The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-11

gigantic army OF not far from 5000
600.
In 1910 Germany had male popu-
lation OF 32,44A,i66. OF these there
were in round numbers boys and
young men UP to twenty years of age
100000. Between the ages of
twenty and forty-four. 1850, 900 men
and above the age OF forty-fye. g.
200, 900. Applying the ratio of in
crease in male population between
1900 and 1910 to the four years after
that Germany had somewhat more
than $4,000, 600 men and boys OF all
ages when the war began That fig
ure represents the man power" OF
Germany.
The percentage Of military fitness
under the old rather high require
ments prior to the war was ffty-three
That is OF every 100 young men who
+ had to present themselves for examl-
4 nation under the universal military
service law in Germany upon reach
! ing the age of nineteen, fifty-three
came up to the requirements and were
, found mt to serve. In view OF our
drafts at this time, 1t is interesting to
found fit for military service CLIO
per cent were born in the country
and only 3s3 in cities
In 1918, $4,000 more young men
were passed as at" under the old
standards than could be enlisted not
withstanding the great increase in the
army under the emergency reichsta e
/ bill OF that year. which brought the
standing army up close to 500 600,
H. With the outbreak of the war the
I standards of requirements in each
belligerent country became more
] elastic" each year. Taking the H.
100000 men between twenty and
| fortyfour years and estimating the
/ increase Il in the four years between
1910 and 1914 at the low figure OF only
/ 100000 together with the 1914 class
! OF $4,000 nineteen year old young
men. Germany had 2.64a. 900 men Of
military age, trained and unframed
to draw upon when the war began.
On December /. 1910, there were
| sSos72 boys in Germany who be-
came nineteen years of age In 1915.
The death rate in that period of life
between the fourteenth and nine
teenth year-is low. The class that
Germany had for cannon food" In
! 1918 can he safely placed at $4,000
young men.
In 1897, 1.ea1.les; children were
born in Germany. OF these 64,43s
were born dead. leaving .92s. $50 TO
be considered. In that period l04
boys were born to every 100 girls
This would bring the number of BOYS
born in that year to about 1.00o.0 900
or thereabou Official German sta
tstics show that since 1900 an aver
age OF 7os out OF every | 900 born in
Germany live to reach their twentieth
year That would show that Ger
many's class OF nineteen year olds Ia
be drawn for 1915 was close around
700 900 Young men. will place /;
conservativelv at $50 900.
In 1898 the births had increased tc
. .02a .S9l and the number of boys ran
over one million. The class therefore
for 1917 may he placed at close tc
670 900
Adding the classes Of 1914, 1918
1915 and 1917 to the 10000 900 mer
between the ages Of twenty and forty
four when war broke out II is seen that
GERMANY has had a grand total OF
IA 500 600 men to draw upon for her
armies since the beginning OF the war
without extending the age of military
service below nineteen or above forty
Eve. as had been done nv Austria
This does not take into consideration
many thousands above the age oi
eorty-fve who volunteered the first
wear nor tens If thousands under nine
teen who naturally cut down their re.
spective classes for the following tive
years lust that much.