WASTAGE THAT WINS THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1917, Page 2

WASTAGE THAT WINS THE WAR.

GERMANY'S POSITION. "It is the wastage of enemy effectives that is winning the war," writes Mr. Hilaire Belloc, in Land and Water, where he discusses "the present enemy strength." "There were," he says, "on June 1 move than 3% millions, but less than four million Germans who would never come back to use in any form whatsoever. For though the Germans keep in uniform every single individual they can, there is a margin of wounded whom it is hopeless to attempt to use in any service at all, even as porter to a prison or servant in a hospital. "It is important to, avoid confusion between different categories of 'losses.'

■ " 'Definite losses' are the smallest category; they exclude all men who are kept on the army lists in any form whatsoever. A man who has lost a. leg or an arm and is working in an office is not included in definite losses. 'Nor is anyone in hospital or on convalescence or of no further use save: as a prison guard or hospital servant. At the 'half-way house' of .Tanuary 1, 1017, the number oil the possibility of active service at the moment, for instance was already jsome three millions or a little more, as appeared in my article on numbers at the time. But the 'definite losses' were far, less, little more than two millions, it as much, "While four millions or a little under represents to-day the 'definite losses' of the German army, the losses 'off the lighting strength' are another matter altqgcther. These general losses, the nuniber out of action in the sense that they cannot again -be used for active service is, of course, much larger than four millions, and the bulk of the balance reappear in the oi millions of the army total.

■'lf we add the s '/a millions actually drawing rations to'those,four millions. who no longer exist, even on paper, and estimate the reserve furnished by the 1019 class, in so far as it is not yet •drawing rations, we get the total mobilisable strength in the third year of war in almost exactly the same scale as the other fully mobilised belligerent Powers, more than 13 per cent, but less than 14 per cent, of total population. For while it is true thqjb Germany has been able to release men by en-slaving occupied populations, it is also true that the Allies have been able to draw upon the labor power of neutral countries, and the one advantage in man-power pretty well cancels out the other.

"It is well to keep these simple numerical facts clearly before one even at this late stage of the war, when opinion is naturally weary of such things, for it is the wastage of enemy effective-; t.hftt is winning the war. If the enemy has backed down from point to point in his claims, if he has asked for peace and still asks for peace, effectives is the clue."