Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-10-08
Military Chiefs at Last Realize
Constant Decrease In
'Hulnan Material"
ORDERS ON CAPTURED
OFFICERS ARE EVIDENCE
Great British Drive In FIand-
erS Is Direct Menace to
Diver Bases
(By Henry woOd)

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
With the French Armies in the Field
Oct. s.-Germany's military chiefs, for
the first time in the war, are beginning
to talk about economizing the nation Is
"human material.
German army orders, signed by Quar-
termaster General Ludendorff, have re-
Gently been taken from prisoners, en-
phasizing the need for this economy.
Heretofore ECONOMY orders" cap
tured ON prisoners dealt only with ths
Importance Of not wasting shells, mu-
nitions and other material supplies.
Even in the present order Ludendorff,
while still placing the utmost impor-
tance upon economy of shells, comedies
now that economy of lives is more inn
portant and must hereafter take first
place.
The Ludendorff order lends added sig.
nificance to the United Press dispatchs Z
from this front on September 20, in
which it was stated that out of 14,000,-
900 men who figured in the army rolls,
the Prussian army machine now had
only about 100000 left in the fight
ing ranks. Germany is beginning to re-
tremendous loss of manpower.
Ludendorft Is order, translated from
the copy taken on a German prisoner,
declares:
fsThe consumption of munitions has
remained constantly very high recently
on the fighting front in spite of the
fact that the combative activity has
generally diminished.
(Note: The order was apparently is
sued very early in September, before
the British drives in Flanders.)
sfIn particular the consumption OF
shells for mortars and heavy field how
itzers is much greater than the produc-
tion.
nThis is serious. However, the super
ior direction of the army cannot issue
a new general order for further-re-
striction in consumption of munitions
because our losses on all fighting fronts
continue to be very high and could be-
come even higher if further general re-
strictions were made. Economy In men
is even more important than economy
in munitions.
UIt is necessary to try to obtain an
imnrovement in these two points. 10
tbis end it is necessary to use munitions
as carefully as possible, according to or
ders previously given and also to reg
ulate the tactics Of our fighting meth
ods according to regulations given ana
the circumstances, so as to diminish our
iosses According to orders
which we have seen and according TO
tbe complaints of the troops, it is no
longer in doubt that we persist IN our
old WAYS Of seeing things and that we
continue along those (wastefulD hnes
on certain occasions. These tactics are
in first line POSITIONS:
nToo severe fighting for possession
of Ground, even trench element, whieh
is of little tactical value, without I'M
nortance and even disadvantageous 10
defend. u;.h,+ IN
1eHasty counter-attacks without IN
formation from the artillery.
"Too dense occupation OF the Ilrss
lines. .1..o - IN
.ho oneS when no attack is planned.
scToo much artillery fire against pI-
s;tions where there is no enemy, sueh
q destructive eannonading of empty
trencbes; useless barrage fires and can
nonading, especially at night. waen
there i not sufficient information Tor
regulating the fire."