PICTORIAL SUPPLEMENT
THE
HONGKONG
EGRAPH. SATURDAY, JULY 28, 1984.
PAGE THREE
GERMANY SEEKS AIR SUPREMACY & GREAT MILITARY MACHINE
BY WILLIAM.PHILIP SIMMS | 521 4-inch auss
2100, machina
light Ass
-beary, and
9,000,000 Berlin, Germany is rearming
1,200,000 fevariably. I have confirmed this Ammunition for the above 34,000,000
In American, British, and even Gorman quartora. There can no longer be any doubt.
Tolai
E&0,000,000 To-day the yardstick is much longer. For the fiscal year which Just as Japan solzed Manchuria, began April 1, 1984, Germany's then asked the rest of the world federal budget calls for incronses what it intended to do about it, for the national defence amounting Germany la preparing to present to 821,000,000 marks, or $328,000,- frightened Europa with a falt ne-800 at the current rate of exchange, compll by arming horgolf and
truating to the upset state of the MILLIONS FOR STORM TROOPS world to get by with it.
of this increase, 223,000,000
Such is the situation the 60 na- ($90,000,000) goes to swell the tions comprising the General Con-budget of the army and navy; 210,- mission of the Disarmament Con: 000,000 (384,000,000) to the air ference will confront on May 20, ministry and 250,000,000 marks when they meet in Geneva to co (exactly $100,000,000) for an item what, if anything, can be done to
hitherto unknown to a German head off a new race for armamente.budget-the Nazi Storm Troops.
France, Britain, Italy, and Ger- many's other neighbours will now have to make the fateful decision whether German rearmament shall be regulated or unregulated.
The question of whether she shall arm or remain unarmed is no longer the issue. She is already stengthening her military ma-
· chine and la grimly, determined to go ahead with it; with or without hter neighbours' consent, what may.
EUROPE ON EDGE.
come
"We know that Germany is re- arming," a British observer told me, "but what is giving Europe the jitters is that nobody knows how far she intends to go."
Which is true. Hitler la uang a rubber yardstick which never ceases to stretch. Less than a year ago, at Geneva, Germany was offered an army twice the size of the present Reichswehr, plus $18, 000,000 worth of new armaments along with it.
Somewhere, somehow, therefore,' Adolf Hitler plans to apend on the German war machine, this year alone, and above normal, more
than five times what it would have cost less than 12 montha ngo fully to meet Germany's armament de- mands.
Chancellor fitler has let li be known, that he is ready to accept a convention which would "freozo" armaments within certain limits and provide for international su- pervision.
Under this convention, Hitler would agree to "disarmament" of his own Storm Troops, now 3,000,- DOO strong. They would not possess armis, receive military in- struction, be officered by regular army men, take part in field manOZUYTER, Or be concentrated In strategically placed military camps.
The regular German army, or
Reichswekr, would be increased from 100,000 professional soldiers under 12-year enlistments, to a
What she then demanded, in ad-short-term service 300,000 strong. dition, was:
200 almeration plans
100 gurult plates
2000-Juch hom lezers
100 Inch UNI
300 varsler tanks
*
•
K.000.000 WANTS MILITARY PLANES.
$500.000 10,000,000
4.000.000
Iler wants short-range mill- 1,200.000 Xary planes, but is willing to
HUGE ORDERS PLACED
FOR SWIFT U. S. PLANES
true
Afar in the sky, Germany's aviation minister, Herman Goaring, seems to visión his dream come giant armada upholding the 'mpremacy of his nation in. the air, a mammoth feet of the type of the Junkers G 38, floating in the background, Germany's rivals four that there ships, ostensibly built for commercial use only, can be converted quickly into bombari, forming a powerful air force._ exclude bombers. He would accept occupation at this time. And, I salesmen. A single United States, 60 per cent of the military aircraft given another year or so, Germany concern placed an order here for possessed by France, or 30 per cent would be too strong."
equipment for 2,000 planes. And of the combined strength of her
Certain British officials are open- it was a rush order, cash on de- neighbours, whichever proved the smaller.
ly critical of the French position. | Ilvery. Belgian Premier Count de Broque- ville has publicly stated that "the lesson of history and reality" is that no great nation can be kept indefinitely disarmed
At the end of 10 years he de mands equality with his principal neighbours,
Germans believe France faces a bad situation at home, economi- cally and politically, and a division among her "friends and allies abroad. They do not think she would dare risk another German
I was sitting at a table having supper in the Adlon Bar. A group of half a dozen Germans and an American entered.
carrying from 10 to 12 passengers your best is none too good."" at nearly 200 miles an hour, weren't potential boinbars.
"Oh, heavens, no!" he oxclaimed. But slowly he turned his head in my direction and solemnly closed one `oye.
The American had just signed an Important airplane contract with the Nazi government or its agents.
Germany may not be ablo to meet Interest payments on #800,--
The nightmare which every na-000,000 worth of obligations held tion of Europe has been having for in the United States, but she can the last decade-a eky black with find the necessary foreign exchange planes bearing death and destruc- to pay for something she wants. tion in the shape of lothul gares and high explosives-now seem about to come true.
POWERFUL ARMY.``
Informed persons in Germany no longer deny that, with the Reichs- wohr and its reserves, the Nazi Brown Shirts, Steel Helmets, and othor organizations of a military order, Germany now' possesses All urmy which needs only arms to make it the equal of any in Eu- rope. And the arms are on the
way.
AIR SUPREMACY.
Outside Berlin I saw a civilian ying Aeld. Dozens of planes. circled overhead. Others were landing. Some were poised for
he takeoff,
"Student pilots," a German com- panton explained. Scores of young. sters were awaiting their turn for a practice fight,
Many officers have quit the army- to take up "commercial" or "sport": flying. There are airflelds all over the country devoted to civilian aviation, all strictly under Gen oral Gooring, now national avia-
Within six weeks of mobilization, I am reliably informed, Germany could put 1,250,000 efficient trooption czar. in the field. And 4,000,000 modern rifles are ready for distribution in- side German frontiera or in safe hands not far outside.
Even the schoolboy's glider is under his orders.
Forbidden military planes by the Similarly, thousands of machine Treaty of Versailles, Germany is guns, heavy and Hght, are anid to now definitely out to make her- exist in a knocked-down state,self as nearly suprema in the air better to conceal them.
as she can. Only she will call it by another name.
RACES AGAINST TIME.
"Gormany," an old-timer told
me, "istenser than I have known her to be in years. She seems in a fever of apprehension lest some thing happen before she gets ready. She seems to be working. against a sort of deadline."
I repeated this remark, later on, to a 'German.
"That," he replied, "is exactly the situation. Germany fears for "Champagne cocktails all roundt
what may happen within and for Fred," the American said to the what may happen without. She is Berlin has become the mecca of bartender. "We want to celebrate. | trying to set her house in order American aviation experts and This is no ordinary occasion and while yet there is time."
PLANES IN FLEETS.
AVIATION RACE.
Frightened by what Germany, is doing, France, Britain, Italy, Helland, Belgium, Poland, Russia, and other European” powers are
speeding up their own production and buying from abroad.
A race for supremacy has begun, and the United States is profiting by this not altogether reassuring: windfall. Its 180 and 190 miles an hour commercial planes are every- where in demand.
I asked an American airman here if these fast ships, capable of
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