Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 March 1937 — Page 19
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1987
MUSSOLINI HAS 3,000,000 MEN READY FOR WAR
His Boast of ‘Forest of Bayonets’ Is True, Miller Finds.
By WEBB MILLER United Press Staff Correspondent LONDON, March 24.—Mussolini really has a “forest of 8,000,000 bayonets,” as he himself expressed it. My flight to Rome provided a revealing insight into the vast war machine of human flesh and blood and ultra-modern mechanical devices which the dictator of the new “Roman Empire” has created. Mussolini perfected the conception of “a nation in arms” on a scale unprecedented in history. Sparta had the same idea, but it was small-time stuff in volume and numbers, compared to modern taly. Italy today has the largest percentage of her total population trained for war on any nation in the world. 5,000,000 Fit for Field Male inhabitants are liable to military service in varying degrees almost from the cradle to the grave. Women are prepared for
mobilization in auxiliary home serv- |
ices to carry on the duties of the fighting men. The program during the Fascist Party, which celebrated its 18th birthday yesterday, has provided Italy with the largest pool of trained man-power in the world, totalling already about 7,000,000 and growing. It is composed of 453,000 in the active army; 878,000 active reserves and 5,638,000 inactive reserves. At least 5,000,000 are believed fit for the field at present. Adding youths of pre-military age between 18 and 21 who have undergone “moral, physical and military training” since childhood preparatory to entering the Army, the grand total available is brought to 9,469,000. Training Begins at Six
Federico Baistrocchi, war undersecretary, once stated in the Chamber of Deputies that Italy could mobolize within 24 hours an army of 1.500.000, exclusive of the 300,000 at that time engaged in conquering Ethiopia. It is a greater number than any nation except Russia could mobolize SO rapidly. A typical Italian boy begins train= ing at the age of 6, when he is incorporated into the uniformed “Wolf Cubs,” similar to the Boy Scouts, to be taught marching, dis=cipline and the Fascist doctrine. At 8 he enters the Balilla, or junior blackshirts, where he learns drilling, shooting and other phases of militarization. He remains in the Balilla until he is 18. Then his training is broadened and intensified ,until he is 21, whereupon he enters the active army for a normal period of 18 months.
Serves to Age of 55
After his release, he continues periodic post-military training until the age of 55, after which he remains a member of the civilian mobilization scheme. Since the ancient Greeks, no state has devoted such attention to physical and military training of its population. Direct military expenditure—or that portion revealed by the budget, averages about onefourth of the tatal budget. The budget for 1936-1937 totalled 20,290,000.000 lire ($932.325.500), of which 4,800,000, lire ($220.560,000) was for military purposes. It is estimated that next year's total will be 23.700,000,000 lire ($1,089,015,000) of which 5.500.000.000 lire ($232.725,000) will be military,
Air Force Among Pest
Aside from massed, trained manhood, the most miportant material factor in Italy's military strength is her air force, which undoubtedly ranks among the largest, strongest and most modern in Europe. Although exact figures are kept a strict secret, foreign observers estimate first-line planes at more than 2000, which indicates a total num-
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ber of 6000 or 7000, including reserves. The chief characteristics of the air force lies in the large proportion of planes manufactured within the last two or three years, which results in an unusually up-to-date force, compared to some other
European nations. A high ratio of the force is composed of bombers with a speed of around 220 miles an hour. Italy is now developing a new, huge Fiat BR-20 type bomber with an 80-foot wing span. It has a speed of 275 miles an hour and a radius of 1900 miles, It carries 3!': tons of bombs and is defended by guns. It is reputed to be the fastest and most powerful bomber in Europe, equipped with two 1000 horse-
OPEN
power motors and capable of reaching 21,000 feet within 21 minutes.
Training Slows Work
Without a load, a height of 31,000 feet is claimed for the plane. Italy’s program avowedly is the prdouction of 1500 airplanes annually, of which her factories are capable, but the training of pilots and ground crews retards the schedule.
The general efficiency of motors and planes is demonstrated by Italy’s numerous world speed records and by such flights as Marshal Italo Balbo's to Italy and to Chicago, the latter with 24 planes in
six machine |
formation.
Italy has 25 schools training 1500 | pilots and 4500 mechanics. Four- | teen air fields under construction
FROM
0:30 A.M, TO 5:30 P. M.
133-135 West
Washington
bring the total to 130, plus 25 seaplane bases. Factories working 24 hours a day are concentrated principally on high-speed fighting planes and high-speed bombers. Italy is better able than most nations to concentrate her air forces wherever they are most needed because of her closeness to Libya, her North African colony, and to the Dodecanese Islands off the coast of Asia Minor. Her greatest military disadvan-
tage is the lack of primary raw | materials necessary in war time. | Italy produces only 2 per cent of her | petroleum requirements, 3.2 per ‘cent | of coal and 37 per cent of iron and { steel. To offset it, she has piled up |a year and a half’s reserve of coal {and half a year of gasoline.
| Mussolini is rapidly electrifying
THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
—— PAGE 21 PAGE 19
the railroads to lessen the coal requirements. Now one-fifth of the railroads are electrified, using the immense water-power resources of the Alps. By extraordinary efforts, Mussolini has succeeded in making Italy nearly self-sufficient in wheat, the mainstay food during normal years. However, the basic materials for munitions must be imported, including nitrate, copper and cellulose. The nation’s lack of self-suffi-ciency in war materials would be hazardous in a long war, especially if it entailed a blockade of her ports, although she surprised everyone by her ability to get along during the League sanctions of the Sthiopian war. Italy's financial situation since the Ethiopian war is far more fav-
orable than the outside world thought possible. The gold reserve did not diminish greatly and the
note circulation is 27 per cent cov=- |
ered by gold. One thing that worries the authorities is the failure to accelerate the birth rate to the extent which had been hoped for, despite propaganda and social aid. Recently Fascist organs admitted the birth rate was steadily falling and that new measures for taxing
= Memory Is the Treasury and “Guardian of All Things
huley (ncllion
FUNERALS lLLinois ar
WESTIO™ST.
bachelors were planned to offset it. | the fall assumes catastrophic speed Mussolini's newspaper, Popopo D'It- | and soon it will be as low as the alia, commented: “The velocity of | French.”
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