HC Deb 14 June 1920 vol 130 cc877-8
57. Lieut.-Colonel Sir S. HOARE

asked the Prime Minister whether he can make a statement as to the steps that have been taken by the German Government since the San Remo Conference to carry out the disarmament Clauses of the Peace Treaty?

The PRIME MINISTER

As this is a long answer with many figures, I shall, with the leave of my hon. Friend, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

The following is the answer promised:

On the 10th May the Inter-Allied Military Commission of Control estimated the strength of the German Army at 270,000.

On the 10th June the German wireless issued an official statement stating that on that date the German Army had been reduced to 200,000, and that the forces in the neutral zone had been reduced to:

This information has not yet been checked by the Inter-Allied Military Commission of Control, but there is evidence to show that there has been a considerable reduction of the German Army in the past month, a large number of men have been discharged and Reichswehr (Regular Army) units have bean amalgamated. The German Government has issued orders for the disbandment and disarmament of the unauthorised reserve formations, Zeitfreiwilligen (Reichswehr Reserves) and Einwohnerwehren (Civil Guards), but is still pressing for permission to retain the Sicherheitspolizei (Armed Constabulary). The Civic Guards are local organisations whose numbers fluctuate according to local conditions.

The following table shows the total amount of War material of important categories surrendered or destroyed by 27th May, 1920:—

Nature of Material. Total amount surrendered, i.e., notified to the Commission of Control. Total destroyed.
Guns and barrels of all kinds. 23,877 9,102
Machine guns 37,262 4,002
Small arms (rifles and carbines). 1,485,489 599,980
Small arm ammunition. 160,063,000 50,003,000