FRONTIERS OF FRANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18663, 20 March 1924, Page 7

FRONTIERS OF FRANCE.

DEFENCE BEYOND BHINE. PLANS FOR THE NEXT WAR. ARMY TO HOLD ENEMY. NO REPETITION OF 1914. COSTLY PREPAREDNESS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Ileceived 7.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. , LONDON. Mar. IS. In introducing the Army Bill in the French Chamber of Deputies M. Fabry said that the Frontier Army's mission would be to give the country assurance that at any moment a strong battlefront could be formed beyond th© Rhine. The frontier army could not rely wholly upon itself. National forces would have to support it, but reserves could not be mobilised under satisfactory conditions unless the frontier army covered the operation, assuring the country of freedom of military movement. It was objected that the frontier army was costly and required an enormous amount of material. The country must provide that material. Two men had charge of a tank on the battlefield, but 45 were required to maintain a tank in service condition. An airman fought alone but 60 men's work was necessary to enable him to fight. - BELGIAN NAVAL BASE. CO-OPERATION WITH FRANCE. TO COMMAND NORTH SEA. A. and N.Z. .LONDON, Mar. 18. The Daily Mail states that a Brussels correspondent supplies the Paris newspaper Humanite with a- scare story. He asserts that France, who is associated with Belgium with a military convention, is behind the creation of a formidable naval base on the Belgian coast able to command the North Sea, and to threaten the English coast. ; . The abandoned German floating docks, submarine shelters, and other navel defences of Zeebrugge, have been taken over by the Belgian Government with a view to repairing them and strengthening the big barracks, fortifications, and munitions depots which are being built. The Government is also constructing a giant wireless station at Russelyde. near Bruges-