FRANCE AWAKENED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1678, 19 February 1913, Page 7

FRANCE AWAKENED.

GREAT MILITARY ACTIVITY. REPLY TO GERMANY. UNEASINESS IN PARIS. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyricbt Paris, February 17. The Government is asking for the expenditure 1 of twenty-three. million pounds, to bo spread over some years, for augmenting the Army and strengthening tho defences. A RETORT TO GERMANY. (Eec. February 18, 11.20 p.m.) Paris, February 18. The Government's action is interpreted as tho sequel to Germany raising her army to 850,000 at peaco strength already, whereas by 1915 the existing' standard is giving Germany only 725,000 effectives, compared with 550,000 in. the French Army. . •" Three million sterling will be spent immediately on ammunition, artillery, and twenty million later on the building of fortresses, heavy artillery, and aviation. , ' ■ ' If the Government arsenals are insufficient, private contractors will be utilised. The Government is unanimous that it is necessary to increase the army, as tho [•total population is insufficient to consider tho raising of the term of service to thirty months,'or three years for all arms, or three years for cavalry. Special inducements will be offered for natives to serve in French Africa. ' 1 : THE BOURSE UNEASY. (Eec. February 18, 10.50 p.m.) Paris, February 18. The Bourse is uneasy,about the Govern- ! ment's military proposals, also about a re? port concerning the summoning of tho troops for their annual training two months before tho usual time. ■ GERMANY'S QUINQUENNIUM. ;V Under the Quinquennial 'law of 1905 progressive additions were made to the German army, and tho peace footing reached the number of 505,839 men (exclusive of NIC.O.'s and one-year volunteers) in 1911. A new.quinquennium was voted by the' Heichstag in March, 1911; j and was to provide. for ' increases which would givo the army a peaco strength of .515,221 in 1915-16; being an increase -of 9128, but on March 22, 1912, proposals for further increase of force and reorganisation were laidbeforc tho'Reichstag, and became law on June 14. Under the peace law the previous strength to be attained in 1915 was ,as stated above, but the law of 1912 increases tho figure to 544,211,, to be raised as iollows: Prussia. 420.939: Bavaria. 60.351'; Saxony, ■41,625;: Wurttcmburg, '21,290; If N.C.O.'s and one-year volunteers are added, the total figure will be brought up to over 658,200. The chiel features of'the new law are the formation of two new army corps (20th and 21st), with headquarters. respectively in East Prussia and Alsace-Lorraine. New; infantry battalions' (18 as compared with the law of 1905) have to be-created,' and there 'will be large additions to the machinegun companies. Certain formations.which were! not to have been completed until 1914 and 1915 have been accelerated, and the two new corps were formally consti-' tuted October 1, 1912. : .. ~ ...