Berlin, Aug. 15.
INVOLVING one of the largest forces of men to be called to the colours since the World War, the Reich's gigantic autumn military manoeuvres were inaugurated this afternoon by Fuehrer Adolf Hitler when he presided over opening exercises held in Juterborg Camp, 60 kilometers (approx. 28 miles) from Berlin. Lasting twelve weeks, the exercises will be held in all regions of Germany, it is emphasized in political quarters here, and will not be concentrated in any single area, it is claimed, There are some 350,000 Reserves called to the colours especially for the manceuvres.
They have not been summoned all at the same time, however, and each contingent of these soldiers will participate only in a certain part of the whole exercises, it revealed.
Besides these reserves, there are] now some 400,000 men concentrated in west German camps where they live while building fortification works. These mon may be kept six months at. this newlysimposed job; im ac~ cordance with the recent decree of "mobilization for national works' promulgated by Field Marshal Herman Goering, Director of the Four-Year Plan, For the Arst time, the law of July 19, 1938, will be put into effect, it further noted in military circles here, This Jaw will permit the requisitioning of all materials and foodstuffs needed by the transport and supplies departments of the armies. The State will be able to requisition all sorts of goods, Indemnities will be paid owners of horses and cars taken by the troops, however. These payments will be made on the scale recently published.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.