The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-10-28
By FRANK /. WELLER

r.
Of the burden facing the world
should German demands for
equality be worked out in terms
Of French security"
Before Adolf Hitler's govern
,nsnt recalled its representatives
from Geneva and announced Ger
many's resignation from the
League of Nations, the disarma-
ment conference had disclosed that
lit would frown upon any material
modification of the Versailles
treaty which might bring about e
restoration of pre-war power.
Equality Postponed
When the German withdrawal
came it evoked revelations that
the general scheme under discuss
sion provided a sealing down of
ornaments in the world war victor
states but without any accom-
panying upward revision in the
vananished countries. 1t would be
at least eight years, and possibly
longer. before practical equality
would be accomplished.
Today there is ring of steel
around Germany. In the French
influence" area of Europe are
five nations capable Of putting 3D.
1854 trained soldiers in the
field.
Poland. on the east, has 332, 100
active and 1,645,0O0 in reserve.
South of Germany are the Little
Entente Rumania with
244lS50 active and 1,4s5.5 re.
serves; Czeehoslovakia with 1885,
600 under arms and l,4s9,0O0
trained men, and Yugoslavia.
whose army numbers 1885, 300 and
whose reserves total ], 5B6. 800.
French Army Lsrssst
Then on the west is France with
CO.,. 900 men on active service and
g. 32e. 900 trained reserves. The
republic thus replaces imperial
Germany as the worlds premier
builder of armies.
Compared with these hosts Ger
many has but 100. 500 regulars, no
reserves. no Notifications such as
bristle on the French side of the
boundary. no tanks, gas or siege
guns, limited ammunition and
nothing but commercial air fleet,
whereas france has amassed near
" 5000 battle planes into the
most formidable air force in the
world.
The German army looks puny
against the backdrop Of 1914
Some 100000 regulars and $4,000
officers goose-stepped to the first
battles of the world war and be-
hind them came $500. 900 reserves.
The regulars composed PIT M
fantry regiments. 10 battalions of
light artillery, II machine gun de-
tachments. rs fortress machine|
gun attachments, 10 cavalry reg
innents. 100 field artillery regi-
nients. 25 regiments Of foot artil-
lery, So engineer battalions, 81
railway regiments. Q telegraph hat
talions, 0 balloon regiments, 5 air.
plane battalions and | mortar hat
TALON.
Just rs the Versailles treaty de-
capitated Germany's standing
army II ended her glory on the
sea.
In 1914 the great Heligoland
naval base was considered impree-
nable. The German fleet boast
ed 356 vessels. There were "a
battleships. IS cruisers, 162 de-
stroyers. 81 torpedo boats and 80
submarines.
TIE treaty reduced German sea
power to 8 battleships. 9 liwht
cruisers. I2 destroyers and IL
torpedo boats, and dismantled
Helieoland.
Army Tesm - Years
Germany's lack Of reserves re-
suits from the voluntary 12-year
enlistment imposed by the versail-
les pact on regular army service.
liz was = French idea gained from
the Fraae0-P rassian war.
Al Europe was under the Inn
pressson there were no more than
60 900 regulars In the Prussian
army Of 1870. Secretly. its off
GERS hit upon = plan OF training
men in . Few months and moving
them ont Of sight while visible
ranks filled with recruits. When
the prussians marched into Paris
their army numbered a50.OOO.
The a2-year. neneonseript serv-
ice was designed to discourage en-
lfSfsnxssf nssa kNnn German n.an.