The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-06
WHAT WAR WOULD COST.
FACTS AND FIGURES WHICH
SHOULD CAUSE REFLECTION.

Thousands of Millions to Begin
Enormous Expenses of Both spain
and the United States in Case of
Conflict Between Them-spain Is
Already on War Footing, But 1t
Would Cost Four Millions to Fur
nish Our Soldiers with New Rifles
AIone-SOme Figures From the
civil War.
From the New York Herald.
1t would cost the United States 100000
600 to go to war with Spain and $685. 600
TO maintain the war six months.
1t would cost Spain a thousand million
pesetas-a peseta equals about 20 cents
to go to war with the United States, and
fifteen hundred million pesetas to main
tain the war six months.
These are conservative estimates, made
after talking with those in a position to
best judge the cost Of conflict between
the two countries. At best the estimates
Of the cost of a war must be in the most
general terms, as all depends upon the
scale of preparation, the aggressiveness
OF the contending parties. and the partlc>
ular theater of war-whether on land or
water. And yet the essential requirements
in wagMg war are readily determined by
those familiar with military science, and
with this goes the experience of our last
war, which cost the stupendous sum of
three thousand million dollars
There are veterans in the public service
here, such as Gen. Hawley, chairman of
the Senate committee on military affairs
Senator Morrill,, who framed the Morrill,
tariff, which gave the sinews of war in
1861, as well as many army and navy bu.
reau chiefs skilled in the detailed cost Of
ordnance, equipment. transportation,
quartermasters' supplies, and the commits
sariat, who know the cost of war in all
las forms. They are naturally loath to dis
cuss an hypothesis of coming war, and yet
il was from men of this character that the
basis Of these estimates was drawn. With
view 70 getting also the cost from the
Spanish standpoint, eminent Spanish au-
thorities were consulted.
War Is the most costly thing in the
world" said Gen. Hawley, a veteran both
of the field and of public life, when asked
what 1t would cost US to 80 10 war with
Spain. But that IS about the only GER
tam element in it. 1t is a cost so enormous
as to be almost beyond comprehension. But
when IL comes to enumeratI ting the items
of cost, or to stating in advance what a
given conflict viii cost, that cannot be
done with any degre of accuracy. In the
first place. it depends upon how many
men are TO he called into service, and then
the kind of service they win have to per-
form. With that much known, the thing
to do is 20 consult the heads of the sew
eral bureaus of the war and navy de-
partmentS. There is a fixed cost of rations,
another cost of equipment, another OF
clothing, etc. By learning all these sep
arate items Of cost some adequate idea
might be formed OF the cost of going TO
war, but until I knew the number OF men
to be brought into service and the scope
of preparation ] would hesitate in making
even rough estimate OF cost. 1t isN like
asking how long Is = piece of string. 1t
depends. All that ] can say is that the
cost OF war Is enormous-the greatest one
item Of cost known
Gen. Hawley mentioned the experience