The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-11-13
English Writer Shows How
Forces Were Swung to
and Fro.
West TOTAL NEAR MAXIMUM
On Sept. the Fighting Troops There,
He Figures, Reached 1869 Batai.
ions-Roumania's Entry
Causes Swift Change.

with their rapid augmentation on
either side whenever occasion called
for an increase of effectives have been
now clearly set forth. The figures
given refer to the various phases of
the war, starting with the invasion Of
Belgium in August, 1914, going right
through the allied OffenSives Of 1915
and 1916, the German operations be-
fore Verdun, the movements on the
Russian and ROumanian frontiers, and
concluding with the position as it was
on September / this year.
1t will be seen that In 1914 the Ger
mans threw onto the western front,
including the army that forced its way
through Belgium, 1,190 battalions Of
infantry; while on the Russian front,
from which they did not await much
activity, they left only 322 battalions.
BY September l this year these totals
had been enormously raised, for on
that date they had on the Franco-Bel-
gian-British front no fewer than 1869
battalions, while on the eastern front
they had in position 965 battalions.
Thus at the present moment they are
employing 2,334 battalions on both
fronts, whereas at the opening of hos
tilities only 1,512 We're engaged.
From One Side to Other.
A glance at the totals of the battal-
ions in line on the two fronts at differ
ent periods of the war is interesting,
aS showing how the principal effort of
the Germans has swung from time to
time from one side to the other.
The attack on Belgium and France
absorbed the attention of the German
staff when war broke out in August,
1914, and the Russian front was left to
very great extent to take care of
itself. At that time the infantry effec-
tives were disposed as follows:
Divisions of
Rgts. each. Baths.
On the western front....... 96la 1,l90
On the eastern front........ 26l. 800
The battle of the User in November.
1914, caused the Germans to intensity
their effort in the West They brought
up their effectives to- a higher total
there but at the same time they were
becoming rather anxious about the Rus
sian front, and therefore added to the
number of their troops on that side,
making the position as follows:
Divisions Of
Regis. Baths.
On the western front........104l2 1898
On the eastern 'front.'. 321a 399
Then came the Russian offensive,
which compelled Germany to look
round in order to find more troops to
meet 1t. She therefore reduced her
effectives somewhat on the western
front and sent them eastward, at the
same time bringing some more battal-
ions from the interior to add TO those
on the Russian frontier. In September,
1915, by which time the maximum of
the German effort had been reached on
that side, the position stood:
Divisions of
3or4 Rgts. Baths.
On the western front.......103 112O
on the eastern front........ 81 $50
Nerdun was the next great move
ment the Germans had in view, and in
order to win a victory there they had
changed the disposition of their infan-
try etfectives by bringing many divi-
sions westward, so that the position In
June, 1916, was:
Divisions of
3or 4Rgts. Battns
on the western front........125 1876
On the eastern front........ As 574
Brings Further Changes.
A fresh awakening of activity in the
East was Occasicned when ROumania
came into the war. This brought fur
ther changes in the proportional
strength of the German forces on the
respective fronts. In December, 1916,
they were as follows:
Divisions of
3or4 Rgts. Baths.
On the western front........129 1872
On the eastern front. 70 S99
In July, 1917, which saw the opening
of both British and French offensive
movements, the Germans were COM
PEELED to re-enforce their armies on
the western front, and this brought
with it a reduction of their strength
on the eastern frontier. The totals
were then:
Divs. generally
of 1gts. Baths
On the western front. ........155 1,458
on the eastern front. ....,... 70 $50
Owing to events connected with the
revolution in Russia, Germany threw
some more troops into the eastern field
of operations, and on September the
situation was as follows:
Divisions of
3Rgts. Baths.
On the western front......H7 1869
On the eastern front...,.... 92 965
These figures refer merely to the
troops engaged in the fighting line, and
leave out of account those In garrison
in the interior of the country, as well
as those ON the lines Of communica-
ton.
At the beginning of the war the
strength of the GermCn battalion was
o5out 1000 men. On the assumption
that this strength has been maintained
the correspondents statement indl-
Gates the presence of 100000 German