10 JANUARY 1936, Page 2

The Military State Hitherto, the Protestant and Catholic youth associa-

tions in Germany have succeeded in competing with Herr Baldur von Schirach's Reich Youth League. But now a message from Herr von Schirach foreshadows legislation which will force every German child of ten and upwards to enter the Reich Youth League, there to receive athletic, pre-military, social and political training. At fourteen the most promising of them will graduate into the National Socialist Party's Hitler Youth ; at eighteen they will join the Labour Corps, and having finished their term of service, they will enter the armed forces. Having run this course the young German may be trusted to be a good National Socialist, and, even more,- a good soldier. This regi- mentation and conscription of ,German Youth will com- plete the structure of the military state : the confessional associations cannot continue to exist much longer. The Nazi discipline of the young is inevitably rentiniseent of ancient Sparta. In an interesting lecture to the Classical Association on Saturday Mr. J. E. Powell said that National Socialism had turned eagerly to Greek studies, and it is easy to see why. The comparison with Sparta is confirmed when one observes how, as the military disci- pline of Germany grows stronger, her expulsion of intel- lectuals leaves her cultural standards substantially lower.