Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-09-23
ARMIES DEPLETED
ENFORCED MARCHING
LOSSES THRU FATIGUE AND I'LL
NESS ENORMOUS IN PRES.
EMIT CONFLICT.
DISEASE CLAIMS MORE MEN
THAN BULLETS AND SHELLS
American Army officer. Waiting Anx-
ously For Official Report. Of 'nroads
of TOO Strenuous Campaigning in
Efforts to Reach Paris and Defense
Thereof-casualties overestimatsd.
lsnecIal Correspondence

WASHINGTON. Sept. %. american
army officers. who are watching with
The most intense interest every move
among the European armies. and who
are devouring every scrap Of intorma-
ton they can get are keeniy eager to
know the facts about che losses ana
depietions OF the cortest.ns forces. DC
pletions on the march are al far mor'
importance than generally known.
1t is the general belief here that the
actual losses in battle are Icing much
exaggerated That is. il Is felt the
preliminary estimates of patiie losses
as given in dispatches, when simmered
down and given thru official reports
viii be found 10 be much below what
they are supposed.
Losses on M arch Heavy.
But there is another side to the ques-
ton and that is the extent OF the
losses of the armies in marching ana
campo ignins additional - the battle
losses Nobody on this side OF the wa
ter knows how much s1e lighting
armies have suffered in This respect
1t is fact. pointed put ny army
officers and known TO military stu-
dents that the losses of armies on the
march and especially of armies which
are taking the offensive, are usually
greater than the losses IN battle. For
some weeks after the war began the
Germans in western Europe held
steadily To a swift advance. an often
size movement in which they fought
thor way q, nearly every step. The
allies retreated Then the tables turned
and the Germans retreated and the
allies pushed forward
II will not be long until The war has
lasted two months In that time the
western armies have marched and
fought under -xhausting circum-
stances. The weather has been unfa-
vuraite part OF the time. Heavy rains
q nd chill winds have made the armies
and have added To the
lists Of the sick.
Armies Melt Like Snow.
Experts here declare that under
these conditions the shrnkage Of the
numbers III for service must have been
In the figures OF losses in battle.
NpSUSfdi WI LIZ 5ciiA. i'iN SAN"e
German authority, now governor Of
Belgium who mas written widely on
he conduct OF war himself says
armies melt away like snow under
such circumstances He proves this
by historic figures. III three months
after Napoleon crossed the Nieman in
iSl2 with $4,000 men he confronted
u oscow With only $4,000 men. A more
modern instance was in 1878 when the
Russians. warning against Turkey.
crossed the Danube with 100000 men
but arrived before Constant!nople with
only 900.
Blu, particularly apropos are the hS-
ures Of 1870. Then the Germans
crossed the French frontier with @72.-
900 men and after six weeks OF cam
paigning arrived before Paris with
only 17i.ooo men.
In this case, the German troops were
highly trained and conditions unusual
~ favorable. Hence. it is fair TO as
sumo that the depletions in the present
campaigning must also have mounted
up to g huge PERCENTAGE. Not only are
there dea tbs from bullets. and long
lists Of wounded but mon fall sick.
they become exhausted and BILE To
stand the terrific strain, some straggle
away, some desert, some are captured,
some permit themselves to be taken
prisoners. and so on. 1t is a killing
pace and only strong men can stand up
under it.
Reinforeements Fill Gaps.
study Of such figures IS those here
given make it clear tina. either the
armies in the field mus; ne much
smaller than they were at tbs outset or
enormous lists Of reinforcements mus,
} have been hurried up. What has
1 doubtless occurred is that reinforce
ments have filed the gaps. This pro-
cess means heavy drains on reserves.
! Consequently, it may be assumed that