Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-03
GERMANS HAVE DEGRADED
THEIR INFANTRY TROOPS
New Tactics Are Believed to Contain
the Seed Of Empcror's Uiti-
mate Destruction.
STORM, UNITS PICKED MEN
Bulk Of Foot Soldiers Neglected for
Spectacular Performers Average
Prisoner Taken From Enemy Is In
Poor Physical Condition.
by JOHN $. STEELE.


This remark made to me the other day
by Il British military officer OF high
rank epitomZes the result of the new
German infantry tactics. developed dur
ing the present war. which it Is belicv-
ed contain the seed Of Gcrmany's uiti-
mate destruction. From the day when
organized armies were FIRST created the
, infantry has been the backbone OF
every army and in the opinion OF the
most competent general Is to-day tins
still holds good. The DEVELOPMENT of
mechanical aids 10 aifare has led 10
many changes in tactics and strategy
but to-day as in the first days Of war
the infantry is the deciding factor. 1t
must complete the work that has been
begun by the guns. by the tanks. by
the infantry is poor the whole army
must suffer in proportion
Nothing has been more notable in
the present war than the progressive
deterioration OF the ordinary German
infantry, and this, IL is believed is due
TO the inherently vicious German sys-
EN- OF developing specialist troops to
the beginning Of the var tho German
force OF good average quality. All
were equally well trained and equal"
yell equipped and except for the dif-
tribes, OF fairly average physique. to-
day they have been divided into what
the Germans call storm troops" and
ordinary troops and the result is that
the general average has fallen much
below that OF the allies
Every nation has always believed
that it's own men were best In the
days OF the Napolconic wars it was
the popular belief in England that one
Englishman Was equal 70 half a dozen
Frenchmcn. Americans in the days OF
the War OF the Revolution believed that
one American could lick an uncertain
number Of EnSlishmcn and the German
to-day believes hrmly that his held
ans M hcE nf IN a.
allied forces one is inclined. Their"
fore. TO take comparisons OF this kind
competent military authorities who are
not swayed by such sentimental pat
riotism. declare unrescrv"dly to-daN
that man for man the ordinary Ger
man infantryman is not tn" cqual OF
the Americans. Britons or FrenChm"n
that he is called on 10 meet. ana th.s
declare that this is a comparatiNc!E
recent development.
BULK OF PRISONERS TAKEN
FROM ENEMY Ant. Po"h Lof
II is certain that The bulk Of tn"
prisoners taken from tho enemy to-day
are poor lot compared with th' storm
troops on wh'"n tn Germans rely 80
nuch. The tld'rary GcT'nan Infantry.
men are Of poor physique. badly fed
and poorly equipped The storm troops
arc men in IN pu,, o, conditio. ~..ii
fed wearing new uniforms and the hes :
to the last. while the ordinary rlan-
Try surrcndc- easily.
This is proved b. the course Of tn"
recent hghting; When the storm troops
attack they take the allied positions in
front OF them with comparative ease.
Then they are wlthdrawn and the or
binary infantry ire put In !" garrison
he capturcl prsit,' ms. The result -
that when the allies CountcrattacH
they rctakc the positions with almost
mono;onous regularity.
II is interesting TO note that this Sys-
tom in military AFFAIRS Is the counter
part OF the political Organization OF
the protaEonists IN tho wtr. Germany
Is autocracy where the supcrlia! !!
rules and the common man counts for
nothing America. France, Italy and
Erita n are democrat teS where The com
mon man counts and the arislpc-at is
either noneAistcnt or secondary. Ger
many in all her scheme OF orsanilI-
ton goes in for the sloriiicatiuH OF tho
specialist. the allies aim At m,kin,:
the allied commanders ;hat ihcir sys-
tom is going 10 win The war.
GERMAN SYSTEMS WEAKNESS
IL APPARENT ~ Tnr: AIR
The weakness OF the German system
is also apparent III the ar. ana 10 TINS
system is due hcr progressive d"tcrio-
ration in this branch OF the service.
Perhaps nowhere is there greater
contrast than exists nov between the
ali systems OF Britain ami Germany.
From the beginning Germany has cN-
altcd the air Supcrman. R!chthotcn 5
hyinE circus was hrst-class example
OF this. Here the commander was
credited with all the victories won by
his squadron, which consisted OF pick
cd men, and by reason ot this selection
every other squadron III the German
air service was wcanencu. The Eng :
iiah system Is 10 aim at making all
its men competent, all-round myers.
trained in teamwork, and to discour-
age the creation OF the ace" The re-
suit Is seen to-day IN the superiority
of the British air service over the Ger
man.
in the training OF infantry, too. the
difference is very apparent. in both
the French and british armies the aim
Is TO MAKE ever! man n iirSt-CiaSS SOL
der. Every battalion is trained in
shock tactics, in machine gun work and
III all the other details Of a soldier S
job. Tho result is a general level of
excellence. which gives commander
confidence that nc can secure at least
average results from any troops which
may he at mis- disposal. y German
General dare not attack without his
quota of special shock troops. because
he knows that his ordinary rank and
hlc arc not equal TO the task. ;. Brit
ish, French or American commander has
no such worry and can undertake any
job asked OF him with a fair degree
OF confidence.
II is an interesting fact. as hearing
on the psychology OF the war, that this
development OF special shock troops at
the expense OF the great mass has al
ways been the marx al barbarian
army The Zulus notably were organ
lied on this model They had their at
lacking !mpi. which were splendid ma
terial. but the rank and file of their
warriors were rather poor stuff The
Turks in the days OF their greatest
glory had their Janissarics. who were
nothing more than specially trained
storming troops. Even in the dawn OF
history the same rule holds good The
Romans. who were "a civilized army
were OF fairly average quality all the
way through. One legion was very
much the same as another All had
the same training. and Rome had a
homogeneous army. The harbarian ms
whom they fought. the ancestors in
many cases of the modern Germans. re
lied largely on super fighting men. and
when they were finished the rest or
the tribes crumpled mp before tho dis
cient Greece we had the same thing
The Athenians, most civilized OF all
ancient pcoples. ira lined every citizen
TO arms. and trained them homogenc-
ous1y while the Spartans. who COM
in the modern meaning of tho word,
relied on a sDccial FIGHTING class.