Evening star., 1932-09-28
SECRET ARMAMENT
LAID TO GERMANY
Herriot's Attitude Against
U. S. Proposal AIIegedIy
Based on Reich Force.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.
BY Cable to The Star.
GENEVA, September 28.-Why does
France appear to be so reluctant to
adopt President Hoover's disarmament
plan?
What is France, with its superb
army, afraid Of?
What is this mystery of alleged secret
German ornaments?
What information, If any, have the
French got which has not hitherto
been available to the United States?
What did Edouard Herriot, French
premier. really mean when he said
Sunday, in his sensational speech
"technicians of indisputable authority
tend to make us believe that Germany
is aiming to organize very powerful
modern army, destined not only for
defense, which would be entirely legitt-
mate, but ultimately for aggression?
Actually Favors Plan.
How can an intelligent liberal
like Herriot with all the sources of
information of the French government
at his disposal, expect to be taken seri-
ously by the United States when he
asks, rs not the military genius Of
Germany today seeking to create an
army. or even a double army, with the
intention of striking a final blow to
the heart Of chosen Adversary"
This correspondent Is able to reveal
today the gist of the famods French
dossiers often mentioned, but never
hitherto published, on Germany's secret
ornaments and military policy
France, 1t is declared, actually favors
the Hoover plan in principle. But the
Hoover plan is based on the assumption
that Germany has merely police army
of 100 900 men. In reality, the French
insist. 1t is far different. If. however,
the Hoover plan were to be modified in
accordance with this reality, or if Ger
many could be persuaded TO observe
both the letter and the spirit OF the
Versailles disarmament clauses, then
France, it is said. could accept the Hoo
yer plan Immediately.
Allegations Of France.
What the French dossiers with, 1t IS
said, masses Of corroborative detail tend
to demonstrate is as follows:
Germany has never ceased to evade
doing so now on an increasingly open
scale Its army regulations have con-
stantly provided for training in all
weapons forbidden to Germany. In
this training dummies have replaced
actual weapons, but there is reason to
believe that the actual weapons also
exist.
Up to the time when it was dissolved
the Inter-Allied Control Commission
continually found hidden stocks of
arms Since 1927 there has been no
outside control whatever and German
law Furnishes for high treason any Ger
man who in any way reveals informa-
ton connected with the national de-
fense. Thus the Germans, Walter
Kreiser and Carl Won Ossietsky. were
condemned to long terms of imprison-
ment by the Supreme Court at Leipzig
for publishing in a German magazine
information regarding the reconstitu-
tion of German military aviation.
If German armamentS are merely
what the treaty allows, say the French.
why should it be reasonable for Ger
man to speak Of them?
The German general staff has been
entirely re-established. It's military
policy has been fully explained II re-
cent military works by Gen. Hans Won
Seeckt This policy provides for two
armies. The first is a shock army,
highly trained for surprise attack and
ready always for instant use. The
second is defense army, in which the
nations entire resources in men and
material would be utilized.
Why q Shock Army.
If Germany is thinking only Of de-
fense, why, the French ask. does it
need a shock army to take advantage
Of a surprise?
This shock army already exists. 1t
, consists of the Reichswher, Of lC5,0c0
men plus 10000 schupo tpolice). or a
total of 175,O00 of probably the best
trained men in the world.
The schupo. 100000 strong, Is theo-
retically a police force, but actually
only half of them are on real police
duty. The other half live in barracks
in companies and hold regular army
maneuverS like the Reichswehr, from
which they are almost indistinguiShable.
What Germany is now ouSy with is
the formation of its second or defense
army. 1t Is for this reason that all
sorts of private armies, like the Steel
Helmets and the Hitlerites, have long
been officially encouraged.
Under recent DEGREES these private
official status and will be welded to-
gether in a trained militia. Seventeen
great camps are being established for
this purpose.
The Germans say that the purpose
of this training Is merely sport and
physical culture. but the regulations
! provide for such sports as 15-mile
marches with Is pounds on the back.
studies of maps and the terrain and all
forms of field communications and
signaling.
Following Gen. Bomberg's visit to the
United States. Germany also organized
ing corps and citizens military training
camps on the American model.
Second Force of 60O, 1000.
In all the French estimate that Ger
many today in addition to its shock
army OF ITS 900 men, has ready sec
ond army of 100000 fairly well-trained
men, which could defend the frontiers
| pending offensive operations OF the
shock army 1t is further believed that
full modern equipment in all arms Is
now available.
The German military budget In 1924
was roughly s114,000,000. S. Parker
Gilbert, American reparations agent, re-
ported at that time that. on the basis
of treaty requirements, this figure was
too high and could be considerably
reduced.
Yet, since then, despite Germany,;s
financial difficulties, the figure has con-
stently increased. 1t attained in 1890
! about $4,000, 900. German deputies
have complained repeatedly that there
is no check whatever on the way this
money is spent. In 1929, the German