Foreign News: Militarist Disarms

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M. Raymond Poincaré has been called the greatest of French militarists. There are those who have even dubbed him the arch plotter of the World War.† There is no question that it was he, as Premier (1922-24), who sent French troops to occupy the Ruhr. Yet last week M. Poincare, once again created Premier (TIME, Aug. 2), began to clip and prune the French Army, in the interest of national economy to save the franc.

By a Cabinet order 2,700 officers were retired, bringing the number of officers on active service down to 28,800 as compared with 35,000 in 1914. Some 17,000 cavalry horses were ordered sold, and 170 military establishments, barracks, training grounds, etc., will be converted to other uses. Further economies were announced through the immediate consolidation of the army and navy ordinance departments.