FRENCH WATCHFUL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 248, 17 September 1936, Page 2

FRENCH WATCHFUL.

GERMAN REARMAMENT

According to the French plan for remedying the balance of military forces which, the French declare, has been disturbed by re-establishment of two years’ military service beyond the Rhine, there will be no increase at present in the French period of military service. Instead, there will be immediate intensification oi rearmament and mechanisation of the army on modern lines. There will also be some increase iu the professional army and strengthening of frontier fortifications by increasing the depth of the system already completed. But it is in tho air force that the new effort will be most striking. The programme ol 1000 now aeroplanes to be added to the present effective strength will bo doubled. Thus, at the end of a period, France will have 2000 first-line machines of the most modern types, apart from an unspecified number in reserve.

The Pans correspondent of the London Times says that two main considerations inspired the decision to concentrate on re-equipment and modernisation. One is that in modern warfare sheer weight of numbers unsupported by adequate armament is useless. The other is that disparity of population between France and Germany makes it impossible to fill the gap even by increasing the period of military service. It is estimated that Germany with the two-year period of service will have some 1,200,000 men under arms. France, on the other hand, has 'some 650,000, of whom only about 500,000 can l>e kept in the country. The remainder are needed abroad. To extend tile French period of service to three years would provide a bare 150,000 more, while four years’ service would raise the effective strength to not more than 800,000. Even a period of five years would give France no more than 950,000.

It is hoped that it may be possible to induce Germany to limit her armaments to an agreed figure. France in exchange, would do her best to briir» about the general currency alignment so much desired by the German Minister lor. Economics (Dr Scliact) and offer an increased market for ’ German goods.