The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-03-23
Russia Has Biggest
 War Machine OfAH
(Continued from Page D


 nent through tho conscriptiOn period.
 Tower Above Other Nations
 Thus, the Soviets tower far above other European armies in numbers actually under arms, numbers oi immediately available trained re- serves, and Q vast pool of other Lnan.power.
 In two vital factors of modern warfare, the Goviets undoubtedly are heavily superior, that Is, in numbers of airplanes and tanks, re- garding which the utmost secrecy is preserved.
 Only comparative figures are ever given in official reports. The latest issued last January, said only that aviation strength had increased in four years by $50 per cent, and tank corps strength 700 per cent.
 5000 War Planes
 The most. conservative estimates of foreign observers indicate that the soviets possess 3,OOO military airplanes including 800 bombers ot modern design and efficiency. They agree that the number may be in- creased rapidly because the manti- featuring plants are operating on a production basis. An Amer ica1l engineer who visited one large plant said Russia is equipped for the biggest mass production of any European nation.
 Although the efficiency of the American. remodel motors built in Russia under license is not quite as high as those built In the United States, their general efficiency when fighting in Spain has been one of the biggest surprises of the civil war there.
 Particularly astonishing in Spain was the performance of fast pursuit planes with two machine guns firing from the wings, operating by the pilot touching Q button, two-ii1ch cannon firing through the propel- Tor and one machine gun firing from the tail. There is general agreement on the excellence of the Soviet pilots.
 M9Ye 1OVV Tanks
 The Soviet Union likewise excels In the number and variety of tanks, the lowest estimate of their number being 1,600. Some military writers put the total as much higher. They range In size from whippets to great crawling 3crtresses weighing about A8 tons.
 The principal tank is modelled on the American Christie, weighing about 12 tons and making about 30 miles an hour on caterpillars, al- though capable of operating on wheels for long road travels.
 The efficiency of the Christie type medium tanks was exhibited in Spain, where their arinoring and turret action so interested the Car mans that one captured tank was reported to have been sent to Ber- lin for examination.
 Great Degree of Safety
 From the viewpoint of geographic vulnerability, the Soviets possess a far greater degree of safety from enemies than any nation except the United States. Vast, sparsely-pop- ulated districts must be crossed be- fore any vulnerable point can be reached.
 The Soviets are following the pol- icy of centrallzing their basic lmrni. tioilS industries in remote regions of the Urals and Baikal, inaccessible to bombing.
 Modern roads are being built for mobility within the union. The double -traciking of the trans-Si- berian Railway Is due for comple- ton this year. The thousand mile new Baikal-Ainur line, far north of the Siberian, should be conn., pleted in Q few years.
 Beats Even United States
 In the matter of war-time .sugfic- iency, 50 important in modern war fare, the Soviets hold Q position equalled by none, not even the United States. Natural resources are 50 varied and immense that Russia can supply herself with everything needed for munitions and the feed- ing of the army and civilians.
 Natural rubber is lacking but Rus- sia is piling up reserves and exper- imenting with synthetic production. Officials say hundreds of tons are being produced annually for rnili- tary truck tires, and that before many years Russia will be able to supply all her needs. Foreign on. gineers are not SO optimistic.
 Most foreign observers believe the Soviets have reached a point in ef- ficiency of production which would enable the country to cope with a large-scale and long war. Nobody denies the high quality of the army personnel, which is well-nourished and excellently disciplined.
 TOmoFr0w's dispatch will deal with Russia's astonishing develop ment of parachute jumping, en- :. abling thousands Of men to be dropped with machine guns or even small tanks and field artil- A 0 M n A