§ 72. Mr. HERBERT SAMUELasked the Prime Minister whether the French Government have published their estimate of the losses inflicted on the German Army on the Western front since the beginning of the Somme offensive; whether the Imperial General Staff have formed an independent estimate; and, if so, whether the two substantially coincide and what is the total estimated to be?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWSo far as is known the French Government has published no official estimate of the German casualties of the Somme offensive. Unofficial esti- 1306 mates have, however, appeared in the "Journal des Debats" and other French newspapers, which place the German, losses on the Somme at about 690,000. An independent estimate made by the General Staff substantially coincides with this figure.
§ Mr. SNOWDENAre not these figures approximately the same as those which have been published in the Press in this country appertaining to our own casualties on the Somme from the 1st of July?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWNo.
§ Mr. SNOWDENYes, they are.