THE FRENCH ARMY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 24 December 1945, Page 5

THE FRENCH ARMY

FORCE OF 500,000 DECISION OF MILITARY CHIEFS London, Dec. 22. France has decided to maintain a modernised army of 300,000 men and a navy of 63,000, says Paris radio. One hundred and twenty French generals, admirals and air marshals attended a conference at which the decision was made. Occupation forces in Germany and the colonies will each be allocated 120,000 men, and 100,000 will be used in North Africa. Air, sea and land forces will be closely co-ordinated under a combined general staff over which General de Gaulle will preside. Recruits will be called up at the age of 1 9, undergoing two periods of six months training, with two years’ home leave between the periods. Barracks type training establishments will be abandoned in favour of open-air camps. The army will have 25,000 officers on the active list.

Promotion of officers by seniority will be discontinued and the Saint Cyr officers’ school will be replaced by a school, in which the authorities will aim to banish the caste spirit. The conference heard reports that French ports are still able to handle only 10 per cent of their pre-war capacity France at present has 100,000 tons of warships in active service and 100 minesweepers will be engaged for the next five years clearing minefields along the Atlantic coast. The Air Force was reported be the worst hit of all services and possessed few aircraft. It had lost skilled men to industry and practically all ha.igirs and ground equipment were destroyed. The French Constituent Assembl / unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Government to send a Parliamentary commission to make a tour of inspection of the French occupied zones of Germany and Austria to investigate allegations of French administrative inefficiency. The famous French actor, Sacha Guitry, aged 60. will appear on February 4th before a Paris civil court in connection with alleged activities during the German occupation. SIZE OF SPANISH ARMY Washington, Dec. 22 General F'ranco will maintain an army of 600.000 to 700.000, and onethird of the national budget is earmarked for the armed forces and police. This statement was made by the American Ambassador, Mr Norman Amour, on his return from Spain. Mr Armour added that the Franco regime was not shifting from totalitarianism toward democracy rapidly enough to satisfy the United States. Mr Armour is retiring from the Foreign Service and the State Department said it was not planning to fill the vnrnnrv in MaHrirl immediatelv