§ 25. Commander Viscount CURZONasked the Prime Minister the number and calibre of guns and number of aeroplanes now in Germany and capable of being used for war purposes; and what is the number allowed to Germany under the Peace Treaty.
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Churchill)My right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question.
The following totals of German guns have been reported to the Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control, as being available for destruction or for rendering useless, in accordance with Article 169 of the Peace Treaty:—
In addition, in the permanent fortifications of the Southern and Eastern Frontiers of Germany, which she is allowed to keep intact, there are 4,125 guns and Howitzers. The Commission of Control have informed the German Government that of the guns in the fortifications only those actually in position may be retained; the remainder, totalling about 3,800, must be handed over to the Commission of Control for destruction or rendering useless. When the above are taken over, Germany will have surrendered about 17,800 guns and tubes. The Commission of Control are now engaged in checking and supervising the destruction of the artillery material reported by the German Government; until this has been done it is impossible to give an accurate statement of the number and calibre of guns in Germany which are capable of being used for war purposes.
Field Guns (including spare gun tubes) 6,500 Field Howitzers (including spare gun tubes) 2,500 Heavy guns and Howitzers (including spare gun tubes) 5,000 1822 Under the Peace Treaty Germany is allowed the following armament:—288 Field guns and Howitzers. Guns in the fortifications on her Southern and Eastern land frontiers. Guns in the coast defences on the North Sea and in the coast defences on the Baltic Coast East of longtitude 16 degrees East of Greenwich.
It is estimated by the Air Ministry that there are now in Germany 15,248 aeroplanes, which could in a comparatively short time be made available, and which would be capable of being used for war purposes. Under Article 198 of the Peace Treaty the armed forces of Germany may not include any military or naval air forces.
All aeroplanes in Germany are now in process of being listed, and will be inspected by the Inter-Allied Aeronautical Commission of Control, which is the final authority for deciding which aeroplanes come under the heading of military and naval aeroplanes. All military and naval aeroplanes will then be taken over by the Inter-Allied Aeronautical Commission of Control.
§ Viscount CURZONIs it proposed to leave Germany in possession of any military aeroplanes for commercial purposes?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI think my answer fully covers that.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSWill the right hon. Gentleman see that the Commission gets to work on that subject as rapidly as possible so that Germany may not keep such an enormous number of aeroplanes as 15,000?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe work is being accelerated with the utmost speed; but the surrender of this war material did not become operative until after the ratification of peace, and progress was quite good until the revolution occurred. Since then it has been very difficult to find competent authorities to deal with it. It is gradually improving, and we are pressing forward with the utmost speed.
Mr. DOYLEHas any specific date been sot for Germany to perform her obligations under the Treaty in connection with armaments?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLYes. Everything is contained in the Peace Treaty itself, and I and my colleagues of the Cabinet have had long personal interviews with our 1823 representative there. We did not condone any deliberate delay on the part of the German authorities in the execution of the Peace Treaty. We are not being held up by that at the present time, but by the great difficulty of dealing with the matter.
Mr. DOYLEIn view of the fact that Germany has not carried out the obligations of the Treaty, has any date been set within which Germany is to carry out those obligations?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe German Government have furnished us with a list of the weapons in their possession; a very large number; in fact, the full number of guns. I am quite satisfied that the course which is being pursued by the British and the French Governments in common is producing one of the most important things we have to do, namely, the disarmament of Germany.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI think you must leave that to the Commission.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLYes; they are specified in the schedule. The Germans seem inclined to interpret it that they should keep the mobile armament, which means thousands of weapons, but we interpret it to be on the basis of the fixed armaments.