South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-11-14
GERMANS FORCE IN
WEST is 100000
Allies 0utnumber Enemy in
Western Theater More Than
Million = French Husband
Their Fighting Resources.
BY c. r. BERTELIL


PARIS, Nov. 1.-CBy mail 10 New
York TO escape censor The French
army consists not Of 5000. 600. but OF
double that size. OF these 5000. 600.
one-hah have been under ire. The
remaining 3.00O.OO) have not left
their garrisons. Very few people in
France realize that Gen. Joseph Joffre
holds this tremendous army in re-
serve. Every man OF this 5000. 600 Is
under SO and is fully trained and adc-
Quately equipped for battle. ready TO
march at a moments notice.
Opposed to the French 3,0O9QOe
that have been under fire arc not l.
500. 300 Germans. but $500. .0OO-not
so army corps. but 56.
With half a million British troops
and about 100000 Belgians. the allies
have on the western battle front 8.
100000 men against 100000 Ger
mans. But owing TO Gen. Jonre's
careful nursing Of his troops the forces
actually upon the firing line are
roughly equal.
OF the French 100000 one-half
are doing the fighting while the ether
half relieve them in the trenches and
fill the gaps caused by the casualties.
Battle Front 375 Miles.
The forces are stretched over "a
battle front which now reached $40
miles. About 100000 French troops
lie between the Argonne and Alsace
OF this number the army operating In
the Nerdun district totals 400, 600 men
In Alsace there are $50, 600 men. The
remainder are in the lower Nosges
passes and at various points on the
Meuse. The long line from Rheims to
Arras by way of scissors and ROye
absorbs most Of the balance Of 2.00O.-
600 and the full 5000, 600 are account
ed for when il is stated that French
troops are also cooperating with the
British around LaBassee. Armenueres
and Ypres.
The strength Of the French army,
have said, is 5000. 600. These figures
are arrived at as follows: The active
army includes three classes under the
flag, or 100000. With these go the
reserve Of the active army, that is
men Of the four preceding classes. or
100000. This gives 3,50O.J0O men
all under 28 years. In addition there
are the first class Of the territorials
(under 800 900. 90 in number: and the
remaining 100000 are made up OF the
1914 and 1915 classes already under
the cOlOrs, (about 1.009. 9.00O) colonial
troops, Algerians, Moroccans, Senga-
lese, foreign volunteer corps (OveT
400, Q,O00), and the foreign Logon
Could Raise 100000.
These 1, 100000 could be expanded
TO 8 ,9O0,0 600 by a general call TO arms
such as was resOrted to for the revo-
lutionary wars Of 1898. The addition
al 100000 men could be made up of
/ territorials between the ages OF 80
and 40.
The question still remains:
"Why did Cen. Joffre with his tire
mendOus resources in men allow the
Germans 20 sweep across Belgium and
down TO the very gates OF Paris2"
Briefly stated the answer is that on
the outbreak OF the war the French
concentrated mainly on the coast,
leaving the northern forts OF Mau-
bege, Lille, IaOn, Lafere and Rheims
inefficiently manned When the Bel
gium army delayed the German army
at Liege, Gen. JOffre took advantage
OF the respite and moved an army TO
the valley OF the Meuse and the Bel
gian frontier. He stuck, but in the
words Of an official commUnique is
sued at the time the battle was ''mal
engage - waged under unfavOrabie
conditions.
Underestimated Germans.
Cen Joffre had underestimate the
German strength by about two army
corps and preferred a strategical re-
I
I life until reinfOrcements came Up.
The retreat involved the abandon
ment OF the northern forts. which.
owing 10 political reasons, never had
| been mOdernized- The mistake the
/ French made then and which IS now
! freely admitted, was in failing 10 de-
strOy the forts, because the Germans.
/ BY strengthening them, have been able
| 10 cling 20 the Aisne region for two
months after their retreat from the
Marne Had the French destroyed
their out-of-date forts there never
would have been any battle OF the
Aisne.
By adopting the German tactics Of
throwing huge masses OF men AZ So
| lected points Gen. Joffre might have
/ driven the enemy from the Aisne
/ trenches long ago, but as long as he
I can gain ground slowly he viii not
/ sacrifice life wholesale in the German
way.
AS Il IS the French advance here.
slow as il IS. would be in any case
! further retarded by an outbreak OF
/ typhus in the German trenches
saves His Forces.
Similarly Gen. JOffre might have
I hurled the Germans bodily from the
! northern coast and West Flanders By
| employing huge masses OF men. but
he Is content 10 allow the enemy 20
waste his best troops in terrific on
slaughts while doing no more than
/ keen him in check.
The general offensive OF the allies is
stiU TO come. That is why 5000. poe
J first class French troops sun anguish
In garrisons