Evening star., 1934-11-23
OFFER OF RUSSIAN
FORCES TO FRANCE
IN WAR REVEALED
Archimbaud Informs Parlia-
ment of Entente in Event
of German Conflict.
REPORT "EXAGGERATED,"
HIGH OFFICIALS AVER
Chamber Hears of Reich's War
Preparations and Votes
$427 100000 for Army.

Copyright. 1884. by the Associated Press.
PARIS, November 23.-The French
Chamber of Deputies today voted to
spend approximately S427, 100000 for
military purposes next year, after II
had been told that Germany was
preparing for war and that Russia
would back up France in the event
war came.
The alleged entente with Russia was
denied by government officials, out IL
was given on the floor Of the Chamber
by Leon Archimbaud, the reporter Tor
the Finance Committee, as he pre-
sented the nations war budget TO
Parliament.
Deputies and cabinet ministers
talked heatedly of their fear that
France was not safe.
Gen. Louis Maurin, minister OF war,
declared: Il do not say that II you
wish for peace prepare for war; l
simply say we must be on our guard.
War Budget Passed.
The Deputies agreed to the war min
istrys request, passing war budget OF
$3.50 100000 francs (S374,336,2 ,2OO),
then adding their approval OF an emer-
gency appropriation OF 8OO,O00,0Oo
francs (S52, 2,64O,O ,O0O). This latter ap-
propriation is to be spent for new
fighting equipment. The voting came
after the Chamber Finance Commit
tee had pledged itself to vote whatever
the country needed for defense.
Archimbaud informed Parliament
Elror
huge army in the event OF conflict With
Germany, although government OFF,
cials termed his description of the cir
cumstances as Exaggerated.
The officials said the relations be-
tween France and Russia are growing
steadily closer, but that there are no
military agreements" They said 1T
would take 10 years before the pre-
war F'ranco-Russian relations" could
be revived.
States Facts and Figures"
"The Russian airfeet is the first
in the world" Archimbaud said.
ours comes next. We may be tran
quill for the moment with the UNDER
standing between the two countries. :"
He declared he had no wish to
alarm the country, but that he was
merely presenting facts and figures" !"
Russia has strong and well
equipped army which she offers us
in case of conflict with Germany"
stated Archimbaud. "Reichsfuehrer
Hitler of Germany does not observe
the (Versailles) treaty.
Russia gave us the first warning
and an understanding is arranged
between us"
He pictured RuSsia's huge military
machine working with France as the
only means" of maintaining the peace
of Europe.
Informed by Russia.
Col. Jean Fabry, former minister
of war, asserted that Frances knowl-
edge of German rearmament, the de-
tails Of German troops, and informa-
ton regarding the secret manufacture
OF arms and airplanes in Germany
came from Russia.
Archimbaud said he regretted that
800 years after the war we are obliged
to go back to the old system of Eu-
ropean equilibrium but well-deflned
union with Russia alone can stabilize
Europe and assure peace"
Louis Germain- Martin, minister OF
finance, told how Marshal Petain,
former minister of war, had sought to
avoid the necessity for Frances two
year military service by spending more
money on armameIts and swelling the
Army's ranks by voluntary re-enlist-
ment.
Archinbaud said that some army
chiefs had impeded re-enliStments
which Deputy Chouffet suggested, be-
cause they sought to make increased
compulsory service imperative.
Forts Lack Manpower.
The huge steel and concrete net
work of forts facing the Rhine, said
Deputy Andre Beaugitte, "cost four
billion francs, but are useless unless
they are defended" He said that one
fort, which needed at least 500 men,
was manned by four men and a
corporal.
He told the Chamber of Deputies
that Germany was supposed to have
100000 troops concentrated just
across the Rhine. "If these 100000
were thrown without warning against
our 1OI LlllCdIlOIlS, llC OCIAoACN, eAASy
would break through"
Col Fabry stated: There are at
this moment more than 100000 men
In German barracks. More and more,
special automobile highways are built
up to the Rhine and five new bridges
have been constructed"
He said that the one-year service
period must be increased unless re-
enlistment brought enough trained
men to form the framework OF a
wartime army.
war material" declared Col. Fabry,
"cAn be had with money, but there
must be men. France must love its
army and it wants a strong army. The
army must be the beloved child of the
nation"
In his statement to the Deputies,
Afchimbaud said the French hope
Fundamentally that the Disarmament
Conference would succeed but that
sit served the cause of peace badly to
allow the people to believe that Hitler
closely observed the treaty of Ver-
sailles."