New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-10

WASHINGTON. Oct e.EGefmany
military strength now shows clear
decrease for the first time since th'
war began, according TO a review baSet
upon data of the French General stan
made public here tonight by th'
French high commission.
Worn down and driven back by the
never-ending pounding OF the Ailies OF
the Western front. the statement says
the Germans have made their supreme
military effort after drawing heavily
upon their inactive armies in the East
and calling out their 1918 and part OF
, the 1919 reserves.
Thus. while the Allies have reached
and are prepared 70 maintain their
full strength while awaiting the com
ing Of Americas great army, the enc
my's resources are diminishing at the
very moment when the military sItua-
ton demands that they Increase.
This shows" concludes the state
ment. "the decisive character attend
ing the operations in 1918, when three
great democraeies, England, France
and America. will unite their entire
strength in attacking the enemy. IN
conformity with the only sound prin-
cple Of war
Committees Statement
The committees statement follows:
Both Franco German fronts, on the
Aisne, 1917, and Nerdun. 1915, have al
ready been compared, and 1t has been
noted that they are practically OF the
same length. 1t has been stated that
the German forces occupying them be-
fore the attack were equally compare
ble-twelve and fourteen divisions. II
is known to-day that during the same
period, from May to September, the
Germans engaged twenty-five fresh d.
visions at Verdun, and that they have
been obliged TO engage forty-fve on
the Aisne. Furthermore, during an
equal period the French took 1855
prisoners at Nerdun and 1858 on the
Aisne.
This comparison included only a
small sector of the French front. But
il showed a very interesting result, due
TO the increase of the material forces
Of the Allies and the improved French
fighting methods. since adopted by the
other armies. and also, as testified by
the German staff itself. apropos OF the
battle of the Somme. in explaining
their defeat, 20 the perfect use Of
technical methods
IF the above comparison is extended
to-day to the entire Franco-English
front. II YOU consider that from April
10 10 June 10 the enemy engaged los
divisions against the Anglo-French
forces. and, finally, II one bears IN
mind that the successes OF the British
offensive at Ypres obliged the enemy
to engage fifteen divisions during the
last ten days, you can understand why
the German losses on me Western
front grow heavier and heavier. They
admit the loss OF 116.0Os men during
the month Of May; ll4,000 men are
estimated by the Allied staff during the
month OF June, etc.)
Reason for Losses
This is because the fighting on the
W-3tern front. as a matter OF tact.
practically never ceases. whether IN
the French sectors of Verdun or the
Aisne or in the English sectors OF
Arras and Ypres, the fighting Is only
discontinued at one point 10 be taken
ND at another. In addition to the big
attacks a quantity OF carefully pre-
pared small actions which have been
crowned with success and Of which the
bulletins are not able 70 give clear
idea increase the attrition Of the Ger
mans.
This constant activity, coincidine
with the weakness and inaction OF the
Russians, also explains why the Ger
mans arc obliged to maintain, and sue
coed in effectuslly maintaining, three
times larger forces on the French front
/ than on the Russian front. In the be
( ginning of the summer there were l5t
German divisions to 700 kilom .tres Oh
the French front, as against 100 Austro
German and Bulgarian divisions, - Of
v-bicb ,rpre German on the Eastern