Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-06-05
Effect OF War Upon a Nations Wealth
Every dollar expended for the purpose of sus

{Effect OF War Upon n Nations w ealth. !
Every dollar expended for the purpose Of sus1
ftainng armies and navies in time of peace or war
lis wasted. Hence, whatever amount of money
Z may be expended during the present war will be
$50 much distracted from the National wealth.
aUpon this subject the Scientific american re-
marks:
4 The firing of a 9-inch shell gun, like those
fused in one of our naval steamers costs 50 "a at
3each discharge. Now, the burning of 50 worth
3of coal in one of our cotton, carpet, or steam
aengine manufactures, generally results in the
production of from $40 to $40 worth of value in
some other kind of property, but the burning Of
Spowder in warfare does not produce any other
property; its only products are noise and smoke,
land death, which are not saleable in any market.
SOf all the modes of consuming wealth unpro.
aductivey, the most rapid are confagrations and
awar.
4 1t is frequently the case that the productive
ypower of the people is great that the aggregate
4of individual savings more than counterbalance
'Sthe public waste of wealth in war, and thus the
Irrational wealth may increase even during the
Continuance of expensive wars. Macaulay says
Sthat this has been the case with England in all
3her wars; and was most conspicuous in the most
3expensive one that she ever engaged in, the long
Acontest against the opinions of the French revo-
Hutton, which continued. with two brief intervals
Jfrom 1893 to 1915. In this gigantic struggle
. England not only supported her own armies, but
3she also contributed vast sums to her allies-the
4other Governments of Europe-to enable them to
keep up the fight 1t is true that large portion
4 of this money was raised by borrowing, the ma
3tional debt having been increased during the pc
&riod about 81 900 900 900. But a Government
3can not borrow unless somebody has il to lend
i land this whole immense sum was saved by the
3English people right in the midst of war, and
9oaned to the Government.
n In some cases, indeed, so large portion of the
5community is taken from the productive labor
3lnd put to the work of destroying property in
that the national wealth is rapidly di-
diminished When Frederick the Great of Prussia
Twas contending with Austria for the possession OF
3Silesia. he said he would fight as long there
twas potato in the kingdom; and Macaulay says
THAT he did fight till the great mass of the people
4had nothing to eat but potatoes and every private
fortune in the country was destroyed. Louis
aXIV, too, kept France at war with combined Eu
5rope, till the very mobiles were reduced to diet
4of black bread, and numbers of the people died
3of starvation.
u If we put aside the veil which the interposi
Ytion of money throws over the transaction, We
shall find that what really took place was this
liz does not require the whole of the labor in any
community to produce the food and cloth need
He'd, and when sufficient number of laborers are
3employed in the production of these first neces
3saries, the remaining labor of the community j.
directed to making such articles as are most de
3sired. In time of peace this surplus labor is
3pincipally devoted to making machinery, con
zstructing steam engines, building railroads. and
lin short, increasing the various kinds of active
Acaptal which facilitate industrial operations, and
athus augment the annual production of wealth
& But in war this labor is diverted to the produc-
ation of food, clothing. powder, muskets, cannon
A&c., to be worn out and destroyed by the armies
: land thus the accumulation of wealth is stopped
Tor at least checked