Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-06
FOE[0SS 100000
MEN SINCE MARCH
More Than Half Million Per-
manentIy Put 0ut-Re-
serves DWindIe.
PURPOSE OF HUN RETREAT

FRANCE, September 5 (by the AS
ISOLATED Press).-The retreat OF the
Germans. provoked in the first in
stance by their second defeat on the
Marine, is continued and extended in
order to release enough divisions to
form a maneuvering mass and regain
liberty Of action of which Marshal
Foch's brilliant operations deprived
them.
That is the expert opinion of the
situation based on the best obtainable
evidence of the condition of the Ger
man army and concerning the views
prevailing among the-German officers.
The impression derived from the same
sources is that the military party in
Germany, which is still in absolute
control. will give up only in the last
extremity; that if they are unable to
sumo the war movement they will
again try to impose an offensive posi-
ton on the allies in the hope of firing
them out and holding a considerable
part of northern France an Bel
GUM as pledges with which to bar
gain when the occasion arises.
Foe Not Checkmated.
In the same expert opinion, the Ger
mans are checked out, but not yet
checkmated. They still have resources
that will enable them to continue a
stout defense and oblige the allies to
make a hard effort to clinch the VIC
tory which. though inevitable may
still be further off than it would ap-
pear to be from optimistic specula-
lions that have been based on recent
successes.
Calculations based on the most ac-
curate information available show
that the Germans have lost 100000
men since March 81. OF this total
about a half million were killed, per-
manently disabled or take prisoner,
leaving about 100000 recuperable in
four or five months. Their reserves
dwindled during the same time to
about the same extent, which means
that the reiforcementS brought from
Russia were used up.
Difficulties Disclosed.
The difficulties resulting from the
depletion of their fighting units are
disclosed, not only by evidence OBJ
tanned from prisoners, which, how
ever, subject to caution has been
with known facts, but by the unmis-
taxable signs, such as the reduction
of battalionS from four companies to
three, from the dissolution of forty
regiments, the survivors of which
were distributed among other de-
pleted regiments, and from the fact
that the 1919 contingent is now en-
tirely incorporated in the fighting
units.
The American Army in France next
spring will alone exceed the whole
fighting strength of the German
army, but in the meantime divisions
released by the shortening of the line,
if the retreat is effected successfully,
and with half million men recuper-
ated from the wounded, and 100000
men of the 1920 class now completing
training, will constitute a maneuver-
ing army with which Gen. Ludendorff
may be tempted to hazard another
stroke.
Foe Fighting Power Less.
LONDON, September 5.-The light
losses OF CH0 dllltu lIOOPS anu tu0
large number of German prisoners
taken by them in the present often
sive are attributed to the temporary
lowering of the fighting power of the
German army as the result of being
lover fought and certain disorgani-
cation due to the general retreat under
constant heavy pressure. Military ex-
perts expect an Improvement on the
enemy's morale which these factors
removed.
Viewing the western front as a whole.
military experts express the belief
that the German high command has
kept the situation in hand, but to do
so it has made demands on the troops
which cannot continue Indefinitely
without dangerous risks. Although
the Germans generally have maintain
ed their front during their hasty
withdrawal, they have lost an enor-
nous amount of material and doubt
less have suffered a severe weaken
ing in their morale and power of re-
sistance. Thousands of Germans are
being used in reconstruction work
when every rifle is needed on the
front lines the military observers say.