New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-07
Strength of Germans
on Wane, French Say
Official Review of Six Months of War, Continued
Declares Resources for Electives Are Restrict
ed-AlIies' Artillery Held Superior.

ment that that victory failed TO be
gained.
From that moment, in fact, Germany
lost the initiative and the direction of
the war. And furthermore, she was con-
demned to suffer the counter-effects Of
the enormous and precipitate effort
which she had made in vain. From the
point Of view of her electives and
her reglmental cadres (basic organiZa-
tom she had undergone a wastage
which her adversaries, on the other
hand, had been able to save themselves.
She had, in the words of the proverb,
put all her eggs in one basket and in
spite of her large population, she could
no longer. owing TO the immediate and
sterile abuse which she had made OF
Ter resources, pretend TO regain the
superiority of numbers.
"She was reduced TO facing as best
she could on both war fronts the un-
ceasingly increasing forces of the Al
lies. She had attained the maximum Of
tension and had secured a minimum Of
results. She had thus landed herself
in a difficulty which will henceforward
go on increasing, and which is made
clear when the wastage which her army
has suffered is closely studied"
Chapter Of this section of the re-
view bears the headline "Wastage of
German Electives"
"The wastage of electives is easy TO
establish" it says. 1--WE have for the
purpose two sources, the official lists
Of losses published by the German
General staff and the notebooks. let
tiers and archives of soldiers and Off
GERS killed and taken prisoners. These
different documents show that by the
middle Of January the German losses
on the two fronts were 100000 men.
These figures are certainly less
than the reality. because. for one
thing. the sick are not comprised, and
for another, the losses in the last bat
tie in Poland are not included. Let us
accept them, however; let US accept,
also, that out of these 100000 men
500,000-this is the normal proportion
have been able to rejoin after being
cured. Thus the final loss for five
months of the campaign has been
1900, 900 men, or 10000 men a month.
These figures agree exactly with what
can be ascertained when the variations
Of electives in certain regiments are
examined.
at is certain that the majority of
the German regiments have had to
be completely renewed. What. then,
is the situation created by these enor-
nous losses?"
New Troops Available.
This question is answered by a
statement head. German Troops
Available for 1915"
"Thc total of German formations
known at the beginning of January"
states the review, represented in round
numbers 100000 men. According 70
the official reports on German recruit
ing. the entire resources Of Germany in
men amount to 100000 But from
these 100000 have TO be deducted men
employed on railways. in the police
and in certain administrations and in
dustries, altogether 100000 men. The
total resources available for the war
were therefore 8,500.O0O. Out of these
about one-half-say 4,000,000-are now
at the front. The definitive losses rep
resent at least 100000 men. The avail
able resources amounted then, at the
beginning of January, TO 100000 men.
"Of what are these resources COM
posed? Chiefly of men who were I'M