The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-10-13
GERMAN ARMY WEAKER.
CLEAR DECREASE SHOWN FOR
FIRST TIME SINCE WAR
BEGAN.
Allies Reach and Prepare to Maintain
Their Full Strength While Waiting
for Coming of Americas Great
Army for Union of Three Great
DcmOcracics.

war began. according to a review
based upon data Of the French gen.
eral staff made public here tonight
by the French high commission.
Worn down and driven back by
the never ending pounding of the al
lies on the Western front, the state
ment says, the Germans have made
their supreme military effort after
drawing heavily upon their inactive
armies In the East and calling out
their 1918 and part of the 1919 re-
serves.
Thus while the allies have reached
and prepared to maintain their fun
strength while awaiting the coming of
Americas great army, the enemy's re-
sources are diminishing at the very
moment when the military situation
demands that they increase.
This shows" concludes the state
mont, "the decisive character attend
ing the operations of 1918 when three
great democracies, England France
and America, will unite their entire
strength in attacking the enemy, in
conformity with the only sound prin-
ciple of war"
The commissions statement, issued
through the committee on public in
formation, follows:
Both Franco German fronts on the
Aisne. 1917, and Verdun, 1916, have
already been compared and it has
been noted that they are practically OF
the same length. 1t has been stated
that the German forces occupying
them before the attack were equally
comparable; 12 and IA divisions. 1t Is
known today that during the same
period from May to September, the
Germans engaged 25 fresh divisions at
Verdun and that they have been
Obliged to engage IS OH the Aisne
Furthermore. during an equal period
the French took 5,S63 prisoners at
Verdun and 1858 on the Aisne.
This comparison included only a
small sector Of the French front, but
1t showed a very interesting result
due to the increase Of the material
forces of the allies and the improved
French fighting method, since adopted
by the other armies and also, as testi-
fled by the German staff itself, apros
of the battle Of the Somme. in ex-
planning their defeat. TO the perfect
use Of technical Methods
IF the above comparison Is extend
ed today to the entire Franco English
front. if you consider that from April
% to June Is the enemy engaged los
divisions against the Anglo French
forces, and finally. if one bears in
mind that the success of the British
offensive at Ypres obliged the enemy
to engage Is divisions during the last
ten days. you can understand why the
German losses on the Western front
grow heavier and heavier (They ad :
NIT the loss Of 10000 men during
the month of May. 100000 men are
estimated by the allied staff during
the month of June. etc.
This is because the lighting on the
western front, as matter of fact
practically never ceases Whether in
the French sectors of Verdun or the
Aisne, or in the English sectors of
Arras and Ypres the lighting is only
discontinued at one point to be taken
up at another. In addition to the big
attacks. u quantity of carefully pre-.
pared small actions which have been
crowned with success and of which
'he bulletins are not able to giva a
clear idea increase the attrition of The
Germans.
Ihis constant activity, conciding
with the weakness and inaction OF the
RUSSIANS, also explains why the Ger
"'"hs are Obliged to maintain. and sue
ceed In eifectually maintaining. three
times larger forces on the French
'roht IMAM on the Russian front.
TIN the beginning of the summer
'here were 1856 German divisions to
'oo kilometres on the French front
"S against 139 AustrO-German and
bulgarian divisions. II Of which were
German on the Eastern front) II is
Nhowh that the Russian winter prac-
'icaiiy puts stop to all active oper-
auohs and that the reaction of the
internal events i'm Russia on the East
ern front has allowed GERMANY IN con-
"'"er IL during four months veri-
'apie reserve for the Western from,
IL clearly appears at present that
"c "erman STAFF. remembering the
criticai situation i'm which they found