The Washington herald., 1917-12-04
NEED 100000
To FIGHT BOCHE,
ARMY men SAY
Loss of Russia Would Take
100000 from
D., Allies.
By CHARLES JARVIS.

Revision of the selective army law
at this session OF Congress is neces-
sary IL the United States is to beat
Germany. More men than can be
produced under the present registra-
ton Will be needed before the central
powers are dccisively defeated on
the battlefields.
This is the opinion Of many MEM
bers of the General Stan and other
competent military students in Wash
ington and elsewhere.
The allies have put into the field,
according to War College statistics,
more than 100000 men. Germany
and her allies have mustered about
100000. But of the allies 31.OOO.-
600 nearly I5,06O,OoO were supplied by
Russia With Russia out of the
struggle the strength of the Teutonic
powers and the allies is about the
same. Latest statistics Of the war
ring nations give the following num-
bers Of men who have been called to
the coloTs:
Allies-Great Britain. 7.CO0. 600;
France. 6,OOO.CO1: Italy 2.JUC, ,OOl; Bel
GUM. 5000: Serbia. $4,000: Portugal,
10000: total. 162JO,bT.
Teutonic powers-Germany. 300. 600
Austria-Hungary. 10000: Bulgaria.
JOn.OOV; Turkey, 100000: total. ls,JCOOOO.
These figures give Germany an ad
vantage of more than @.C0o,C men.
According to War Department Of
ricals. when the present registration
for the national army is exhausted
the United States will have undt +
arms. counting the National Guard
and the regular army. about 4,O00,C00
men.
May Need 1O,OOO,OO0.
This will not be enough when the
strength Of the Allies and the Ger
man Rations is compared. -Four
million Americans on the French
front would not be strong enough
TO become the military balance OF
power. Therefore. the United States
must prepare to raise even greater
armies. Some members of the gen
r-al staff are inclined to believe
that an American army of 5000. O0o
would be the balance of power
against the Germans. but others be-
iieye 100000 or even 10000. 900 will
be needed before Germany is
brought to her knees.
The figures given above include
all the men called to the colors by
all the warning nations and do not
take into account the losses from
deaths and prisoners and wounded.
1t is safe to assume, however. that
the losses Of the allies and the Ger
mans have been about the same, so
thai the central powers today are
actually stronger in man power
than the allies.
The 10.O0O.O00 registrants under
the presnt selective law will not
produce more than 100000 re-
cruits. These, added to the regular
army and the National Guard, will
not be enough to do the European
job. More men are necessary under
the selective law. The only way to
get them is to revise the ages of
the present law. If the law is
changed to include all young men
between Is and 81 years of age.
more than 100000 names would be
added to the present registration
lists. Thes registrations would pro-
duce, it is estimated by members of
the general staff. about 100000 re-
cruits for the National Army. These
men. added to the present contem-
plated strength. would raise the
armies of the United States to
about 100000 in number. More
men would be secured from the IS
TO Fl registrations than from any
other ages, because at these ages
the men are healthier and less liable
to rejection for physical imperfcc-
CONTINUED on PAGE FIVE.