Evening star., 1917-09-16
The French Situation.

ufNlng 10 the situation in France,
we may take the percentages of Ger
man man power and apply them to
France. The French loss has been a
little smaller in proportion to the
French population than the German.
but not much This is evidenced by
the fact that the French have not yet
called up any of the class of 1920 or
put in any of the class of 1919 The
French class consists of some 225 Ooo.
SO we may say that the French are
just one class better off than the Ger
Of France and of the colonies from
after deduction is made for alien popu-
lation. little more than 40 900 600
France. therefore, mobilizing one-sixth
of her population. would have called t6
me colors o,'5o,0oo. and this in point of
fact, is the case, as outside information
mas demonstrated. The permanent
German loss was 3s per cent Of the
total mobilization, and this would
mean in the case of the French 2.360.-
oCO. The temporary loss of the Ger
mans-that is, men in the hospital who
viii come back al some tin,e-is
100000. which is. roughly speaking 5
per cent. On the same basis the French
temporary loss would amount to about
35o,ooo. In all, then. the French per
manent and temporary loss would he
100000. and the French troops now
available would be 100000. In point
Of fact, France has used somewhere
between 100000 and e0o.0oo native
troops and troops of the Foreign Legion
coming from other countries and this
element has reduced slightly the cost
to the French population itself We
may say. however. that the total per-
manent loss of France has been some
thing less than 100000 and that the
reserves of France now consist of the
two classes of 1919 and 1920. not used
IN any part. The 1920 class has not been
called up: the 1910 class is merely com
ing up for instruction. With the $50 0nO
wounded who will return, that means
some soeooo men, and that the French
nave on the line and on communica
tions now something like $500 600
Ihese French numbers will be reduced
by the French losses in the next six
months. which viii probably be almost
AS great as the men coming out of the
hospital. Therefore one NAV reckon
that the French reserve has something
like 100000 men for the campaign Of
next year Vi
To these reserves of France it is now
necessary to add whatever troons
America will have in France during the
campaign of 1918. because we are to
take over a portion of the French line.
ana the effect of our arrival viii be
precisely as if France had had another
reserve amounting to the number of
american troops which will become eff
1ectiNe next year. Suppose then that
france rance has 100000 men in her two
classes and the United States should get
100000 men to France for next years
campaign. This would mean that the
reserves of the French would amount
TO milton men, which is approx
mately 200. 600 more than what the re
serves of the Germans will be Here is
refutation of the assertion that France
must stop because she has been .'bled
white. My own judgment is that au
these figures with reference to France
are slightly unfavora Bile, and that the
French situation is in a degree better
1t certainly is not worse
Britain's Losses Still Low.
Now. as far as the British are con |
cerned, their losses have been very
greatly less than those of France or !
Germany. 1t was not until the battle ofI
the Somme in July. 1916. two years aft
er the beginning of the war. that the |
British began to participate in the Eu-
ropean campaign on something like the
scale of France and Germany To all |
intents and purposes, then. the British
casualties We're from a year to two |
years less than those of the Germans
or the French. and to this extent Brit
ish reserves are still superior. England |
has, first and last. with her colonies
put in France or marked for service in |
France something around four million
of men. She has lost permanently not
less than a million. She has available
not less than three millions, and of this
huge total l do not believe many more
than a million and a half are actuallyl
engaged At all events. England should
have a million free reserves to repair
the wastages of the campaign of 1918
This would mean that the allies would
have on the western front alone re-
serve man power twice as much at least
as the Germans. 1t is probably greater,
and IL the submarine situation can be
faced and surmounted during next year
the allies will then have the huge re-
serves of the United States. which will
then be available for the campaign Of
1919. and should not amount to less
than a million to q million and hall