The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-04
GERMANY ISSUES LAST CALL.
GATHERING EVERY AVAILABLE
MAN FOR ARMY.

to Successful Conclusion This Year
by Big Campaign.
Copenhagen. April 1 (via London).
Germany, according to information
reaching here from Berlin, now is
gathering to the colors every avail
able man for supreme military ef-
fort to bring the war to victorious
conclusion in this years campaign
goal which Field Marshal Won Hin
denburg and his advisers consider by
no means impossible of attainment.
Without altering formally the law
of military service the German au-
thorities have in practice extended
the period OF service beyond the 45th
year and are retaining with the colors
and in many instances for fighting
duty with active units in the front
line, landstrum men who have passed
this age. The policy Of the German
war department as stated in the
rcichstag this week by a military rcp-
rcsentative, is to withdraw those men
over As from the front line after they
have done six months Of duty there
| but military exigencies compel the
| holding Of these over-age men in re-
serve behind the actual fighting front. :
For some time the German author
tiles have. been mastering men on
the very verge of the age limit but
up to the present they announced that
the necessity has not yet arisen for
legislation raising the age limit to Go
as has been done in Austria Hungary.
The operations of the labor service
law, now in full swing. are further
releasing for service at the front
every available man behind tho lines
capable of carrying rifle so that
the next two or three mnoths should
see the German armies at their maxi
mum size.
simultaneously with this draining
to the dregs of human reservoirs OF
soldier material. Germany's indus
trial mobilization also is approaching
a climax. The construction Of third
group of munition plants is to begin
Immediately. The output OF cannon
munitions therefore should reach its
maximum. The secret Of Field Mar
shall Won Hindenburg's plan OF sesn-
ploying the army so reinforced and
supplied to their maximum extent In
the 1917 campaign still is well kept.
1t is uncertain whether the offensive
will be directed in the East or in the
! West and the German strategic re-
serve has not begun to move in either
direction.
| The German main headquarters,
according to reports received here,
now is established at Kreuznach, on
the Rhine; the general staff head
quarters at Charleville and Meizeres,
twin French towns where Emperor
Williams military capital has been
located for almost two years until
Won Hindenburg's appointment to the
chief command, having abandon.
ed it shortly before the Somme retire-
ment.
This change in headquarters per-
haps may throw some light on Won
Hindenburg's plans as the new choice,
while centrally located as regards the
whole Western front, is better situat-
cd for control of the operations along
the southern sector of that front than
was the former site.
On the surface there are indica-
tions that the purpose of the Somme
retirement appears to be developing
not as scheme for bringing on a
great open field engagement at that
particular part of the front, but to
avoid the impending onslaught by the
mighty array Of Anglo-Frcnch artil-
lery massed on that section and to
celay a renewal of an Anglo-French
offensive by the time required to ad-
vance the big guns to the rev line.
Recent references to the retire.
ment received here or expressed by
German military critics turn on the
ability Of the new line to resist the
battering of the entente offensive, and
the Teuton commanders are said no
longer to be concerned with the pos
sibility of a great battle in the region
between Arras and the Aisne because
the destruction of roads and commu-
nications has rendered it unfit for a
battlefield.
scrutiny of the German press
gives no indications to what direc-
ton the troops, released by the short
ening and Strengthening of the line
are going.
There is reason to believe that the