Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-01-04
inventory of
Man Power

uereu u IeellnS OF depression ana pes
simism among the unmiltary portion
of the Entente Allies, which is, in my
opinion, more dangerous to our cause
than undue optimism. Were the ex-
preston of this feeling confined to
our Socialists and pro-Germans we
might ignore it. When | read of state
ments made by Mr.. Gerard the dis
tinguished diplomatist and ardent pa
triot, that the Germans have 11,000,-
600 available soldiers still at call, and
one by a no less competent and pa
triotic congressman, Mr.. Mccormick,
that in his opinion the war may last
five years, it behooves one who has
made the military situation careful
study to try to relieve the gloomy
apprehensions of these gentlemen and
of those whose opinions may be there
by infected
Let not the god Pan run amuch I'M
checked among US. For really the
Germans base all their hopes upon the
psychological infection engendered by
such statements ano not at all upon
the military situation, unless ground
less panic unncrvcs us. A bare math-
ematical statement of the facts is
sufficient to prove my case,
The population of European Ger
many in 1914 was about $4,000 900.
OF this about 33,O00.0OO were male
and 35.000.000 female. The official
statistics for the year 1914 gave
l,O29 females to $50 males per 900
in Tho
not 100000 men between the ag-
cs of 10 and so in the German Em-
pirc in 1914. Assuming that every
| male between these possible extremes
of youth and age, Is and so years,
were conscripted, and that every man
from Is to so were fit. even then only
about 5000 600 would have repre-
scented the military man power OF
Germany r i9-t. .l:rty per cent. of
the whole male population has never
been contributed by any country at
any time to its armies. The only
people who have ever approximated
| to that figure were our errinr but
gallant brethren of the Southern Con-
fcderacy. They practically put every
male between II and 60, and as Cen
eral Grant said, they "robbcd the
cradle and the grave" to do it, 1t is
unnecessary to state to any one in
the slightest degree Il student of war
that, supposing at the start the total
number of Germans between is and
30 was 100000, it would be impos-
siblc to put 100000 in the army. AT
least 900. 900 between those extreme
ages would be unfit and 100000
at least would be necessary for the
industrial service of the country, in
ammunition works, railway, and the
farms. The German navy, / believe,
employs over 100000 men.
But not to weary you with statis-
ties, permit me to state as fact that
on June 1 of this year the Germans
had in the army 100000 meen. Of
these about 1.250,000 were on the Rus
sian front; 100000 in France, per-
haps 100000 in Turkey and the Bal
kans and the remainder on the COM
munications and at the depots. At
the present moment all Germans un-
der arms do not number 100000
The losses in Flanders, on the Aisne
and in repeated futile attacks on
Verdun have been about 100000.
! am aware that these are bare
statements of my own, but should any
one OF your readers choose to cues
ton them / shall, so far as you accord
me space, be fully prepared to sub
stantiate them in every respect
AS to the present situation, and as
to any hopes the Germans may have
for the future, year ago, the Ger
mans called up the Glass of 1918. The
French have not yet called up the
Class of 1918 at all. Germany then
called up the Class Of 1919; this is
exhausted. and now she has called UP
the Class of 1920, of whom the oldest
are only Is and the youngest not II.
AS Mr.. Hiiaire Belloc says, Germany
for the first time since the war be-
gan, has been compelled to call all
three calsses. When sch called 1918,
year ago, she was two years ahead
of normal; now she is fore years
ahead. She has no reserves. The
Glass of 1921 includes no boy over
IT, We are told by our pessimists
that France in exhausted. She has
still the classes of 1918, 1919 and
1920 untouched. and she has about
100000 men at the front.
Now as to the predictions of Mr..
Mccormick and the other prophets
of woe who see possible prolonga-
ton of the agony for five years, /
venture the simple statement that
Germany at the end of two years
and at the presetn rate of casualties
would not have 100000 men left in
the field. On June of this year the
German losses had been 4,5CO 900 of
whom over 100000 were actually
killed and over 200 600 prisoners.
Since that date they have been even
proportionately larger Their par
TALLY successful but entirely fruitless
counter attack on the English of Cam
brai the other day again set the ora
Giles prophesying dreadful things.
How well | remember the shuddering
predictions in 1915. when the Ger