The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-11-03
DRAINED DRY
Of MATERIAL
Every Man Capable of Military Serv-
ice Has Been Called to
Garry Arms for the
Kaiser.
HAVE 2se DIVISIONS
Great Increase is Not Discouragin9
to the Allies Who Are Keep
ing pace With Fight
ing Units.
TBy Henry Wood, United Press Stan
(,orrnnnnrndnnat i

Correspondent
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES
AFIELD Oct 5-(By mail.) by an
intensity of mobilization that has
drained Germany dry Of every man
capable of military service, the Ger
man fighting divisions on the French
and Russian fronts have been prac-
tically doubled since August l, 1914.
Despite this gigantic effort, France,
England and Russia, the three orig
inal allies. have In every way kept
pace, with the result that at the
present time they still have the
numerical superiority in fighting
forces. In addition, it has been def
nitely established that the military
of the allied armies. as constituted
at the present time. is constantly on
the increase, while that of the Ger
man army is Enthusiastically Oh the
decline.
Since the beginning Of the war the
new allies that have joined France,
England and Russia have far exceed
ed in the re-enforcements of troops
which they have added to the allied
cause, those brought to Germany by
the allies won over to her side.
On August 1, 1914, when Germany
had modified to the extent she
deemed necessary to win the war.
she threw onto the French and Rus
sian fronts, 123 fighting divisions con-
stituted on basis of four regiments
to the division. By first crushing
France with the bulk of these and
then throwing them to the Russian
front by means Of her system OF
strategic railways, she counted on a
quick and complete victory.
BY November Of 1914, when the
battle Of the User was being fought.
Germany had found 1t necessary to
increase her fighting divisions on the
two fronts to 1877.
In September of 1915, towards the
close of the Russian campaign, the
German divisions on the two fronts
had been increased to ITO. By this
time, Germany began to feel the
pressure on her for new divisions,
and to permit of this she began the
gradual transformation of her divi
sions to basis of three regiments
each instead of four The extra regi-
ment thus saved went to constitute
new division.
Towards the middle Of the attack
on Verdun, about June, 1916. all Of
the German divisions had been re-
ments only BY this change, and by
a constant f1ne-combing Of the en-
tire empire for available men. Ger
many was able to augment her divi-
sions on the eastern and western
fighting fronts to 173.
The fall and winter Of 1916 wit
messed Hindenburg's colossal effort
at mobilization and the creation of
new divisions. His plans included
the incorporation of the inhabitants
of Serbia. Poland and other conquer
ed districts. AS early as December
of 1916, his efforts had permitted an
increase in the fighting divisions of
the two fronts to 2OS
By July 1917 at the end Of the
French and English spring offensive
Hindenburg had attained 234 divf.
sions. On September /, at the time
Germany undertook her counter.
offensives on the Russian front. a
maximum Of 239 fighting divisions
had been thrown onto the two fronts
by the Germans.
Against the 123 fighting divisions
which Germany threw on the French
and Russian fronts with the begin.
ming of hostilities she now has there
239 divisions. OWN. to the fact that
of three regiments to a division in.
stead Of four as at the beginning, the
figures are a trifle deceptive
more accurate idea can be had
by reckoning in battalions as bat.
talions have approximately 1000 men
although 1t Is definitely known that
hundreds of the German battalions
are now far below this number. On
this basis, Germany started her cam
paign on the French and Russian
fronts with 1912 batta1ions. This
number has by now been increased
to 1884. These fighting units OF
course do not take into account the
millions of men employed In service
behind the lines.
This titanic increase Is in no wav
discouraging to allied military author
tiles because they happen to know
that their own creation of new fight
ing units has in every way been
equal. Other aspects of the situation
are also most encouraging.
That Germany has ever realized
that the war must be fought out or
the French front is Indicated both By
the manner in which she has stead
tly increased her original number o.
divisions there and by the specia
concentrations she has made for he
big western offensive movements.
The number of divisions on tn,
western front Is now nearly twic,
that with which Germany began tn,
war there with, while. for specia
offensives there Germany has occa
Bionally concentrated as high as sew
enty-fve percent Of her entire fight
Ing force. On August 1. 1914. whe,
Germany. had completed the mobilt
zation of all the troops she deeme,
necessary, she launched on both tn