European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 21, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                              8 the stars and stripes fair of Finiff la Ritter Empire tightens Ulit i economic cutback slices famed regiments famous regiments Are to be disbanded by september 1972. The breakup of 17 other major units already announced has been advanced to april 1970.a former commander of the highlanders commented that the government in London Only wants a lot of mercenaries a lot of numbers with no allegiance  men of Middlesex expressed similar sentiments wit the passing of the diehards the Queen s regiment which won its nickname in the Battle with Napoleon s men at Albufera when their dying colonel shouted die hard my men die  these regiments built and de fended the British Empire which is no  government is phasing out nearly All of Britain s commitments East of Suez by 1971. Even the proud Royal Navy and the Royal air Force Are being pulled closer to Home the Navy to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic the Raf to Europe to increase Britain s contribution to the North at lactic treaty organization nato the new role of the armed forces especially the army Isth defense of the Homeland and Public service in it. Assign ments of Glamor and adventure London a the Las Post is sounding for some of Britain s famous old regiment whose Long traditions of glory have been immortalized by poets and storytellers. They Are the victims of the nation economic Straits. Britain s Days of a far Flung Empire spanning the Globe have ended. Air and naval bases an army Garrison posts around the world Are being abandoned Oneby one. Prime minister Harold Wil son s labor government is Tail Oring defense commitments an the armed forces to a level the nation can  the government boasts it is maintaining the most Power Ful if not the most numerous armed forces in West european is campaigning to keep morale and recruitment from sagging in the face of Cut  Secretary Denis Hea Ley says Britain s army Navy and air Force Are second to none in Western  the scots Are lamenting the passing of that thin redline tipped with steel the name Argyll and Sutherlan highlanders won in 1854 when 550 of them plus 100 invalids held the British lifeline against the russian army in  Argyll and eight other no Novotny czechs finding Dubcek human by United press International when he looked up from his la lion trusts him and approve prepared text during a speech the Liberal course he set after in Bratislava in March to make elbowing Novotny from Power a Wisecrack about the local he is earning the same kind football team the czechs and of popularity that Josip Bro slovaks gasped in wonder at Tito aroused in Yugoslavia this communist who could when he defied the soviet laugh and raise a laugh. Union just 20 years ago. Back in Prague a few nights later Alexan Der Dubcek crawled out of bed and rushed downtown to stand on a car bumper and address a Mill ing Torch bearing crowd of students and Young worker sin front of c o m m a nist party Headquarters. Now lit buro of the czechoslovakian the czechs and slovaks knew National parly for sure that this Man was Dif on the Way Dubcek made Ferent. Is alliances. Isolated in his for a decade the cold and Castle Novotny never sensed it Distant Antonin Novotny chair until it was too late. When Heman of the communist party realized Early this year what and president of the Republic was happening he tried to Stop had isolated himself in the great it. But every Way he turned he hrad Cany Castle on the crags found it blocked by one of dub glowering Over Prague and the Cek s allies usually by one of Vltava River. Novotny had the Dubcek s fellow slovaks Castle put Back in its original the final blow was delivered condition and Many said he by a slovak general who told imagined himself a rein Carna Dubcek when he Learned that Tion of the medieval Kings. Novotny and it. Gen. Jan Sejna compared to him Dubcek and were planning to bring t h e his jokes Pale though they armed forces out against the were seemed human and of this liberals age. Human As he is by comm Dubcek still is not out per nist standards Dubcek still re forming the kind of hand clasp Mains a very private person being courtship of the electorate Western standards. No one has common to Western politicians yet interviewed his wife or take but a Public opinion poll in pictures of his children at play itself an innovation in com no one really knows what Aremu nist a u 1 e d countries re his hobbies or How or even if leased earlier in the week said he relaxes that 78 per cent of the popu some fuss was made Over overseas will be . Sir Geoffrey Baker chief of the general staff said that the army is involved in nearly 300 civilian projects such As helping to Cope with floods in Western England earlier this month piping running water and sewage systems for inaccessible villages supervising