Many thoughtful men have lingered long over the despatches announcing
that Great Britain called thirty thousand farmers to the trenches, thus
threatening the loss of a part of her harvest. One of the British
editors and statesmen explains this event by the frank statement that
for the moment the Allies are outmanned, and will be until another
million Americans reach France. Many men are puzzled to understand what
this means, but the explanation is very simple. The combined population
of Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria is not far from 140,000,000.
To this must be added seventy millions of conquered and impressed
peoples of Belgium, Poland, Rumania, with the Baltic provinces of
Russia, Ukraine and other regions. Over against this population stands
the 125,000,000 living in Great Britain, France, Italy, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand and the English people of South Africa, and
India, and the Isles of the Sea. Concede, therefore, that the army of
six millions of Allies are over against six millions of Germans. Why are
we outmanned?
Back of that British editor-statesman's statement lies a most dramatic
fact. Our Allies keep their treaties, and will not use German prisoners
to fight against their brothers. Therefore the six million of Allies'
soldiers have no support behind them. But the Germans impress all
conquered peoples and lifted into the air if the observer had a glass
powerful enough, he would behold back of the German six millions another
six millions of impressed prisoners and conquered peoples, who support
the German army. These men, driven forward by an automatic pistol and
the rifle, work within half a mile of the rear German trench. They dig
ditches, fill shell holes, repair roads, bring up burdens, care for the
horses, scrub the mud from the wagons, and the slightest neglect of the
task means that they are shot down by the German guards. All this
releases the German soldier from the deadly work that breaks the nerve,
and unfits a man to go over the top. That means that the German soldier
can fight eight hours, and have sixteen for rest and recreation.
But over against this German army fighting eight hours, with the deadly
work wrought by several million of impressed servants and slaves, stands
the Allied army. But our men after eight hours of active service must
then begin to dig ditches, fill shell holes, repair bridges, clean the
mud from the wagons, bring up the munitions, and this deadly work for
eight hours, added to their eight hours of active service, means only
eight hours for sleep and recovery, while the German has sixteen hours
off duty for recovery and sleep. The Allies keep their treaties, and do
not ask a German prisoner to fight against his brother. The Allies obey
the laws of right and wrong, but the Ten Commandments are a great
handicap in time of war. Is there any one who supposes that six million
of Allied soldiers, working sixteen hours a day, are as fresh and as fit
as six million Germans, working only eight hours a day? That is why the
situation is so perilous. Fortunately victories are not won by muscle
without but by the soul within. The sense of justice in the heart lends
a form of omnipotence to a youth. In a moral universe, therefore, we
must win. The great problem is, how to carry on until we can get another
million Americans across to France, with full equipment, and fifty
thousand aeroplanes.
"OVER HERE"