The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1916. MAN-POWER WANTED.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 95, 18 November 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1916. MAN-POWER WANTED.

The military correspondent of the London Times recently dealt convincingly with the great need that exists for every part of the British Empire to put forth its utmost efforts to at once secure reinforcements to fully keep up the man-power standard that Britain’s armies have now reached it is caluculabed that the average wastage of lighting men in. the British Army on the Western Front is something over one hundred thousand mon each month, and to keep up the effective man-power it is necessary that an equal number of reinforcements must be continuously sent forward. There is no justification for entertaining any more illusions regarding Berman man-power, Colonel Repington urges, and in making our estimates of strength for next year must take for our basis the calculation of German strengths which is the least favourable for us. Wo know the number of German divisions in the field, and we must assume that they are, or can bo brought*, up to strength. We must still admit large reserves behind them. The sweeping up into German factories and farms of the able-bodied men and women in Belgium and in the nine provinces of France occupied by the enemy, combined with the utilisation of the Poles for military purposes, will produce a large accession of strength for the German Armies The 1917 and 1918 classes of recruits in Germany have not yet taken the field. There is a.

constant reflux to the front of wounded who have recovered. Lastly, we must admit as possible that before Germany accepts defeats she will call on all youths and men fit to hcai arms between the ages of sixteen and sixty, and thus hope to wear the Allies out by a long phase of victorious resistance. We must act on the assumption that all these things "ill lie as had as possible for ns, and then, if wo are prepared to meet them, all the bettor shall we ho prepared to

, deal with any lower standard of power that Germany presents to us. j Colonel Repington argues that if it lis considered that there arc ten 1 Allies on our side, that each "ill i want something from Germany aftci ; the war; that Germany still thinks

j slio has won; and that the things | which wo want are still for a laigo part in German holding, we shall j loam to disabuse our minds of the ! idea that the end is near. We must ' think, and act, and organise as 1

though Germany meant to go on “to the last breath of horse and man,” and above all else must we organise our man-power, and count nothing accomplished until our superiority of numbers in the Held is absolutely

annihilating. The whole argument is sound and it is quite plain that no slackening of effort can he permitted if we are to achieve that great victory which will assure, the world’s peace and freedom of humanity at large. All else matters little if the war is not well won.