country excursions of boy from the slums of Glasgow. But this Type of army life does not seem to Appeal to adventure hungry  is trying hard to arrange training facilities in Al lied countries overseas not just to give his men a change but to prepare them for action any where in the world and in an climate. Under the Banner of the United  British army at present has 192,000 men compared to France s 340,000, West Ger Many s 325,000, Italy s 310,000,Turkey s 390,000 and the United states 1,470,000. The British ranks Are to be reduced to 152, 000 by 1974.to maintain even that level the army will need More than15,000 new recruits each year. On present trends however the intake this year looks less than 11,000. Manpower is the biggest problem facing the armed  a result Healey is build ing up and improving the equip ment. Healey said recently that fro the equipment Point of View the army will be Superior to ayin Europe including the United states  of the army is the chief Tain a medium sized Tan armed with a 120mm gun. It is already in service with British troops in Germany under nato. British service chiefs Call it the finest tank in the world. The army is also getting anew Light Rifle new mortar locating radar called Combe Linc and new night fighting  the next several years the Raf claims it will have aircraft second to none in Europe. These include the Anglo american phantom a super sonic strike plane the Hawke Siddeley harrier at present the Only operational plane taking offend Landing vertically the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod said to be the most advanced naval reconnaissance plane Eye planned anywhere and the buc Caneer which the British air league recently % called the finest Low level strike aircraft in the  1972, the Raf plans to add nearly 500 outstanding combat planes to its Arsenal the Royal Navy which by 1970 is to have 12 nuclear powered submarines e. J them armed with Polaris a Siles is scheduled to is Over Britain s Long Range 7 Clear deterrent role in the earlv1970s when the last of the if Clear  is phase dry Healey disclosed recently that stars and stripes column Sand comment the Polaris missiles will be equipped with multiple nuclear warheads made in Britain which can attack several tar gets at the same  the replacement of men and historic Battle units by machines has brought a storm of protest from opposition conservatives and Many old soldiers. A former colonel of the Argyll and Sutherland highlanders said with deep feeling we Are attached to values which unfortunately people want to Cut to pieces these  Dubcek Alexander Dubcek must be Aman of great perseverance. Nineteen years ago he won his first election for the Secre tar ship of the communist party District committee in Rencin. But it was Only in 1958 that hews nominated As an alternate member of the party s Polit buro for Slovakia. From there he still had along climb to the Peak of Power he has now  slowly he did work his Way up eventually into the to farewells a soviet Soldier bids Farewell to the townspeople of Klusky a Small town in Bohemia As russian troops and tanks Star their withdrawal to the East following Warsaw pact Maneu vers in Czechoslovakia. The rus Dubcek s father in the Spring by newspapers who pointed out out that the old Man was an old communist who had battled against the imperialist s wars As an immigrant worker in the United states during t h e1914-1918 conflict and had migrated again in 1925. To the so Viet Union to help build communism  and his brother Julius spent their formative Yearsin Russia and after the War Alexander finished his formal education in Moscow. The family returned to Slovakia in 1938,and joined the illegal communist party there. Julius was killed during the slovak uprising in 1944. But Alexander sur Vived to Lead his nation. Slans had delayed the withdrawal of troops for several weeks following the co Tion of the War games causing some Apple Neslon that Force might be used by the Sot Lew to unseat the new czech regime. To european edition col. James a Campbell a a it. Col.  jr., us Mart Proctor Elmer d. Frank. Production Henry 6. Extein. Circulation in that newspaper it an authorized publication of the department of dec of u.�. Armed Forest Over toil. The Start and strip to it pub a d by d let a fill , . European command in support of the co Stirl ind information program of the department of Potente. Coni Antt or Nir trip do not Necati Arlly a of Lect the official vow of the . Us r c0if the department of detente. The appearance of Dot play i he by the w Corning commercial publication Doet not constitute an Endor Zemeru j a j apartment of Detent or any of it components. Military Der in 10j4 str let Apo my. International mail the Start and 8tf in rail a Darmstadt Germany. Tell Orl Ethelm c prefix 0m a i hn9toii Alt trip prefix 23 7 741. Tele met a. New York office a " vial to new York 10014, tall Are cede i Matt and  new York