Evening star., 1939-01-23
u. ). Would Be Moved
; Notches Up List
By Defense Plan
10 Countries Now Have
Larger Standing Armies
Than America
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The $4,000 increase in Army
strength projected in President
Roosevelt's defense program, officials
said today, would move the United
States up three notches in the list
OF the worlds active military forces.
A proposed addition of 27,00O
officers and men to the Air Corps,
$4,000 or more to the Panama Canal
garrison and 5000 to other branches
would swell the Regular Army to
nearly 100000 officers and men.
Ten countries now have larger
standing armies than the United
States, on the basis of newly re-
vised official figures. Disregarding
Increases which others may make
In the meantime, the United States
will rank eighth in two years, If
Congress approves the 1852, 1000 900
armament recommendations.
When trained reserves are in
cluded, the United States ranks
only nineteenth, and officials an
ticipate no relative advance in this
respect.
Seventh in Air List.
IN air forces. the United States,
with 25,895 officers and men in
actual service and in trained re-
serves, ranks seventh and probably
will continue to do so.
The proposed s3OO,0O0OO0 expan-
sion of the Army Air Corps likely
will be the first part of the defense
program ready for House action.
Chairman May, Democrat, of Ken
lucky of the House Military Com
mittee said he hoped to complete
hearings this week.
Representative Martin of Massa-
chusetts, Republican leader in the
House, last night appointed special
committee of II of his minority
colleagues to examine carefully the
administrations armament pro-
gram. Representative Wadsworth
Of New York will head the group.
The Republican party, Mr.. Martin
said, ''is committed to the PROPOSE
ton that the American people are
determined to direct their energies,
not toward war, but toward peace"
He said a House Republican eau
Gus had favored a defense policy
which would insure a sound integra-
ton of land, naval, air and indus
trial strength; invite clear defini-
ton of American foreign policy, and
guard against dangerous interven-
ton in the international frictions
and discords OF other peoples"
Other members of the G. o. P.
committee are Representatives Mas
of Minnesota, Church of. Illinois,
Andrews of New York, Short of Mis-
souri,, Powers of New Jersey, Otter
of Pennsylvania, Ford of Califor-
mia, Dworshak of Idaho, Lewis of
Ohio and Wigglesworth of Massa-
chusetts.
In radio debate last night over
the armament program Senator
Pittman, Democrat. of Nevada,
chairman of the Senate Foreign Re-
lations Committee, said the United
States must be ready to repulse any
advance of relationships toward our
country and our neighbors."
Appears Not Excessive.
Senator Taft. Republican, of Ohio,
In reply said the amount proposed
for arms expenditures did not seem
excessive, but declared the President
, had indicated favor for foreign
policy (which in the end would re-
Quire much greater armament"
The United States Army last June
30 contained 183,455 officers and
men, including 6,400 Philippine
scouts. The National Guard num-
bered about 2o5 1000, and the officers
Reserve Corps 113,177.
Reports to officials here credit
Germany with 100000 men actually
: under arms, a trained reserve of
3.l50,00O and an air force of 100000
men. Soviet Russia, China and
Japan all have larger standing
forces, however. and Italy has an
air force believed here to number
434,983.
The largest active armies are:
Great Britain, 208,500; China, g.
100000; Czecho- -Slovakia, 2O5 5000;
France, 725,729; Germany, 100000;
Italy. 917991; Japan, 100000;
Poland, 100000; Rumania, 212,0OO;
Russia, 100000 Spain is excluded
because of the lack of accurate
data
The relative strength of leading
military forces, including trained
reserves:
Soviet Russia, 100000; Italy,
7,412,158; Japan, 6248,0OO; France,
6,025,759; Germany, 5000 900; China,
100000: Czecho-Slovakia, 1890 900;
Rumania. 1,82s,ooo; Yugoslavia,
1,815.237; Poland, 1,713O00; British
Empire, 1,OO7.57O Great Britain
alone, 573,5O0); Belgium, 766,298;
Bulgaria, 70l,6l0; Hungary, 100000;
Turkey, 661,80O; Sweden, $4,000;
Greece, $4,000; Portugal, Saba,
and United States. 493,931.
The officially accepted strength of
leading air forces: Italy, 434,983;
Germany, 100000; British Empire,
HATS (Great Britain alone, 1O8,-
OOO; Soviet Russia, 10000; France,
70,870; Japan, 47,60; United States,
1896, and Yugoslavia, 24,907.