THE CAMPAIGNS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17587, 18 September 1917, Page 4

THE CAMPAIGNS.

The New York, “ Tribune’s ” military iritic has been examining the recently issued estimates of the German manmwer and arrives at the conclusion that the principal enemy will have exhausted her last million of reserves by the autumn of next year. This million, ae says, consnsts for the most part of »ys. Mr Warner Allen, in a calcula;iOn telegraphed on Saturday and msed, no doubt, on French official igures, arrived at the conclusion that, ncluding tho contingents for 1919 and 920, called up in advance, the enemy’s ivailable reserves were no more than 1,300,000. As far back as April and day, during the Arras battle, some of he regiments thrown into the firing ino by tho Germans appeared to have ■ouths of nineteen or eighteen as 50 >er cent of their effectives, and since hen youngsters of seventeen have been ncountered amongst the prisoners with omo degree of frequency. Boysofcigheen make fair fighting material, acording to some of tho correspondents, provided they are not in excessive miners and provided they are put to fight iesido the veterans. Tho Germans, apireciating the need for this stiffening f new regiments and of regiments that lad received an unusual proportion of ’ery young recruits, took the remark.ble course of scattering the Guards egiments, putting them into the renches besrde the newer regiments. Obviously next year a 'still larger proortion of the enemy’s infantry will onsist of very young soldiers and its onacity will bo correspondingly reuced. The belief was very generally eld at the beginning of this year that, : tho course of the war were normal, be; Germans would be compelled to ndertako a drastic shortening of their ronts by reason of the failure of their lan-power, and of course they did liorten the western front conderably. The collapse of Russia, s a military factor, enabled them > postpone a further retreat, but Mr imonds argues that the process must mtinue. and unless tho Russian fac>r is entirely eliminated we may

agree that another drastic retraction by the Germans is inevitable. The preparations for retreat from Flauders scarcely belong to this aspect of the campaign, because tho effect of a retreat from tho Yser region would be to lengthen the front, unless the movement affected tho front in France also, and if the reports through Holland of the evacuation of Roulors. Ostend and other Belgian towns by the civilians are correct and aro an indication that the Germans expect to have to retreat wo must look for the reason in tho unceasing British pressure.

Thero is little fresh ntovemont in the various theatres. Tho Russian Government has at length proclaimed the Republic and Kerensky is taking firm measures to restore order and discipline. Heavy fighting is reporrou to bo in progress at Segevold, thirty miles north-east of Riga. There has been a good deni of activity on the Yprcs front and south-east of Arras, and the Germans attacked vainly east of tho Meuse. Tho Italians claim progress in the southern rone of the Bainsizza plateau, but the fighting along their front is now only local.