Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1915. THE SPRING CAMPAIGN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 16 February 1915, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1915. THE SPRING CAMPAIGN.

' ALREADY there is evidence of increasing activity along the Western battle front, and soon armies, incomparably larger than any which have hitherto fought each other on the long line that leads from the Belgian coast to the Swiss frontier will be in deadly conflict. Colonel Bepington, the military correspondent of "The Times," puts forward some carefully-compiled data on the subject of the probable German reinforcements. He estimates that when Germany began the war she was able to put into the field altogether. 4.900,000 fully-trained men, and that up to Christmas she had lost not less than 1,000,000 men, exclusive .of the ! slightly wounded who had recovered -' and returned to the front.- At Christ ' mas she had 2,000,000 men in the west, he calculates, and 1,000,000 men in the east, the remainder being either sick or employed on the lines of communica- ' Hon. How did Germany propose to send, forward new drafts and to increase the numbers and the larger units at the 'front Colonel Repington shows that Germany had. three sources- of supply from which' she could raise and train j the raw material of a new army. First |she had the 1914 contingent of young jmen, who had just reached the age for J their military service. These, with the | recruiting reserve, would give 1.000,000 men. In the second place she had-all those men who had been passed over jby the military authorities in former years, because the necessary quota could be obtained without them. . The . number of these is estimated at 170,000 j annually. By going back to 1839, when I the men who had been born in 1869 \ were 20 years of age, and by calling up j'the number of those who had been in. ! that way omitted from training for j every year from 1899 to 1914, another I 3.000,000 could be obtained. Finally, by summoning youths from 18 to 20 years of age, another batch of 1,500,000 could be secured for training. After making all necessary deductions on account of men from these three classes already ! serving in the field, and on account of •j reservists detained in foreign countries. ■Cotonel Repington estimates that Ger- ' many is now training and will put into the field in spring a new army consisting of not less than 4,000,000 men, in addition to those who are at presentfighting. This would give her a total strength of 7,000,000 effectives, though the new army would necessarily be ov jess military value than the thoroughly 'trained troops with which she openec; ' the war. i

Presumably the French are making an effort on somewhat similar lines to cope with their formidable adversary, but the French censorship is rigorous, and no figures are available. As the population of France is only 39,000,000, against Germany's 68,000,000, it-is not possible for her to put an army of equal numerical strength into the field. She is, however, assisted by the small Belgian army, and also by the British. A good deal has been heard about Lord Kitchener's new army, and at last . an authoritative statement on the subject is forthcoming. Just before Ohristmar Mr Lloyd 'George told M. Jean (Longuet. the Socialist deputy for Paris, that Britain was spending £45,000,000 a- month on the war, that she had 2,000.000 soldiers and sailors under arms, and would very shortly have 2,500,000. According to the "Spectator," Lord Kitchener's new army at the end of 1914 numbered 1,300,000 men. There were 650,000 Territorials and 50,000 National Reserves. The Regular Army, with its reserve and special reserve battalions, numbered 400,000 at the beginning of the war, and there were 250,000 sailors and, marines also under arms. Kitchener's nsv.army has .yet to be transported to the Continent. That will be a colossal opera•io". b :'. whf:i \i is s?af -..' acco.-npl;: iio.d ' i'<:c •'-j-ri! '. !; .'. vn-y w!i'; Its Mel•.iar 1 ~iix:l:-' , vl. , s rhav.]d ho •" t-Vi'y £-'rjvidi'.Mo host —-im-isiMy ncai-'y < 'ukiJ to she r-and total "f t!:o G'.-rmau And then there are the .Russians, who already vastly outnumber all the Germans and Austrians under arms, and whose battalions can be filled and refilled from reservoirs of man-power that

are practically inexhaustible. The Turkish army is almost negligible up to the present, but oi'" the side of l-ne Allies' -there is a likelihood that fresh armies from Italy and from Roumania may ft'ow in to join them. It will be seen that the burden will rest more and more on the shoulders of the British Empire and Russia. And the war, far from ending, only just beginning in real earnestness.