Evening star., 1935-04-06
FRANCE RETAINING
10000 CONSCR|PTS
DUE FOR RELEASE
Three-Month Extension Is
Voted by Ministerial
Council.
ACTIVE ARMY TO STAY
AT $4,000 STRENGTH
Paris Plans to Seek Pact at Stresa
Spiked for Quick Action
in Need.
BY theassoAated Press.

BY the associated Press.
PARIS, April 6.-Sixty thousand
soldiers belonging to the class which
was due to leave the army April 13
will be kept under the colors until July
IA, under a decision reached today by
the Ministerial Council.
The class originally contained l2O,-
900 men, but exemptions made in favor
of those serving postponed period of
duty, and for other reasons, brought
the total down to approximately half
that number.
Reserve Duty Cut.
The men kept under colors will be
used to guard frontiers and defensive
organizations. They will be exempted
from part of their ordinary reserve
duty. While July IA was fixed as the
final date for their army service, they
may be liberated earlier if training OF
the new conscript class is sufficiently
advanced, it was announced.
Today's decision will keep the active
army stationed in France up to 35O,000
trained men for the next three
months. BY that time it was expected
that the 10000 conscripts due to
enter the army Immediately after
Easter will have been sufficiently
trained to take their place in the
ranks.
The decision was reached at
council of ministers presided over by
President Albert Lebrun. It followed
the advice of the Superior War Council
yesterday.
Forts Being Completed.
Meanwhile, military authorities pro-
ceeded methodically with completion
of Notifications along the frontier and
the occupation of those sections al
ready completed.
A battalion of the l46th Infantry
regiment at Metz was proceeding with
the occupation of a section of defense
works just completed. Their place
will be taken by the 18th Infantry.
During May a garrison composed of
a battalion Of infantry will be in
stalled at Boulay, Is miles from the
Saar frontier.
Foreign Minister Pierre Laval re-
ported today that state of negotia-
tions was now in progress and the
session April to decide upon the
policy to be followed at the Stresa
conference, April IL.
1t was learned. meanwhile, on good
authority, that France will propose at
the Stresa meeting European mutual
assistance pact spiked by a method
of rapidly defining an aggreSsor to
guaranty security in the face of Ger
man military moves.
The French plan involves the
building up of the pact within the
framework of the League of Nations
The main lines of the system already
have been drafted with some details
which may be modified by the cabi-
net which will pass judgment on it.
Conforms With Accords.
Its essential principle. it was held,
conforms perfectly with both the
Rome and London accords with the
Paris government. since the pact is
universal and open to all nations.
Now that the Eastern Locarno
agreement, to which Germany and
Poland objected, is definitely con-
sidered scrapped, informed quarters
indicated that the only alternative is
an old system of alliances which are
generally disfavored.
France. it was said, seeks to have
both Britain and Italy sign resolu-
tion at Stresa condemning German
rearmament. Foreign Minister Pierre
Laval hopes to show Europe that the
three powers are solidly united in the
face Of what France describes as the
German menace to peace.