Fortified Girdle

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 25, 30 January 1937, Page 5

Fortified Girdle

Germany Able to Defy France and Belgium WHILE STRIKING ELSEWHERE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph;—Copyrieh t. ~“LONDOn7 Jan. 28. “Within is months of the reoccupation of the Rhineland the remilitarisation of Germany’s western frontier is almost complete, ’ ’ states the * ‘ Manchester Guardian’s ’ * diplomatic correspondent. ‘ * This huge fortified girdle, in the opinion of experts, can be held with small forces against the entire French and Belgian armies, enabling any main offensive to be conducted elsewhere. “It does not follow that Germany las abundoned the idea of a major jfTensive westward, but the immediate ?lan seems to be eastward expansion.” ■ A Conservative M.P., Mr O. Simnontls, speaking in the House of Com- j lions, described the figures of Germany’s air armaments as astrononieal compared with Britain's. Gernany had 150 service aerodromes each vith a hundred warplanes and probably assessed a further 150 first-clas* aJr•.raft. MAGIN OT-LINE DEFENCE IS FRANCE SAFE FROM SUDDEN ATTACK? ~rAR]S, Jan. 27. Are the French effectives sufficient to resist sudden attack on the Maginot Line especially on a Sunday when so many are on leave*? was tho surprising question a deputy asked M. DalaJier, who rexriied that the effectives were sufficient ior any eventuality. The deputy protested that v.hi’e wide German mads enabled the lianaport, of Gcrn.au troops to tho frontier v. it-hui four hours it would take Franco 18 hours on the narrow ones.