The Robesonian., 1917-10-15
GERMANY'S STRENGTH
DECREASING

Allies Are Prepared to Maintain
Their Full Strength While the
Enemy's Resources Are Dimin-
ishing.
;. In Thursdays Robesonian was pub
hshed a news item in which it was
stated that Germany's military
strength shows clear decrease for
the tlrst time since the war began, sc
cOfdlng to review based upon data
OF the French general staff made pub
llc IN Washington Tuesday night of
last week by the French high commits
sion, The commissions state nent>
follows:
Both Franco-German fronts on the
Alsne, 1917, and Verdun, 1916, have
already been compared and it has
been noted they are practically Of the
same length. 1t has been stated that
the German forces occupying them be-
fore the attack were equally compar-
ative, II and IA divisions. It IS known
I that during the same period, from
May to September, the Germans en-
gagged 25 fresh divisions at Verdun
and that they have been obliged to
Z,
during an equal period the French
took 1858 prisoners at Verdun and
8,553 on the Aisne.>
This comparison included only a
small sector Of the French front. But
1t showed very interesting result
due to the increase of the material
forces of the Allies and the improved
French fighting methods still adopted
by the other armies also, as testified
by the German general staff itself
apropos Of the battle of the Somme
in explaining their defeat to the per
feet use of technical methods
Why Losses Grow Heavier.
If the above comparison is extend
ed today to the entire Franco-E English
front, if you consider that from Apri
Is to June Is, the enemy engaged
1OS divisions against the Anglo-Frencl
forces, and finally, if one bears il
mind that the successes of the Brit
ish offensive at Ypres obliged the enc
my to engage fifteen divisions during
the last ten days you can understan'
why the German losses on the west
ern front grow heavier and heavier
(They admit the loss of 10000 me
= during the month of May; 10000
men are estimated by the allied stat
during June.C
"This is because the fighting on tn
western front as a matter of fact prae
tically never ceases. Whether in tn
French sectors of Verdun or tn
Aisne, or in the English sectors {
Arras and Ypres, the fighting is onl
discontinued at one point to be take
up at another. In addition to the bi
attacks a quantity of carefully-pr,
pared small actions which have bee
crowned with success and of w]1ic
the bulletins are not able to give
clear idea, increase the attraction
the Germans.
Removed From Eastern trout.
"This constant activity, coincidir
with the weakness and inaction
the Russians, also explains why tt
Germans are obliged to maintain al
succeed in effectually maintainil
their three times larger forces on t
French front than on the Russi
front. 1t is known that the Russi
active operations and that the, res
- ton of internal events in Russia
the eastern front has allowed G.
. many to consider it during fe
months as veritable reserve for
- western front. Not content with
clining to give battle and withdra vi
portion Of their front on the Fl
denburg position the German gene
staff has transported to the westt
front between January and April
certain number of divisions dra
from the eastern front. AS this
not suffice they have drawn the pi
ed men from each of their compar
on the eastern front and with the
sistance of the class of 1918 h;
formed 27 new divisions, 26 Of VIII
have appeared in France.
Has Made Supreme Effort.
However, in spite of using
these methods, of which the LAT
have been possible this year due
the trouble made by the Russian re
luton, Germany has made her
preme military effort"
The statement explains that W