The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-09-17
|Germans Fail to Keep Up Supply
of Electives.
BEST TROOPS RESHkTTERED
Enemy Patches Up Worn Out Divisions
With Inferior Men-Now Facing
Endless Stream of First-class Fight
ing Men From America on Western
Front--History of a Division in Ger
man Army Traced.

The question of electives today
holds the first place in the general dis
cussion of the war. 1t has become par
ticularly alarming for the central pow
ers, since, it has been shown, they
have nothing to oppose to the fresh
masses of American troops which ar
rive each day. To make up the ines
Unable difference they can only ask
for greater efforts from the units that
are still intact and employ all sorts
of expedients to fill the gaps made by
their terrific losses.
How can these great losses be ac-
counted for and what were the contrib
uting factors in the systematic wear
ing away Of the great German divi-
sions? Apart from tho highly efficient
intelligence bureaus of the allied gen.
eral staff, Swiss sources offer the next
best opportunity for learning facts
about the German army which are
generally not published. From n of
these sources was traced the history
since the beginning of the year of n
of the famous German divisions, the
One Hundred and Ninety-seventh. This
brief history may be taken as an ex-
ample of the overwork to which the
German troops are subjected and al
low us to form an estimate of their
losses.
One Division Traced.
Formed In June, 1916, this division
remained on the eastern front till Feb
ruary, 1918. After losing many of its
best soldiers the division was brought
to the western front shortly before the
beginning of the March offensive with
out being in any way REINFORCED, GER
tain of its regiments containing com
panies of only 100 men. In May 1t oc-
cupied a section of the Chemin des
Danes sector, there representing that
type of division which the Germans
call "front divisions"
. Its participation in the attack of
May 20 has been clearly traced; dur
ing the night of the 26th 1t sent out
numerous patrols to protect the work
of constructing bridges owe the ALL
cite and at the same time to be within
a useful distance to participate in the
attack on the Chemin des Danes. The
the moment when the artillery prep
aration began.
In the evening of the 9th the divi-
sion returned to Grandelain, north of
the Ailette, which 1t left again the
next day for the Vesle I'm conformity
with the movement of the troops which
preceded it. On the evening of the
28th it was at vauxhertin, and arrived
at Cerseuil during the night. From
that moment, on account of the extern
sion of the divisions which preceded
1t, 1t began to send units into the first
line to fill In the gaps. On the 10Th
1t was at Joumignes and on the Both
at Bruyeres.
June 1 found the entire division in
the lines relieving tired troops; in fact,
1t had entered the battle. 1t attacked
at BONES, then marched to Bussiares,
where it encountered Preach and
American troops and underwent cruel
losses. 1t vas there, to the south of
Chevy, that this division met the Amer
leans, to whom 1t yielded Veuilly and
Bussiares.
Lost One Third of Electives.
Since the One Hundred and Ninety
seventh divisions entry into the battle
on June 1 Its losses have been very
heavy, and are estimated at about a
third of the electives Of June 2 and
so per cent of those Of June 8.
Such a system of wear and tear en-
ployed for such a long period has
wrought havoc in the ranks of the Ger
man army. The electives have suf-
fered heavily and every possible means
has been employed to obtain combat
ants with which to fill In the ranks.
The anticipated calling up of the
youngest classes took place some time
ago, almost at the outset of the Of
fensive. The Germans have already
sent to the front the greatest part of
the 1919 class.
According to the official bulletin of
the Fourth German army, issued last
May, In order to augment the depleted
divisions 1t has been found necessary
to employ men of the auxiliary services
I'm the fighting ranks. 1t has also been
established that all Germans drafted
out are replaced by men Of the aux
Hilary services.
There is stirl another method which
the Germans finally resorted to. They
have had to break up and dissolve
whole regiments and, being unable to
r~eorganize the units which had suf-
fared too heavy lossea md e ZEN