Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-08-08
Germany Filing Her
Fighting Ranks with Boys
By Henry Wood
United Press staff correspondent

| OUlItu ItSS SbdAI NOliNoPohuNh'J
With the French Armies, July 25-
iv nail last untouched
resources of men have now been com
pletely exhausted
To fill up the constant losses in her
fighting ranks, amounting to hund-
reds of thousands monthly, only two
sources remain from which she can
draw her boy soldiers of the classes of
1918, 1919, all called to the colors from
one to two years before their regular
military age, and the wounded sol
diers who are able to return to the
front from the hospitals. This later
category furnishes Germany an aver
age Of $4,000 men per month
These facts are established beyond
all doubt by authoritative information
from various confirmatory sources.
With the older classes, called to the
colors with the outbreak of the war,
now largely wiped out, Germany is
making terrible inroads on her boy
classes prematurely called to the front
sircc August 1914. These youths are
teing used to fill up the ranks of the
iofsntry, where young, vigorous and
enthusiastic soldiers are Indispensable
fo- the launching of attacks. 1t is here
that the greatest losses also oeenr.
The German infantry at the present
time consists closely to 40 per cent OF
the young classes of 1915 and 1919.
The classes of 1915 aud 1916, both of
which are rapidly dwindling furnish 10
per cent of the infantry in the fighting
lines The class of 1917 which is now
entirely under the colors furnishes an
other IL to Is per cent, while the class
of 1918, which is now arriving on the
front in large numbers furnishes anoth-
er 5 to 10 per cent. The remainder of
this class which is still in the depots
constitutes practically the only. reserv-
es which Germany has left.
To meet this emergency, the class of
1919 is now under instruction while
the class of 1920 has already been ex'
amined for eonseription.
The military age in Germany. is 20
wears. In the case of the class of 1919,
| il was not called to the eolors until
April of that year or at the age, theo-
retieally, of 20 years and 1 months
The class of 1916 was called to the col
ors at the age of 10 years and So
months: the class of 1917 called at 10
wears months; the class of 1918 at
\ is wears, l0ls months and the class OF
1919 at is years and six months. The
class of 1920, although already exam
ined, has not yet been sumoned.
The pressure under which Germany
has been forced to employ these boy
soldiers is also indicated by their per
iods. of instruction. The class of 1919
was thrown into the battlefront with
only two or three moths instruction,
bu with such terrible losses, caused by
this inexperienee, than even Germany
was forced to recognize that it was the
costliest economy.
The classes of 1916 and 1917 were
given an instruction ranging from y
| 10 10 months While this gave better
results vet by the time the class OF
li9is was called to the eolors, Germany
was again in such straits for men, that
the bows of this class were brought on
to the front again with only three
months of instruction.
The accuracy Of the above figures IS
confirmed in every capture Of prison
ers large enough to make basis OF
comparison.