MILITARY STRENGTH OF FRANCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 303, 24 December 1945, Page 5

MILITARY STRENGTH OF FRANCE

A MODERN ARMY CONFERENCE DECIDES ON FUTURE POLICY Recd. 10 p.m. London, Dec. 23. France has decided to maintain a modernised army of half a million men, and a Navy of 65,000, says the Paris radio. Some 120 French generals, admirals and air marshals attended a conference at. which the decision was made. The ocupation forces in Germany and lhe colonief, will each be allocated 120,000 men. One hundred thousand 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 19, undergoing two periods of six months’ training with two years’ home leave between the periods. The barracks-type of 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 is reported to be the worst* hit of all the services. It is possessed of few aircraft and lost its skilled men to industry. Practically all the hangars and ground equipment were destroyed.