The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-01-11

available reserves, cannot be solved
with the accuracy possible In dealing
with the fighting divisions. 1t Is known
that 10000 boys reach the age of
eighteen every year In Germany, and
from prisoners captured and the medi-
cal records of the French and British
armies In dealing with similar mate
rial the number of these boys who are
Incorporated In the enemy armies can
be calculated almost exactly. But the
question of the central reserve and Of
the number of troops on garrison
duties in Belgium. France, Poland,
Russia, Roumania and Serbia, is more
difficult.
1t is impossible to go into details
about the methods used in assessing
these figures, which obviously are
more involved, more tOrtuous and
more mysterious in the case of troops
In the interior of Germany or Belgium
or Poland than with divisions some
where near the firing line. The esti-
based upon official data, Is that on
June there were, excluding the g.
5000 men in the 231 existing Ger
man divisions, 1,739,000 other soldiers
on duty in the rear. Most Of these
men are landwehr and landsturm
troops regarded as utterly useless even
for the firing line on the Russian front.
They can never appear In the first line,
no matter how desperate Germany's
straights for men may become, but
they perform invaluable service In re-
leasing the whole fit manhood Of the
country for the front.
755,000 In Reserve.
In addition to this force of older
and less fit men, the Germans have
in reserve to fill up the gaps In their
fighting divisions some $4,000 men.
OF these General de Lacroix estimates
that there are 100000 in depots at the
front, ready to be drafted as needed
into the divisions that are constantly
being withdrawn in q battered cOndi-
ton from the active sectors. In depots
in the interior are 355,O00 more, while
10000 are training In Germany but
not yet ready to fight.
Besides these men, there remain to
be considered the 100000 boys who
reach the age of eighteen every year.
Approximately 100000, or two-thirds
Of these lads are drafted into the
army. The German class of 1918-or
the 100000 soldiers who are nineteen
this year-have already been put into
line and are counted in the general to-
tails of German soldiers given above.
The class of 1919, the boys now
eighteen, will yield 100000 more
troops, and only few Of them have
yet been identified by the allied
armies. 1t is believed that most Of
these lads will be made cannon fod-
der before November. In calculations
regarding the German strength next
winter and next year, they must all be
included.
The strength Of the German army,
then, Is today roughly this: there are
3,696,0O0 combatants, with additional
reserves of 10000 men plus a re-en-
forcement Of between 1000 and 500,-
600 boys Of eighteen all Of whom will
be available by next winter. And In
addition to the fighting men there are
about 1,739,00O older or unfit men on
duties in the rear who will never be
able to face the guns. The fighting
men, including these boys not yet
ready, total almost exactly 100000,
not including the landwehr and land
sturm and other "etappen" or COM
munication troops who, to the number
of nearly two million, will never ap-
pear In the trenches.
Losses important Factor.
The third factor in an analysis of
the strength of the German armies Is
now reached. What are the German
losses2
To accept the German official lists
for this part of the calculation will be
to err, IL anything, on the side of eau
ton. There are military men in Lon
don and Paris who believe that these
lists, allowing for unavoidable errors
and delays, are accurate. There are
others who are convinced that for two
years the Germans have "doctored"
the lists and deliberately minimized
their losses. After examining good
deal of the evidence brought forward
by both sides, incline to the belief
that the lists are accurate.
The Germans have published lists
for the first 33 months of the war, ap-
prOximately up to May /, which when
totalled by allied statistfcians have re-
vealed total loss of 4,356,76O men.
or these, 99S,439 were killed in ac-
ton, 69,6SS died Of sickness, 303 800
are prisoners or missing. In addition
to these men admittedly out of the
war, some $4,000 reported severely
wounded" are supposed to be totally
disabled for further service. OF the
remainder about 1,850,OOO reported
wounded" and wounded remaining
with units" are classed by the allies
as men who were able to go back to
fight.
Net Wastaoe Estimated.
Accepting the German lists as ac-
curate, the net wastage during 33