The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-10
Armies Still Possess Enormous
Powers of Resistance But
Numbers Decrease
FRENCH COMMISSION
AUTHORIZES STATEMENT
France and England Can Main
tain Present Force - With
America $ Help the War VIII
Be Won

Washington, Oct s.--Germany has
made her supreme military effort
and failed.
Under the terrific, continuous on
alaughts of the allied armies, she Is
losing her man power today at the rate
of more than 1885, 900 a month. Her
losses grow heavier and heavier. Hey
ability 10 transfer troops from the
eastern front to the western. And vice
versa. to meet the big drives. has been
checked. Her resources in men are
diminishing at the very moment mill
tars' emergencies demand they should
increase.
ON the other hand the British and
French armies have reached their fun
strength in men and material Amer
lea g great army is yet to come.
In the British offensive at Ypres
Germany has been obliged to engage
fifteen divisions in the last ten days
Twenty-Five fresh divisions were put
into action by the crown prince be-
fore Verdun, and forty-five fresh di-
visions were thrown into the whtrl'
wind of allied steel In the battles OF
the Aisne.
The French high commission today
4
official data OF the French general
staff No idea Of the strength Of the
allied forces Ia made public. but the
inference drawn is that on several SEQ
tiers OF the western front. the allies
have VIGOROUSLY engaged far superior
numbers.
Both French German fronts on the
Atsne. 1917, and Verdun. 1915, have
already been compared and 1t has been
noted that they are practically OF the
same length" says the authorized
statement Of the French high commits.
mission given out by the committee or
public information.
Germans Use Many Divisions
TT has been stated that tile Ger
man forces occupying them before the
attack were equally comparable
twelve and fourteen divisions 1t Ia
known today that during the same
period from Nay 60 September, the
Germans engaged twenty-five fresh di-
visions at Xeriun, and that they have
been obliged 10 engage forTy-ftve on
the Aisne, Furthermore. during ar
equal period tha French took 5.ssa
prisoners at Feriun and $3.50 on the
Aisns
This comparison included only q
small sector OF the French front But
II showed a very interesting result
due 10 the increase OF the material
forces OF the allies and the improved
French fghting methods since adopt
ed by the other armies and also as
testified by the German staff itself;
aTropos of the battle OF the Somrne
IN explaining their defeat: To the per-
feet use OF technical methods
IF the above comparison I'm extend
Ell today to the entire French Eng
lish front. II You consider that from
April 5 20 June S the enemy engaged
los divisions against the Anglo French
forces and finally IL one bears In mind
that the successes of the British of.
fensive at Ypres obliged the enemy to
engage fifteen divisions during the la 81,
ten DAYS yon can understand why the
German losses on the western front
grow heavier and heavier (thev admit
the loss of $4,000 men during the
month OF May: 10000 men are est.
mated by the allied staT during the
month Of Tune. etc.)
Fighting Newer Ceases
This r. because the fighting on the
western front as matter OF fact. rrao-
ttcally never ceases. Whether In the
French sectors OF verdun or the Afsne
or IN the English sectors OF Arras and
Ypres, the fighting is only ifscontinn
ed at one point TO be taken up at an
other In addition to thu big attacks