France Confident in Strong Army

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 96, 26 April 1939, Page 12

France Confident in Strong Army

7,000,000 MEN AVAILABLE LONDON, April 13. France is now fully confident that sho possesses an army capable of defending every one of her laud frontiers. In the past two years the army has been completely re-cquippcd. No longer is it subject to the criticisms that still apply to the French Air Force. Mobilisation has been overhauled. In addition to the 2,000,000 men in the standing army, 5,000,000 more would be under arms in 48 hours. These 7,000,000 would be completely equipped with arms and munitions, because the nation’s munition factories have recently been vastly increasing their output. Mechanisation a Feature The army has been very speedily mechanised. Although the number of tanks is unknown, France has built a huge quantity, concentrating chiefly on the heaviest. These are real land battleships and may easily be proof against the more mobile anti-tank guns. They have, in trials, overcome various kinds of antitank barricades and traps which are a feature of the Maginot (French) and the Siegfried (German) lines. This thorough mechanisation, sayr the Yorkshire Post, is especially necessary because of strategical setbacks Frence has suffered. For instance, it is now essential to retain many more men on tho Pyrenees, where formerly a small force highlytrained mountain troops sufficed. Secrets of Maginot Line More men are needed, too, on the French-Italian border. In spite of its natural defences, this is a source of potential anxiety. The old confidence that Switzerland would be inviolable in a war is no longer tenable. According, a hostile march through that country must be guarded against. Finally, Belgium’s policy of isolation has necessitated strong precautions against attack in the north. Whether the famous Maginot Line, whoso full secrets are carefully preserved, is impregnable, only experience will show, but it rules out any surprise against France. German Towns Within Gun Range The great guns of the Maginot Lino mounted on hidden emplacements, are within range of highly vulnerable industrial German towns, which could be bombarded far more effectively than by aerial bombs. The Siegfried Line’s retaliatory bombardment would be less effective, because the Frencn border districts are less vulnerable. French colonial troops are an additional source of strength to Frence. Military observers claim that the Foreign Legion could out-match five times as many of the Italians who are training in Libya.