THE GERMAN ARMY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1502, 26 July 1912, Page 6

THE GERMAN ARMY.

A COMPARISON WITH FRENCH FORCES.

INFERIORITY ALLEGED.

Writing from Berlin on Juno 5 the correspondent of the "Westminster Gazettestates :—Unofficial military experts, led by the newly-founded "Defence league " are already dissatisfied' with the new law strengthening the.army. There are sign< of a vigorous agitation to show that ths German Army is in somo departments infc.nor to the. French in strength and in other departments inferior in organisation. The "Defence League" has issued a pamphlet on "The Deficiency of tilts Army Measures," in which the armv is represented as unfit for a European struggle. . The pamphlet declares that Germanv's infantry strength is bolow that of France, t ?"n ts , the i Y. 1-01 "* , infantry of the lino tit 639 battalions, including thirty-nine battalions of the colonial infantry now stationed in I'rauce, and the Gorman strength as only CM battalions. Under, the new Gorman law the German strength will gradually reach Gsl battalions, and th« Irencli strength under the new law 675.

Tho Defence League declares that in case of war France would *ithdraw from .North Africa for service-.in the first line 24 battalions. Germany must bo prepared lor the chance of having to meet 77 battalions of British infantry, aiwl GS of Belgian, who would bo forced to take part. That contingency would place Germany ni an inferiority, counting line troops alone, of 169 battalions, equal to seven army corps. The' demand is that the German line army be made as strong as that of France, plus the infantry which England could afford to send to the Continent. This can be easily done, because, despite two recent Army increases, dm proportion of tho male population which undergoes military service is still falling. Tho Gorman cavalry strength is estimated to bo about 200!) below that of Franco and England. This is on the assumption that England- would send 30 cavalry squadrons with her army. Tho organisation of the French cavalry is pronounced superior. The French cavalry is organised in 8 divisions; this the new French "cadre" law will increase to 1(1. Germany has only one cavalry division, that of the Guards; the other divisions will be improvised on outbreak of war. , Of Germany, under the new proposals, will have 3732,,; against tho 3100 of France. Tho ccnfploint here is that tho German sis-gun battery organisation is inferior to the French four-gun organisation. German authorities admit this; but the adoption of the four-gun battery is postponed for reason.? of economy. The French Army Corps lias thirty-six batteries, against 'the German twenty-four. Tho French are able to supply their batteries with ammunition, their supply per gun being 55!) sholls ns against the German -133. The French artillery is also much more completely horsed.

The Defence League pamphlet complains of numerous other German deficiencies. One is in the reserve formations. The French have whole reserve cadres of officers. Tho regiments, in addition to their own necessary officers and noncoms., have a corps of officers and T-on-comJ. ready to take charge of the reservists in time of war. The average German regiment has only- a lieutenant-colonel and a major or captain with the staff. In time of war France will, therefore, keep, almost intact tho officers' corps of her lino rwriraents, whereas Germany will have to tako away nearly half her active officers and tcnlaee them with reserve officers. As France is stronger in actually exercised reservists, the danger caused by the shortness of officers would be aggravated.