The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1917. GERMANY’S MAN-POWER.

Southland Times, Issue 17971, 12 March 1917, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro . MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1917. GERMANY’S MAN-POWER.

How will Germany stand for men this summer? That is a question of very great importance to the Allies, but it is one for which no answer is available. Nealy all estimates of Germany’s strength in men have been falsified. The date when her reserves were to be exhausted has passed and she still has reserves. According to Colonel Repington (and the military correspondent of the Times is very accurately informed in these matters) Germany had 27 new divisions to hurl against Roumania. That enabled her to strike down the new ally of the Entente Powers within a few w’eeks of her taking the field. Colonel Repington has also made the statement within the last ten days that Germany has an additional 700,000 men ready for the field this summer, or enough to repair the whole wastage of the great Somme battle. How does Germany manage it? Some interesting facts were given recently by Mr D. Thomas Curtin in one of bis luminous articles in the London Press. The rough rule is that a nation can put 10 per cent, of its population into the field, but Germany has made this rule inoperative by pressing into employment prisoners of war, the men and women of occupied territory, and the women of her own people. Of three million men between the ages of 18 and 45 formerly engaged in agriculture there are now less than one hundred thousand so employed.* All the rest of the men have been released for military service and the work is being done by women and prisoners. More than 90 per cent, of those engaged in the preparation of food and making clothes have been called up. Of men employed in building and light tn Jes at least 90 per cent, are in uniform. One way and another Germany has contrived to make the 10 per cent, rule a fallacy, and to enrol in the fighting services between onesixth and one-fifth of her population. Germany has organised her women for labour. She holds over one million Russian prisoners of war; she has over one million Russian civilian prisoners; she has despoiled Poland; she makes the fullest use of her wounded. Thus by the exercise of the utmost economy in labour, by utilising the whole resources of the nation, and by relentlessly pressing into service the population of conquered territories Germany has built up her army to such figures that at the end of two and a-half years she is still able to show nearly 10 per cent, of her population under arms in the field. It is highly improbable that Germany has less than 0,000,000 men under arms to-day and she may have more. That is why there is so urgent and imperative a call for men throughout the British Empire. The enemy is still strong and will take a lot of beating. Nevertheless, the enemy will be outmanned and outgunned in the West this year, and also outmanned in the East. can be defeated, but it is necessary to realise his strength in order to appreciate the magnitude of the task which our armies have to perform, and the necessity for supporting them by united national effort. New Zealand is doing her duty in the matter of men, but it is a calamitous thing that Australia should be steadily falling behind in her reinforcements. The Commonwealth shortage of recruits is now equal to more than a division, and even among such vast numbers as the armies in Prance a division counts for a great deal. The difficulty of beating Germany will be greatly increased unless all parts of the Empire do their duty to the full. (