GERMAN SUSPICIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 202, 20 May 1908, Page 7

GERMAN SUSPICIONS.

A BRITISH MISSION. ANGLO-FRBNCH-RTJSSIAN MILITARY CONVENTION.'. ' • 6T TEt.EGUIFH—I'IIESS ASSOCIATION—COPYKIGHt. Berlin,, May 18. Gorman publicists, warn tlio Government, that General Sir lan Hamilton 1 -visited St. Petersburg' to arrange qn Angla-Frencli-Rus-.sian military convention aimed ,at Germany. A COMPARISON WITH GERMANY. The " Revue do I'aris" recently contained a remarkable anonymous article showing that vigilance is still the watchword of the most authoritative organs of public opinion in Franco in presence of the rebuilding by tlio Germans of the stations of Saarburg imd Kieding, the broadohing of the bridge over the Saar, the creation of a strategic, line from lletz to Anzeling, and many other indications that Berlin, at all events, has not abandoned the principlo of keeping her powder dry. From the point of view of sneer' numbers Germany, with her 62 odd millions of inhabitants,' finds herself as regards France at an initial advantage of three to twoi Franco not.,yet possessing a population of 40 millions. In these circumstances the only resource for France is to make up for the deficiency in lier birth-rate by the superiority of her armaments. The article in the "Revuo de Paris" points out that, whilo the French,army corps possesses 05 quick-firing guns, the German has 160 of tlio same value. The German "manoeuvre regulations" show 1 that the Gorman, plan for silencing the French artillery is to engage at the very beginning of an action all their batterlos. The Maricliurian campaign was rich in suggestion as to, artillery duels, and the writer, affirms that all the French officers who Were eye-witnesses of those battles agree that a detachment of infantry is absolutely incapable of penetrating into the final zone of combat if' it is not supported by gun firo superior to that of tlio enemy. Tho writer considors that Franco, needs as soon as possible 240 batteries'more than at; presentthat is to say, 12 for each army corps.