least
| 100000 trained men.
The defense organizations Of the
countries not belonging to the French
military alliance are mostly different
Italy trains 10000 men yearly for ID
months, so that her standing army in
Summer time is greater than during
the Winter. The amount Of her pro-
feSsionalS Is restricted to $4,000 officers
and $4,000 non-commiSsioned officers
She, therefore, has put the limit for the
compromise between quality and guam
tity higher and trains all men more or
less alike. Her reserve stock of men
consists Of 200 900 officers and $500, 900
men.
In war time probably 40 infantry di-
visions, 2 cavalry divisions and some
smaller formations would be available
System in Germany.
Entirely different systems are applied
in Switzerland and Germany. The
Swiss army Is purely militia system,
because this army has to serve exclu-
sively defensive purposes. The Swiss
declaration Of neutrality Of 1915 pre-
vents this country from participating
in any war except in one to defend her
neutrality. She has no standing army;
the $50 active officers and $50 forttfca-
tion guards in st. Maurice and st. Got
thard are the only professionals.
In spite of this, Switzerland has COM
pulsory service and during the training
season from $4,000 to 10000 men are
under colors. Special schools serve to
train these men under the leadership
of the reserve. officers and the super
vision of the active officers. Uniforms,
weapons and equipment and. for the
cavalry, horses are kept by the men
at home Additional equipment is stored
in warehouses.
Six infantry divisions, six Landwehr
| brigadeS, three infantry brigadeS, sew
eral Landstrum units and air forces
would be available in case Of war. The
Swiss defense organization is an ex-
treme of purely militia system.
| The German defense organization Is
4 NJ q
professional system Only 100000 OFF,
GERS and men are allowed by the treaty
of Versailles. The training Of the
youth, reservists and their control, re-
serve stock of material, heavy artillery,
anti-aircraft, tanks and armored cars,
military airplanes, Notifications, except
a few obsolete ones in the east; special
training Of the leaders general staft(,
preparation for gas war and for moblll-
zation, railroad construction in certain
districts-in other words, not only Oh
fensive. but also defensive means-are
prohibited
The men have to serve IL years, ON
GERS 25 years, only per cent may be
released every year beyond the regular
quota.
What this prohibition means for the
war strength and for supposed equal
ity will be Illuminated by comparison
With the computation OF Frances
tpained reserve mentioned above. Ger
| many trains every year not more thu
10000 men, probably less, who cS'@
| however, not be regarded as resef~i--,
because they are dismissed from active
service on account of disability or after
! IL years service, being either unable for
military service or at least about 81
years of age. The peace and war
strength of the Germany army there
/ s,1Fa krxT
cavalry divisions.
This prescribed defense organization
is very expensive. Cavalry is always
more expensive than infantry. Ger
many'S great amount of cavalry is un-
necessary. Furthermore, volunteer
army is always much more costly be-
cause the government has to compete
with other employers" as to the pay
ments to the hired men. France and
Poland pay their soldiers 1 cent a day.
Germany paid before the war 5 cents;
she has to pay 2 cents today. This is
the first thing Germany wants to have
changed.
Equality in Eighteen Years.
AS to the problem of equality we
have to say: Suppose Germany would
receive today equal rights and 1t would
| be possible for her to train just as
France does every year $50, 900 men, the
difference between the French 100000
trained reserves and the 100000 trained
German soldiers would be decreased
every year by 250,000 men. An equality
in this respect, therefore, could not be
reached before Is years from today,
The same disparity would also prevail
for quite some time in other respects.
While it Is theoretically possible to
manufacture an equal amount of heavy
guns, tanks, armored cars, airplanes,
etc, in certain time limit and to build
up the destroyed Notifications (though
it is hard to see how all this could be
| flnanced), it would be of little avail,
because it is impossible to train within