The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-10-31
Germany Is Losing 100000 Men
Each Month, Computation Shows
temporarily in hospital That leaves
100000 electives.

temporarily in hospital That leaves
100000 electives.
OF these. as we have seen, 100000 are
| figured TO be in the firing line or in I'm.
mediate reserve. That would leave q
reserve To cover wasteage OF 270o.ooo.
This reserve will supply the deficiency
cause by the calculated wasteage OF 10000
month for about thirteen months. This
makes no allowance at all for the troops
that must be used for other than fighting
purposes. for occupying conquered terri
tory. guarding communications. manning
coast Notifications, etc. On the other
hand, II is calculated that about $4,000
youths will. in thirteen months, reach
the military age. Il has been estimated
! that Germany and Austria need 100000
men outside of the fighting line. That
would mean that they can go on fighting
at the present rate OF wastage for ten
months longer.
The difficulty In connection with these
figures is that while the percentages
are accurate, the total figures OF enlist
ment and TO a less extent the total cas-
ualties estimated are to some extent
guesswork. Thus the Prussian losses as
per the published lists are now 2.loo,ooo.
As the Prussians comprise six-tenths OF
the total population Of the empire, and
as there is no reason to believe that the
other casualties are less IN proportion.
that would give a total OF $4,000. But
the published lists are far from being
up to date or complete. Often casual
ties are listed twelvt months after they
occur. II they average FIVE months IN
arrears 5.oo0.000 would be a fair total es-
innate. We do not know that and can
only take the Amsterdam papers word
FOR it.
Ana,,ar ro...rohly aoo,ra.a .styr,.,.
could be based on the number of prison.
ers the allies have taken. In the above
calculations this works out at LOO COO
The Austrians have probably lost l.O00. COS
in prisoners, but 1t is doubtful IL the
Germans have lost more than $4,000 all
told. Yet the greater figure may be ap-
proximately correct.
II is not so difficult to calculate the
allies strength. France has probably
armed 100000 men, Belgium 10000.
Italy 100000, Great Britain $500, 900. and
Russia 1901, 0oA At the present moment
they have on the lighting line approx
imately-France. and Britain and Bel
GUM in the west, 100000 Casualties
100000. in reserve 400. 900; Italy. 80. 900
men on the firing lile 100000 casualties
and $4,000 in reserve) and Russia 2,5oo.-
0O0 on the firing line, 10000 casualties
and vast but unascertsinable number
in reserve. That leaves the allies with
a total Of S,250.0co on the firing line and
5000 in reserve. excluding Russia, ana
l.siisC 600 temporary casualties which will
return, or have returned TO the firing
line.
In addition TO this, Britain can, at q
pinch, raise another 100000 men and
the number Russia can raise is limit
ed only by the difficulty Of arming
them. a difficulty that in course OF
months can be largely overcome. II
is clear. therefore. that the allies
have an overwhelming preponderance
OF reserves over their adversaries-
It is highly probable that the cas-
uaity figures given here. while rel
atively correct, are all placed too
high. II we deduct 100000 German.
100000 Austrian. 100000 Russian
and 100000 Franco-British casualties
from the estimates given above we
should probably be nearer to the cor
rect figure. That would raise the
Austro- German reserve hsures TO
I, 100000. With these At the estimated
wasteage OF 10000 a month. they
can last for seventeen months. II
the allies do not want the war TO
last that long, they must increase the
monthly quota OF slaughter.
II will not be easy TO do that on
the west front The amount Of at
lacking that can De done there de-
ponds entirely on the amount of ar
tiIlery FIRE that can be concentrated
on a particular spot. II is doubtful
il the allies are in a position to In
crease their artillery power greatly
on that front. though they can no
doubt replace all pieces lost or worn
out Nor is there any reason to be-
lieve that the Germans cannot also
make good their losses On the Ital-
ian front II is otherwise. Once the
Italians break through the great bar
rier of natural defenses that stretches
from Goritzia to the Trentino they
can compel the Austrians to fight a
pitched battle with them In Carniola- |
How soon they can break through
II at all-cannot be estimated. but the |
lighting on this front is growing daily |
more severe and the process of attri- |
ton upon the Austrian forces Is being !
rapidly accelerated.
On the Russian front, now that the |
great German drive has come to an !
apparent end without any overwhelm- !
ing disaster TO the Russian armies !
in the field. the German and Aus