MILITARY POWER

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 131, 30 November 1936, Page 9

MILITARY POWER

LEAD OF THE SOVIET

LEAGUE FIGURES

A vast increase in the armaments of the world is shown by the League of Nations Armament Year Book for 1936, says the "Christian Science Monitor." National defence budgets generally showed an increase over the previous year. The ' Year Book gave the United States Army as 138,835 men and 12,930 officers. Counting the National Guard and reserve forces, the total for 1935 was placed at £433,577. The American Army Air Force perj sonnel was stated to be 16,847, and for I the Navy Air Force, 13,574. I The United States Navy as of May 1,15,.. i936^,was .listedwab-lS -battleships,.

four aircraft carriers with three under construction, 25 first-line cruisers with 12 being built, 199 destroyers with 52 under construction, and 11 first-line submarines, with 12 under construction. Soviet Russia's armed forces were placed at 1,300,000 and, the Yea* Book said, the Russian army is capable of •'absorbing and training an annual maximum of 600,000 recruits." The figure includes the army, the navy, and the air force. The League, said the Year Book, has been unable to obtain accurate official data on Germany's armed forces, but "according to unofficial publication's the effectives envisaged for Ihc German Army would be 550,000 officers and men." Germany's navy was listed as six battleships, with two being built, six cruisers, with three being built, 13 destroyers and torpedo boats, with 16 being built, and 20 submarines, with 16 being built. One hundred and twenty miscellaneous German naval units were detailed, including minesweepers, patrol vessels, and training ships. RUSSIA AND FRANCE. The Russian navy includes four battleships, seven cruisers, 35 destroyers (including mino-layers), 26 submarines with 12 more under construction, and 60 miscellaneous warcraft, the report said. France's army, both in the homeland and colonies, was given as 642,875 for 1935. The French air forces are being reorganised, the Year Book stated. It added: "Theoretically, the number of machines is the same as in 1931." The number of aeroplanes of war type was given as 1210 for the homeland , and 395 for overseas. In addition, 681 aeroplanes were being used in French training schools. Italy's army was stated to total 502,582 men and 25,024 officers, both on the mainland and overseas. Italian warplanes on June 30, 1934, the Year Book stated, numbered 1861. Italy's navy was figured at four battleships, with two more under construction, one aircraft-carrier, 23 cruisers, with two under construction, 103 scout destroyers and torpedo-boats with 15 under construction, and 62 submarines, with 16 being built. ■ The average army serving daily m Japan was placed at 223,511 men and 14 097 officers. Air force effectives were placed at 9122. In 1935 Japanese military aeroplanes numbered 1025, not including training machines. An increase of 300 aeroplanes was stated to be contemplated.