erstand the war as it is viewed by one of the two contending
forces, is this: The Allies are satisfied that the German numbers
have begun or are beginning to fail. They fix at around 8,000,000
the total man power of Germany at the outset, using all means of
computation including their own experience. They figure that at the
end of the first eighteen months Germany had lost permanently not
less than 3,500,000, possibly 4,000,000. They know that it requires
upwards of 3,000,000 men to hold Germany's present lines and about
1,000,000 to perform other necessary services.

Now no such wastage has to be faced by the Allies as a whole. France
is in the German situation, but Great Britain is still possessed of
large numbers of men and her losses are under 600,000, while her
population together with that of her colonies is above 60,000,000,
whites alone being considered, against Germany's 67,000,000.
Russia's man power is practically limited only by the ability to
equip and munition. Italy has, as yet, made little draft upon her
resources. Austria, on the other hand, has suffered more heavily,
proportionately figured, than Germany.

Within a time that can be approximately fixed, the Allies believe
that Germany will have either to shorten her lines or underman them.
If she undermans them she will face the peril that overtook Lee
about Richmond, when, as he said, his lines were stretched so thin,
they broke. If Germany shortens her lines, this will be a confession
of defeat and will deprive her of the conquered territories.
Meantime the entire strategy of the Allies is summed up in Grant's
grim words, and as Grant kept up his hammering on all the fronts of
the Confederacy so the Allies are keeping up their pressure.

But attrition of men is only half; there is the question of food and
of money. Command of the sea insures the food supply of the Allies
and their financial resources greatly surpass those of Germany.
Germany is suffering--we have Harden's word for this, because of
food shortage, she is suffering from economic paralysis resulting
from the blockade and she is suffering from the lack of certain
materials needed in war. She is compelled to find money for her
other and poorer allies. The enemies of Germany do not expect that
she will be starved out or that she will have to surrender for lack
of materials to make ammunition. But they do believe that shortage
of food, economic pressure, financial difficulties, will go han