The Washington herald., 1916-07-02
KITCHENER PLA LANNED TO SMASH
GERMANY'S RESISTANCEBY 1918

depending on conditions and the lines or
communication, can be put in the
trenches. Assuming the latter figure. the
empire is maintaining 1,24O.0oo available
bayonets at home and abroad, in Eng
land. ireland, India. Flanders, Mesopo-
tamia, Macedonia, Egypt and East Africa.
And 1t has been officially announced In
the Commons that no more separate d.
visions will be raised during the war.
Where. then, are England's remaining
millions? The answer explains why,
though the brunt Of the fighting has been
borne by others, Britain's allies hope her
infantry will turn the scale at the end,
and why her enemies, though affecting
to sneer, dread her efforts during the
concluding phases Of the war. Britain
has ample reserves to maintain her
eighty-six divisions at full strength for
nearly two years; thanks to the foresight
of Lord Kitchener, who planned from the
beginning, since he could not at the
start improvise armies able to deal with
Germany's veterans, to strike the finish
ing blow Of the war. 1t is true that some-
thing like 10000 good soldiers. If Winston
Churchills estimate is correct, have been
kept in England to guard against possible
invasion, and have not been counted upon
for foreign service. The fear OF invasion
is now practically non-existant since the
German fleet hastily departed from the
SScilC VI lAo hlClOTy III lNe -NOTIn sea
and disposed Of the widespread legend
that it had a new and terrible weapon
up its sleeve, but subtracting this half
million from these islands total of 5,O40-
600 volunteers deducting 100000 killed.
wounded and sick, adding 1,OOO, 900 men as
the ultimate effort of the dominions and
colonies, and a reasonable allowance for
conscripts, it is seen that the British re-
serves are amply sufficient to insure that
kitchener's plan may be carried out.
o,5OO,OoO Available.
The empire has available at present
not less than 5,50O,oO0 soldiers at home,
abroad and in the colonies.
Discussion concerning the details of
French contribution to man power is
frowned upon in Paris. but, roughly,
France has put 100000 men in the field,
not counting the boys Of eighteen and
nineteen who have not yet completed their
training. and her permanent wastage
from all sources Is generally put at much
less than half, but more than one-third
that figure. Her casualties have fallen
more heavily in proportion upon the
younger men, who make the best SOL
diers, as during the first eighteen months
OF war the older classes, unable to en-
dure trench hardships so well as their
juniors, were used in the lighter and less
dangerous duties in the rear. Efforts
have now been made to check this vast
age OF the best material, In places where
no important events are proceeding the
advanced positions are held by inferior
troops. so that the inevitable daily losses
fall upon them, while the more vigorous
men. formed into shock corps" are held
in reserve, to be thrown into action only
upon important occasions. 1t was a
shock corps" which hurled back the
Germans on the Douaumont pleateau in
February and saved Verdun. and others
have been used from time to time in the
frequent counter-attacks which the
French undertake when the ceaseless
vital Importance.
Russian Forces Small.
Amazing misconceptions have prevailed
concerning Russia, and stories about ten
million Slavs in arms have gained cur
rency. How many soldiers may be train
ing in the rear I do not know, but the
surprising fact may now be stated that
six months ago the Russian empire was
holding 400 miles Of front with 10000 bay
onets, not moro than Great Britain had
in the field at the time, and with a
greatly inferior supply of guns and shells.
Russia was saved by the exhaustion Of
the German armies during the last phases
Of the great retreat last fall and by the
her friends did their best to help her
during the months when ice and mud
immobilized Hindenburg, and the amaz-
ing fruits Of that winter of desperate en-
6eavor are now manifest to the stricken
armies Of Austria.
The exact position OF Russia as regards
equipment and munitions is a subject Of
speculation in the best informed quarters,
and 1t is said Lord Kltchener's Inflated
mil zStnn n PneEia ~ An6
out for himself and the French just how
Russia really stands The current estt-
mates vary widely and seem equally un-
Trustworthy. Roughly speaking. the ques-
ton Of Russian man power does not be-
hong in this article at all, because for
all practical purposes it is unlimited. The
question with Russia is not how many
men she can put in the field, but how
many she can officer, equip and find guns
and shells to support. The officer Ques-
ton Is one of her most serious difficult
ties, for the educated class in Russia
Is far smaller In proportion to the popu-
lation than elsewhere in Europe, and
most Of the original officer corps was
wiped out during the disasters Of last
year
The present position of Germany, as
understood by the authorities most COM
petant to Judge outside OF Germany, the
uCpdl lUlcIIS OIL germany
armies, will now be explained In detail
100000 Germans in Field.
Germany has put into the field almost
exactly 100000 soldiers, some 100000
more than her experts before the war
believed possible, and her recruitment is
entirely exhausted with the exception Of
the boys who are growing up to military
age. The lads Of the class Of 1917 (their
"class' indicates their twentieth year
when in peace time they would have been
conscripted) were warned last December
and called out soon after, and will appear
soon at the front, the German system
allowing for not more than five months
training before the recruit is held fit for
the firing line. Half the boys of the
class of 1913 are not yet eighteen years
old, and they will be the next to be draft
ed About 100000 boys attain military
age every year in Germany. but some
OF these are unit, and the French head
quarters stan figures on the analogy of
the French younger classes that exemp-
ton among such lads must be much more
numerous than among youths twenty
years old, so that Germany can count
on only about 10000 soldiers from among
her boys now aged seventeen and a half
to eighteen and a half years.
This estimate is greater than that of
the Germans themselves, for a semi
official German statement recently an
nounced that Germans cop ,,oh.I.