Evening star., 1954-10-09
New German Army
Won't Be Ready for
| Draftees Until 1856
By George Boultwood
Associated Press Foreign Corresponds

BONN, Germany. Oct. s.
Draftees for the proposed 500. 900
man West German Army cannot
be called up before 1856. accord
ing to German military planners.
West Germany has no huge
reservoir of trained men ready
to spring to arms at a single
bugle call. Nine years have
passed since the mighty Wehr-
macht was humbled in defeat.
It's youngest soldiers are now in
their 30s, it's surviving officers
growing bald and gray.
Virtually a fresh start has to
be made. And it will be at least
three years before fully combat
ready divisions to match those
of the Western allies are in
being.
For four years the West Ger
mans have been constructing a
paper army ready for day 'X"-
when they can start rearming
If there is no hitch in winning
final parliamentary approvals
for the London agreement, x
Day should be here in about six
months.
BY then, officials hope. the
complicated series of interna-
tional agreements and mass Of
German domestic legislation
needed to put the London agree
ment into effect will be in force.
Officers Are First Need.
The first need will be officers
and noncommissioned officers to
train the cadre that will in turn
train the draftees, on a SNOW
BALI principle.
Bonn's embryo Defense Minis
try has 100000 volunteers listed.
/ About $4,000 may survive pre-
induction screening. OF those
probably 20 per cent will be
rejected during four months
probationary service.
This relatively small pool of
manpower has to be expanded to
cadre of 100000 volunteers be-
fore draftees can be accepted.
First, a few thousand of the
best will be trained in the new
weapons and latest tactics with
the aid of allied instructors. Then
intensive training of young
officers and noncoms will begin
1t is expected that the first pilots
will be trained in the United
States.
The army will need 22,00C
officers, including 40 generals
Some 10000 non-commissionec
officers are needed for the cadre
alone.
Have Right to Object.
The new officers will serve
nine months as enlisted mer
and seven months at officers
school, being commissioned after
a years service. Later this viii
be extended to nine months
basic training, IA months at ar
academy of military science anc
six months in a weapons school
1t will then take two years tt
get a commission.
For the first time young Ger
mans have the right to objec'
to being drafted. Local draf
boards will handle the call-ul
and every man will be entitled
to object on grounds of con-
science, family circumstances
! finance and so on. Deferment'
; may be granted.
All men 18 to As will be liabl'
for military service. Likely, tn
first men called will be thos'
; born in 1885 and 1886. Service
will be for 18 months. Afterwart
the draftee will be liable for fou
weeks annual training. Tn
conscription law also provide
for Gallup of ex-Wehrmach
career soldiers, if needed.
The German uniform will b
olive green, in American style
consisting of an Eisenhowe
jacket and long trousers nippe'
in at the ankle. Boots will b
laced. The old knee high jack
boot is out.
Battle dress will include
loose blouse with big pocket
back and front for ammunition
and personal equipment. Blous
@ and trousers will be made of
speckled camouf1age cloth, fire
I proof and waterproof.
Steel helmets will be on tn
American pattern.
- botrad aoajnSt other vast col