FRENCH ARMY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 19 March 1928, Page 7

FRENCH ARMY.

REORGANISATION SCHEME. REDUCTION IN NUMBERS. .mi,(i rKESP ASSOCIATION- OOFYBIOHI LONDON, March 16, The Paris correspondent of “The limes” says that the effect of the war* time drop in the birth rate upon conscription was revealed in tlie Chamber, when the Army Reorganisation Bill was passed. The existing annual quota of a quarter of a million becomes 1 Co,ooo. When conscripts born during the war are called up the new army will total only 450,060, as compared with 990,000 before the war, but it will move with powerful machines. The (■omparisou only takes into account troops actually serving. Conscripts ivid ho trained for a year instead of three years, and thus mobilisation produces the same army as before. The service is intensive; 46,000 civilians will take over fatigues, clerks’ and labourers’ duties, and 15,000 gendarmes will do guard duties. The biggest stiffening is the creation of a long-service professional army of 106,00!> men.

The .scheme begins in 1930, when the frontier fortresses will be completed.— “ I lines.”