WAR PREPARATIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 19 December 1936, Page 9

WAR PREPARATIONS

GERMANY’S BIG PLAN.

SELF-SUFFICIENCY BASIS

“WORKED OUT YEARS AGO.” (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Times Cables.) Received December 18, 10.30 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 18. The Berlin correspondent of the Times says that Germany’s four-year self-sufficiency plan ' was worked out years ago by leading military authorities as part of tho general process of rearmament. There are, indeed, signs in Germany that attention is now turning to tlie preparation of the whole oi tlie population, especially women, for the part tiiey may be called on to fill in wartime so that the trained soldiers and experts may be released immediately lor service at the front. General Goenng (Air Minister), Dr H. G. H. Schaciit (Economics Minister), Herr von Kibbentrop (Ambassador to London) and others have consistently represented the German fouryear plan us something Germany has not wanted but lias hatl forced on her by events, notably being kept without colonies, but the accumulation of evidence points to other conclusions. This is now strikingly confirmed by an article in the Deutsche Bergwerks Zcitung, the organ of the Ruhr heavy industry, by General Thomas, a general staff officer iu charge of the “Wehrwritscliaff” or “war economy” staff at the War Ministry. General Thomas describes tho system as the inevitable result of tho lessons of the last war which, lie says, proved that economic efficiency was just as important as military efficiency.