22 APRIL 1916, Page 2

Monday's Times contained a very strfldng map of the order

of .battle of the German armies north of the Somme, to which river, as is well known, our line now extends. We see displayed, not only the troops that are in the first line, but the reserve depots from which the line is fed. The Military Correspondent of the Times, in explaining the map, states that there are, holding the German lines or in reserve, forty German divisions, excluding cavalry. If these divisions are at full strength, which is most probable, they number eight hundred thousand men of all ranks, and may represent in actual combatants five hundred thousand rifles and three thousand guns, again plus the cavalry. In addition, be: states that we must assume that drafts to make losses good are in the field depots behind the German lines. Except for those germa.n troops who are facing the Belgians and the French who lie, between us and the Belgians, the whole of these eight hundred thousand men are opposed to the British line. In point of quality, the Times Military Correspondent declares that the troops are at least as good as those now assailing Verdun, and better than any others in the West or East.