New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-18
The Greatest German Disaster

The Greatest German Disaster
On Sunday The Tribune printed an
article discussing the casualty lists OF the
war on their military side. But there is
another and even more illuminating aspect
70 this discussion of losses during the con-
fict-that which bears upon the economic
value after the war of the death lists OF
battle. It is an examination Of this phase
which demonstrates the extent Of the dis
aster to Germany Of the present war.
The German permanent losses-that Is
the number of Germans killed, crippled
and permanently removed from the battle
line-amounted for the first three years
Of war to 100000. The figures are those
of the French General staff, but there is
no reason to question them, as the sources
Of information Of all general stats permit
them to know the losses of their foes, and
their own losses serve as a guide. At the
moment of war Germany had available,
including the younger men who would
reach military age before the end Of 1918,
a little more than 100000. This figure
represents the fit. not the aggregate male
population.
For three years, then, the German loss
has been rather more than a third of her
able-bodied males SO per cent, to be
exact IF the German permanent loss for
the current year should be what it was IN
each of the first two years-that Is, l,5OO'-
900 1.-THE Russian collapse lessened it for
last year, because it not only reduced
casualties suffered from Russian armies
but slowed down the Allied offensives)-
the aggregate permanent loss Of the Ger
mans for four years would be $500, 900
that is, so per cent of their man power.
Now. in the first three years the British
loss was somewhere around million; it
was less rather than more. This repre-
sents a - per cent loss in military pop
ulation of 1900 900, and this is just third
Of the German loss. In other words, the
blood tax upon British manhood has been
lust a third what it has been upon the
Germans in the first three years Of war.
Now. suppose the British should lose an
ether million next year-an extreme esti-
mate. The total loss would then be 2,0OO,-
600, or lust over quarter Of the man
power Of Britain.
If you say that four years Of war will
cost Germany half of her able-bodied men,
that it will remove them permanently
from industry, while it removes only a
quarter Of the man power of her greatest
commercial rival, you will state the prob
able truth, and you will indicate the real
extent of German disaster The British
situation is, too, improved by the fact that
Britain has nearly 100000 whites in
her colonies, which means further popu-
lation of able-bodied males of 100000 in
the empire, less the colonial casualties,
which are not likely to pass the halfmill-
ion mark in permanent losses.
At the present time Germany holds no
British territory, while Britain holds a
million square miles of German colonies.
Britain has four German prisoners to one
Briton held in Germany. Granted that the
war restored the geographical conditions
Of 1914, the two great commercial rivals
would face each other in far different
posture than before the war. OF Ger
many's great wealth-producing population
of males, half would be gone, as against a
quarter for the British. Add this to the
,ost markets in enemy countries and, by
contrast, the improved British position in
countries now become allies, and there is
measure Of the inevitable British vic
tory.
Germany has only one other great COM
mercial rival-the United Ststes-and we
shall end the fourth year of the war with
casualty list, at the greatest conceivable
point. of not above a hundred thousand.
This is less than per cent, against so for
the Germans.
The Germans have been able, by using
heir prisoners and by turning the popu-
lations in the occupied districts into