GERMAN CELEBRATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 29, 3 August 1939, Page 9

GERMAN CELEBRATIONS

MILLION MEN OF STANDING ARMY

ENGLAND VILIFIED

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.)

(Received August 3, 9.20 a.m.)

BERLIN, August 2

A million men of the standing army are to participate in celebrations throughout Germany on the hvcnty-fifth anniversary of the outbreak of tlie World War. Reservists are iioav being called up. This will mean that 2,000,000 men will be under arms at the end of the month. The Press is extending its campaign of vilification of England. It blames Britain and France for the Great War and declares that there is reneAved intention to smash Germany. The Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General yon Brauchitsch, and Marshal Goering issued special orders of the day to mark the anniversary of the Great War. They stressed Germany's Avill for peace, but said that her military, superiority and determination to fight if a war Avas forced on her would lead to victory. General yon Brauchitsch said that the same forces which forced Avar on Germany in 1914 Avere trying to encircle her now. "We are in a stronger position than in 1914 because experience has taught us Avhat it means to lie defenceless at the mercy of an enemy full of hatred. The Fuhrer has given us a clear political aim for which to fight. Unity of the political and military leadership Avill ensure the armed might of 80,000,000 people being thrown into a fight to the last man." Marshal Goering said: "I have done my best in the past years to make the German Air Force the biggest and most powerful in the world. The air force stands ready today to carry out any of the Fuhrer's orders with lightning speed and unimaginable impact." August 2 hitherto has been observed only as the anniA^ersary of FieldMarshal Hindenburg's death. Today a million men in field grey paraded throughout Germany. The Kaiser in 1914 had a standing army of 700,000, compared Avith the 2,000,000 Avho will be called up by the end of August, but fully-trained men total only a million compared Avith 19 classes of trained reserves in 1914 totalling 7,500,000. hTe celebrations are to be accompanied by most secret air manoeuvres, concerning which the greatest satisfaction is expressed. The rationing of petrol is already enforced in Berlin. No one is alloAved more than 2J gallons.