Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-08-10
BOYS ARE NOW
GERMANY'S HOPE
BY N WOOD

United Press Staff CORRESPONDENT
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES,
July 25.-(By Mail.)-Germany's last
untouched resources of men have now
been completely exhaused. To ill up
the constant losses in her fighting
ranks, amounting to hundreds OF thou.
sands monthly. only two sources re-
main from which she can draw-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 soldiers who
are able to return to the front from
the hospitals. This latter category
furnishes Germany an average OF 50,-
0OC men per month.
These facts are established beyond
all doubt by authoritative information
from various conirmatory 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 p~rematurely called to the front
since August, 1914. These youths are
being used TO fill up the ranks Of the
infantry, where young, vigorous and
enthusiastic soldiers are Indispensable
for the launching of attacks. 1t is here
that the greatest losses also occur.
The German infantry at the present
time consists closely to forty per cent
of the young classes of 1915 to 1919.
The classes of 1915 and 1916, both of
which are rapidly dwindling, furnish
fifteen per cent of the infantry in the
fighting lines. The class of 1917 which
is now entirely under the colors fur
nislcs another twelve to fifteen per
cent, while the class Of 1918, which is
now arriving on the front in large
numbers furnishes another five TO ten
per cent. The remainder of this class
which is still in the depots constitutes
practically the only reserves which
Germany has left. To meet this
emergency, the class of 1919 is now
under instruction while the class of
1920 has already been examined for
cOnscription.
The military age in Germany is
twenty years. In the case of the class
of 1915, it was not called to the colors
until April of that year or at the age,
theoretically, of twenty years and four
months. The class of 1916 was called
to the colors at the age of nineteen
and eight and one-half months; the
class of 1917 called at nineteen years
two months; the class of 1918 at
eighteen years, ten and one-half
months and the class of 1919 at
eighteen years and six months. The
class of 1920, although already exam
ined, has not yet been summoned.
The pressure under which Germany
has been forced to employ these boy
soldiers is also indicated by their
periods OF instruction. The class of
1915 was thrown into the battlefront
with only two or three months OF in
struction, but with such terrible losses
caused by this ineXperience, that even
Germany was forced to recognize that
1t was the costliest economy.
The classes of 1916 and 1917 were
given an instruction ranging from nine
10 ten months. While this gave better
results yet by the time the class of
1918 vas called TO the %colors, Germany
was again in such straits for men, that
the boys Of this class were brought
onto the front again with only three
months Of instruction. The accuracy
of the above figures is confirmed in
every capture Of prisoners large
enough to make a basis Of comparison.