Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-09
Eombing-Out Proce S S
Shows German Woeful
Lack of Manpower
COUNTRY DESPONDENT
Failure Of U-Boat Warfare
More Talked of Than De-
feats on Land
BY GEORGE RENwICK
ypeefal Cable to Epening Public Ledger
Copyright. 1918. By Netc York Times Co.

SVPDfiDHts IgIb, 0U NctF YORK 1li1cS 60.
Amsterdam, Aug. 9.
, learn that the comb.out in Ger,
many, to which recently referred, Is
being carried out with the greatest
! severity. This action is, I am in
formed, causing much discomfort and
considerable depression, coming. as it
does, after period in which the Ger.
man people had been so definitely as
sured of the vast numerical superior
{ ity Of their forces in the field.
Some months ago very considerable
numbers of business men were re-
: leased from service in order to look
TOR or carry on business in neutral
countries and in various Russian prov.
inces, as well as to begin on an in
crease of home businesses producing
articles for export to these places.
The great majority of the persons so
released have now been called up
again, especially travellers in neutral
countries.
To this evidence that Germany is
IN need of men must be added n de-
c1sion not to release yet the old classes
which were recently promised that
they would be sent home at an early
date. ,.'
Travellers from the fatherland say
thSt Germany is in an extremely
respondent mood. especially in the
Hhineland centers, where a vast num-
Der of wounded men have made a very
nard impression on the population. A
Z curious thing one gentleman lust ar
from German iy lo
general discussion heard everywhere
regarding the U.boat war. That is
much more talked about than the of.
IensiVeS. as it cannot be longer con.
cealed from the people that there
are very large American forces now
at the front in France. The German
man in the street is greatly surprised
tnat the U-boat has obviously done so
ntle-done nothing, indeed-to prevent
the Allied armies from being so great.
ly strengthened.
That feeling undoubtedly caused Ad.
mirai Won Holtzendorff, Just before he
retired. to endeavor to explain awav
the U.poat's i'll success in that direc.
uon,. and in yesterdays Cologne Ga.
zette a well-known naval writer, Cap.
tain Won Kuhlwetter, warns the peo.
4 PIE not to go on expecting too much
from the submarines.
hs "ahu 5 erdnu Meet Sttll floats to-
Gay. despite our unparalleled U-boats."
ne says, and 1t bars US from the sea
and will continue to do that as long as
no equal power can be placed against it
The u-boat in battle against the grand
meet is not deciding weapon"
Regarding the offensive on the front
Sae same Indifference and fatalsm pre-.
walls as that referred to in more than
one Reichstag speech at the time when
the kuehlmann crisis arose
In the Berliner Tageblatt, General Won
Ardenne prepares the people for a fur
Ather retreat, which, as I gather from yis-
itors from Germany. is Just what the
people do expect. The war movement,
ne says, is still going on. That means,
he adds. that the retirement Of the Ger
man right wing must not be regarded as
concluded. 1t is likely that one or more
defensive positions will be found and
then given up after they have served
their purpose.
He says it is quite natural that the
people were surprised and alarmed by
the giving up of positions north of the
Ourcq. because 'the official communiques
of July 20 and 80 and August stated
that on the whole front from Scissors
to southwest of Rheims strong enemy
attacks were defeated. and one could not
therefore quite understand why a retire
ment from the battlefield should take
place"
Ardenne makes a long explanation in
his usual style, but cannot disguise the
seriousness of the situation. The Ger
man Offensive, he declares, has suffered
a disagreeable interruption and all the
comfort he can give is to say it will be
resumed again.