MEN, NOT MACHINES

Waikato Times, Volume 131, Issue 21910, 14 December 1942, Page 3

MEN, NOT MACHINES

FRANCE’S FATAL MISTAKE I .United Pres* Assn.—Fire. Tel. Copyright) | WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 I M. Pierre Cot, French Minister of ; Aviation from 1936 to 1938, told a sub-committee of the Senate that France made a fatal mistake in draining her factories of men in or- . der to build up a huge army. She . thus lagged far behind Germany’s j aircraft production. With only half of Germany’s manpower, France had 110 divisions, compared with Germany’s 165, said M. Cot. He added: “We had an army of men instead of an army of machines. Instead of a highly mechanised army we had a large and poorly equipped one.” Senator Johnson said that was very interesting, because the United States was making the same mistake now. Mr Cot added that at the outbreak of the war the speed, manoeuvrability and fire power of French aircraft was only 7 per cent behind German aircraft, but French aeroplane production was only a quarter of Germany’s. By June, 1940, France was turning out 500 planes monthly, whereas Germany was making 1800. France at the outbreak of the war had 2000 first-line planes and Germany had 7000, but very few French planes were actually used. It was later revealed that there were 5800 undamaged and unused military planes in France after the armistice. The fault was due to the general staff, who were trying to tight the same kind of war as in 1918. M. Cot added that strikes played ( little part in France's downfall.