Evening star., 1936-03-15

- year since Adolf Hitler repu-
dated the disarmament clauses
a Of the Versailles treaty and re-
eumed conscription, has accomplished
q military Transformation unprece-
dented in history. From an army on
cially limited to 100000 it has built
UP a standing force. we'll trained and
fairly completely equipped, that now
totals $4,000 and will attain 650,000
when six new divisions now being re-
cruited are complete.
These are peace-time electives. In
case of war $4,000 trained reservists
can be called Immediately. giving a
grand total on a war footing of l.
100000.
Nobody but a military man can
properly appreciate what Germany
has accomplished in II months, and
French officers with whom this writer
has talked are full of admiration. 1t
meant training many thousands of
non-commissioned officers and subal-
terms and forming new divisions, new
regiments and new companies, while,
at the same time, manufacturing ma
terials-planes, tanks, guns, tractors
and training men to operate them.
Care in Organizing Reserves.
1t also meant organizing reserves
In such a manner that every man
will fall automatically into his place
when war is declared. Providing the
machinery for such a mobilization of
nearly million men was a formid-
able task. Included in the number
are 100000 who have served an enlist
ment in the Reichswehr and conse-
quently are among the best trained
soldiers in the world; 100000 who
have had similar service in the mill
tarized force, or Schutzpolizei; 250.0O0
who, in the last few years, have had
secret instruction in Reichswehr units,
contrary to treaty stipulations. and
100000 who were given thorough mil
itary preparation in the Brown Shirt
and Black Shirt units.
Nor does this represent Germany's
whole available man-power for at
least a million more have had suffi-
clent training in labor camps and
other civilian groups to be useful in
auxiliary services.
In aviation. Germany's army is less
advanced than in other branches. but
preparations are making great strides.
Forbidden altogether until a year ago.
Germany already has 40 air squad
rons and 40 military air fields are
completed, with 40 more in the course
OF construction. The equipment in
cludes pursuit planes that make $50
miles an hour and new bonbers now
being built are declared to be capable
of doing 235 miles an hour with a
load of ton and half.
Worlds Greatest War Machine,
Within two years, the French gen.
eral stat1 believes, Germany will have.
as IN 1914, the worlds greatest fight
ing machine. During the 15-year
period when army electives were
limited by treaty, the German Army
chiefs concentrated on quality. The
Reichswehr, with its 12-year enlist
ment and its iron discipline, achieved
q degree Of efficiency heretofore un-
known. Its purpose now is to employ
the same methods with much larger
force. insisting on quality as well as
numbers.
Bt obviously this dream is not vet
realized. Armies cannot be in1uro-
Nsed. Officers are being trained at
rapid rate-l,8 800 second lieutenants
nave been commissioned in the last
year as against an average of 18o in
preceding years-but no matter how
thorough their instruction is. it takes
certain time in actual command of
troops before a military machine
begins to work smoothly.
Should the German Army sttennt
TO take the field today against older
armies, 1t Is regarded as certain that
u would prove decidedly inferior. For
that reason, when the responsible
Aelchswehr chiefs learned of Hitler's
rash reputation of the Locarno treaty
ana his provocative reoccupatton of
the Rhineland. they were aghast. In
two years, they believe, they will be
Feaoy-they are not ready today.
HITLER'S FUTURE COURSE,