The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-04-02

| Marshal Won Hindenburg and his ad.
| of attainment
Without altering formally the law
of military service the German author.
tiles have in practice extended the period
of service beyond the forty. fifth year and
are retaoining with the coIors landsturm
men who have passed this age.
The policy, as stated in the Reichstag
this week by military representative
il to Withdraw those men over forty
five from the front line after they have
done six months OF duty there, but mill
itary exigencies compel the holding Of
these over age men for service in the
so called etape or region behind the ac-
tual fighting front.
For some time the German authorities
have been mastering men on the very
verge OF the age limit, but up to the
present they have announced that the
necessity has not arisen for legislation
raising the age limit 10 65 as has been
done in Austria Hungary.
The operations Of the labor service
law. now in full swing, are further re-
leasing for service at the front every
available man behind the lines capable
of carrying rife, so that the next two
or three months should see the Ger
man armies at their maximum in size.
simultaneously with this draining to
the dregs OF human reservoirs of sol
diers material Germany's industrial mo-
bilization also is approaching climax.
A scheme for converting every available
factory and employing every available
machine on war work and manning them
with labor obtained under the labor serv-
ice law is contemplated. The work is TO
be done in three stages and the construc-
tibn OF a third batch of munition plants
is to begin Immediately The output
Of cannon munitions, therefore, soon
should reach its maximum.
The secret of Field Marshal Won Hin
denburg's plan OF employing the army so
reinforced and supplied to their maxi
mum extent in the 1917 campaign still is
well kept. 1t is uncertain whether the
will be directed in the east or in
the west and the Germans strategic
reserve at last accounts still within Ger |
many, has not begun to move in either
direction.
The German main headquarters, ac-
cording to reports received here, is now /
established at kreuznach on the Rhine,
-he general staff headquarters at Charlie !
vile and Mezieres having been aban-
loned shortly before the Somme retire
nent
This change in headquarters perhaps
nay throw some light on Won linden
Durg's plans, as the new choice, while
centrally located as regards the whole
western front, is better situated for con-
.rol of the operations along the southern
ector of that front than was the former
lite.
On the surface there are indication
hat the purpose of the Somme retire
nent appears to be developing not as a
cheme for bringing on great open field
at that particular part of
he front, but to avoid the impending
by the mighty array of An
.lo-French artillery massed on that sec
ion and To delay a renewal of an Anglo
french offensive by the time required to
dyanee the big guns to the new line
German newspapers are now thorough
Y broken to the censorship and the
publication of field post letters has
eased.
There is reason to believe that the re-
irement has by no means reached its
init. particularly in the southern sec
or