GERMANY'S DEFENCES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1601, 19 November 1912, Page 7

GERMANY'S DEFENCES.

9 .— INCREASES IN EXPENDITURE. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright Berlin, November 17. A forecast of the 1913 Budget shows that the Naval Estimates will provide for an increase of sixteen million marks (about .£800,000) for recurring expenditure, and twenty-one millions (ahout .£1,075,000) for non-recurring, THE INQREASE OF THE GERMAN , ARMY. PLANS TO SWAMP FRANCE. Writing in April last the London "Outlook ' said: At the very moment when an acceleration in the battleship programme is being foreshadowed, a scheme is made public by which upwards of fifty thousand men will be a<lded to the strength of the troops which Germany will be able to mobilise in first line—the increase in peace establishment of twenty-nine thousand rank-and-file, as proposed, will ensure this. When the various new units and staffs have been created, Germany will tie enabled to placo in the field at the outset of' a campaign twenty-five complete army corps besides an imposing array of cav"alry divisions—ten more army corps, that is to say, than sho mobilised in July, IS7O. ■..-•■ _ This augmentation of the Teutonic fighting forces is of especial significance owing to the evidence which it affords of a determination on the part of the Imperial Government to utilise the expansion of the population within the realm to . the full for the purpose of dominating France by dint of numbers. The new Defence. Bill when 1 approved will, moreover, render violation of Belgian and Swiss territory in the • event of war etfen more likely than it is at present German strategists; 6uch as von Schlien'en, have for some years past been insistingj:hat in case of a. campaign'against the Western neighbour, neutral districts would have to be traversed, , not so mupli with „she. object of operating against the! flanka? of 'the hostile host as of securing elbow-room for tho masses of men whom it is proposed to deploy in front line. The stretch of actual FrancoGerman frontier, only about a hundred and fifty miles in length and closed to a great extent by most elaborate defence works, does not even now offer the quisite space for the operations of the great host which the Emperor William has at hia disposal. The contemplated additions to his army will make that spaco relatively.more cramped than ever. The purpose for which railway extensions have'been constructcjl between the Rhine and the Belgian frontier, and ■< for which .vast detraining stations ; have been created at insignificant places near the Ardennes, such as Elsenborn and Malmedy, is made moro > apparent than ever. The plan is so to develop the land forces as to be in a position to overwhelm the Republican armies by sheer weight of numbers when the next quarrel arises. By such means it is hoped to ensure that France E&all acquiesce, in German projects sooner than risk a war with the" odds all on the side of the enemy, or else to ensure that if hostilities break out the rival nation may be again crushed as effectually as was the case l .in 1870-71.