New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-08-29
STRENGTH or THE CONTENDING ARMIES.

The denomination of the armies which fol-
lowed the battles around Metz may be con-
sidered as now very nearly complete AT least,
active operations cannot much longer be de-
layed for the purposes of organization. Action
on the part of the Prussians seems, if not pre-
cisely imperative. at least desirable, in order
that the French may be prevented from accu-
mulating fresh forces; and the resumption of
hostilities may be anticipated during the pres
ent week. Let us see with what forces the
struggle is to be continued:
While the losses of the Prussans in killed
and wounded have undoubtedly been greater
than those of the French, it is not less certain
that the prOpOrtiOnate loss in effective force
to the French has been several times that of
their enemy. In the battles about Haguenau
the losses in killed and wounded were about
equal Besides these, several thousand French
prisoners were taken and a large proportion
of the First and Fifth Corps were cut off and
shut ND at Strasbourg, Phalsbourg, Bitche,
and other fortresses. These troops thus lost,
to the number of forty or fifty thousand, do
not even serve to detach troops of
the regular Prussian armies for columns
of reserves at once hold them at bay IN
their strongholds and at the same time pro-
tect the lines of Prussian communication. In
the battles around Metz, the armies of Prince
Frederick Charles and Won Steinmetz lost
probably twice as many men placed horS dc
combat as Bazane. The French loss has been
named at $4,000 killed and wounded but to
these must be added the $4,000 or $4,000 troops
which. forced within the walls of Metz, are
virtually lost to the French army. While the
IL hn.~a To- IN
severely in killed and wounded, the French
have lost double in effective men.
While the organization of the French has
been terribly shattered, that of the Prussians
remains intact. OF the French army one-half
of the list and 5th Corps were sacrificed IN the
Vosees; and the whole of the I'd, Sd, 4th, and
mart of the 5th, were destroyed in the engage
ments around Metz. The army of Bazaine, no
longer available in the field, consists OF these
latter shattered CORPS numbering, according 10
French authorities, 10000 men. The army
of MacMahOn consists of the broken lst
and 5th Corps. the 18th Corps intact, the
10th, a newly organized corps OF 6O,VoO
from the Garde Mobile, the Imperial Guard,
and the cavalry of CanrOberts Sixth Corps.
In all there are said to be, on the same
authority, $4,000 men. We do not believe
that the armies under MacMahOn and Bazaine,
if combined would number more than 25O,OOO,
including the 10000 of Trochu's men from
CherbOurg. This is the total force which
remains to France capable of operations in
the field.
The regular armies of the Prussians over
whelmingly outnumber them. They have to-
day, in spite of losses in battle, a larger force
than that with which they entered France.
All the regiments which fought at Worth and
Metz have been filed up from their Ordinary
reserves. No sooner were the losses of each
regiment known than the proper numbers of
reserves were forwarded from the camps
on the frontier. Two new armies of re-
serves have taken up positions along the
line of communications, and third has started
to join the Crown Prince. The failure of the
French expedition by sea has relieved $1,000
men under Gen. Falkenstein on the Elbe, and
these have also been sent to the French from
tier. The French estimate that 600,0 Prus-
slams are upon the territory of France, is not,
therefore, greatly exaggerated. We estimate
that not less than half a million Prussian
trained soldiers are in the field to pursue and
destroy the $4,000 men which remain of the
regular French army.
These estimates are outside of any considera.
ton of the citizens whom France proposes to
turn into soldiers. 1t is futile as well as i'm
possible to compute their strength, and their
influence on the final result cannot be consid-
cred. This overwhelming force of Prussians