BELLIGERENT ARMIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 255, 7 April 1915, Page 8

BELLIGERENT ARMIES.

THEIR RELATIVE STRENGTHS.

ESTIMATE BY MR lIILAIRE BELLOC.

Mr Hilairc Belloc, foremost military writer in Europe, in an article reviewing the strength of the contending arm li b and the results of the fighting at 'the expiration of six months from the 'declaration of war, arrives at the following conclusions: —

The German Empire was able to pat into the field in the first phase of the war trained, equipped men of military age approaching 4,500,000.

Counting men " partly trained whom It could incorporate in the early operations and picked men past military age, but volunteering for service and accepted, the German Empire probably was able to put into the field during the first phase of the wan- (which is coming to an end) 5,000,000 men.

Austria-Hungary, during the same phase put into the fight about 3,000,(500 men. .

In the case, of this latter there is wort; confusion than in the case of ,the German Empire. The Austro-Hungai/uis, although r.ct quite equal to the German population (about SO per lent., or four-fifths.) -!o not train in proportion so large a number as the Germans.

In the first great levy Austria-Hun-gary counted on a considerable force which would be of military quality long before the end of the rfrst phase of tinwar.

Austria-Hungary certainlv accounted for 3,000,000. We add the 5,000,000 of the German Empire and get 8,000,000 for the Germanic allies in the >*rst phase of the combat.

FRANCE :;A1) 3,000,000. To the west, the French forces, nominally some 4,(100,000 in number, but in reality, probably 3,000,000, what with tlie loss of men over certain age in a country every available man. France trained every man who was at all fit: Germany only trained just over half tlie men, and what with equipment less complete than Germany, France did not stand in the first phase for more than 3,000,000. To this 'must be added certain Belgian forces, regular and irregular, which might be set down at 100,000 or a little more, and the far greater part of which was sacrificed in the heroic attempt of that little nation to presone its honor aiul maintain the public law of Europe. There must also be added a British contingent, consisting in origin of no more than any expeditionary force, nominally 130,000 in number, but really coni>idcraly less.

ENGLAND ADDS 350,000. But this expeditionary force was so rapidly swelled by sending out further trained bodies from Great Britain during the first phase, or rather before the close of it—that Great Britain must stand for a third of a million men. You had then at the utmost 3,500,000 men to the west opposed to the Germanic power.

I n the east, you must put tho little, but exceedingly efficient, Serbian army —the whole, manhood of the nation as left after two exhausting Balkan wars —at 250,000 men. Where were the Russians?—tliat is the one indeterminate factor, and the first circulation of the total number of soldiers, regular and irregular, which l!us sia could nominally put into the lleld might be near 5,000,000. If _we say that as a maximum the Russians could put forward in the first phase of the war, 2,750,000 men, we are exaggerating, not belittling their power. So in the grand total we find the Germanic allies, in the middle of Europe, going to war with 8,000,000 and having ngainst them on the west, say, upon Hie east, barely 3,000,000. This is the foundation stone of any papulation upo n the numerical aspect of the great war.

Turning to the question of wastage (luring the war, Mr Belloc states tlint there is great difficulty in arriving at accurate figures, but lie advances reasons for believing the figures set out i n (lie following statement to be accurate:—

Nations fii'rman Austria Men ill Killed and Field. Wounded. r>,oon.ooo ],750,ooo 3,000,000 1,500,000 Prisoners. ' 350,000 300,000 Total s,poo,, 000 3,250,000 (150,000 Franco Belgium England ficrvia Kussia U,000,000 150,000 350.000 250,000 2,750,000 750.000 75.000 30,000 50.000 750000 150,0.0 25,01/0 20 000 10X00 150,000 Total 6,500,000 1,705,000 355,000