Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/979

 DEFENCE 927

two army corps headquarters staffs. The authorised strength of an army corps headquarters staff is 80 officers and 150 N. CO. sand men ; the authorised strength of an infantry division is 410 officers and 10,830 men, and of a ravalrv division, 275 officers and 5,250 men. The maximum stocks of arms authorised are 84,000 rifles, 18,000 carbines, 792 heavy machine guns, 1,134 light machine guns, 63 trench niortar^ an. field guns and 84 10 5 cm.

field howitzers, ii. Universal compulsory service is abolished. The army may only be recruited by voluntary enlistment. The period of enlistment for N.C.O.s and men must be twelve consecutive years. The number of men discharged for any reason before the expiration of their term of service must not exceed 5 per cent, of the total effectives. Officers retained in the army must undertake to serve up to the age of 45. Newly appointed officers must serve for 25 con- secutive years.

The German Great General Staff and all similar organisations are abolished and must not be reconstituted in any form.

All measures of mobilisation or appertaining to mobilisation are forbidden.

Educational establishments, the universities, societies of dis- charged soldiers, shooting or touring clubs, and, generally speaking, associations of every description, whatever be the age of their members, must not occupy themselves with any military matters.

The number of employees or officials of the German States, such

as customs officers, forest guards and coastguards, are not to exceed

the corresponding numbers in 1913. The gendarmes and police

may only be increased to an extent corresponding to the increase of

population since 1913.

The result of these clauses when carried into effect will be to limit the

_h of the German army to 100,000 men, without powers of expansion.

iii. All fortifications and military works west of a line to be drawn 50

kilometres east of the Rhine are to be demolished and no new

works are to be erected within this zone. The fortifications en the

eastern and southern frontiers may be maintained. This entails

the demolition of the fortresses of Mayence, Cologne, Coblentz,

Wesel, and New Breisach.

iv. No naval or military air force is permitted. The air force was to

be demobilised within two months of ratification, that is to say by

March 10, 1920. All naval and military air material was to K-

surrendered by April 10. The manufacture or import of aircraft

or parts of aircraft is forbidden for six months alter ratification.

The reduction of the Reichswehr began in August, 1919, which then

consisted of 43 brigades of all arms. There were theu in addition 3 marine

infantry brigades stationed at Hamburg, Berlin and in Upper Silesia, and a

coastguard regiment stationed in the North Sea ports. In January, 1921.

the reduction of the Reichswehr to its authorised establishment of 100,000

men was completed, 30,500 guns had been surrendered, and 6,000 guns in

process of manufacture had been destroyed. 10,000 trench mortars, 63,100

ma hiue guns and 2,524.000 rifles had been surrendered.

During 1919 a number of organisations came into existence under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior, on the pretest that they were required to maintain public order. At the end of 1919 these organisations consisted cf the Public Safety Police {Suherheilspolizti), 50,000 strong, the Emergency Volunteers {Zeii/reiwilligen), 150,000 strong, and the Civic Guard-