The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-09
THE COST OF WAR.
HostiIites Lasting for One Year Would
Eat Up Not Less Than One
Billion Dollars.

Few outside of military, naval and
other official circles, have any Just
conception of the appalling cost of
modern warfare, especially when large
| naval operations are involved Our
civil war cost the nation about four
millions per day during the last year of
the conflict but we had a million men
| in the army and navy, or nearly ten
times as many as will be employed in
the present war with Spain, and our
money was deprecated an average of
| 40 per cent.
The cost of first-class modern war
| vessel is $4,C0O,00O in round numbers,
| but the cost of ecuipping and using
| such a vessel in warfare surpasses all
| general calculations. A single twelve
| inch gun costs about $4,000 when
| placed on the ship ready for action.
| The maximum capacity of this i'm
pense war engine is eighty shots; the
| minimum thirty. 1t is not safe to
| count on these guns firing more than
| fifty rounds. The intense heat and
| strain are likely to make the gun use
| less any time after thirty to eighty
| rounds are fired from it. after which it
| is valuable only as old steel. The cost
in wear and tear in firing these guns
may be safely estimated at $1,000 for
| every discharge.
In addition to the cost of $1,000 for
every round fired from these guns in
wear and tear, the powder and steel
| pointed missile with which the gun is
loaded, cost the government 200 every
| time the gun is fired. II is a safe esti-
mate to say that every time a twelve
inch gun is fired in war, the cost is
| about $500
Our war vessels and cruisers are each
supplied with torpedoes and pneumatic
tubes from which to discharge them
against an enemy. They are effective
at about 500 yards, and the torpedo
with which the air gun is charged is
one of the most delicate and conlplicat-
ed machines of modern times. 1t is
constructed with a revolving attach
ment at the rear, not only to guide it
on it's deadly mission through file water
but to accelerate it's movement, and it
is exploded by concussion One of
these torpedoes striking the biggest
ship in any navy would entirely destroy
the vessel. These torpedoes cost $1,000
each.
The cost of ammunition for our land
forces has also been increased probably
| tenfold. One pound of lead costing
only a few cents, would make sixteen
cartridges for the rifle used in our civil
war. Today the cartridges used by our
infantry cost little If any less than ten
cents each With modern gun these
little missiles carry three miles, and at
a range of 81 mile they will go clear
through three men, and probably more
If they are lot too greatly obstructed
by boring clean holes through bones of
the human anatomy. They are much
lighter than the old cartridge, and the
soldier will carry one hundred rounds
with the same ease that the soldier of
our civil war carried forty. The cost
of cartridges for an efficient rifeman in
action now would he about 81 per min
| ute.
As the war with Spain is likely to be
chiefly naval war. it is well worth
considering how much the war will cost
: Spain. The figures we have given as
the cost of constructing and using ves-
sells in war; are on the gold basis.
American four per cents sell at about
l1S; Spanish four per cents sell at
about thirty-three, or one-third less
than their face.
Thus while it Will cost our govern .
ment $4,0OO,ON0 to construct and equip
battleship, and 81, 800 fer every round
fired from one of our large guns, and
81, 500 for every torpedo we hurl against
the enemy, the cost to Spain is just
three times the amount of the cost of
the same to the United States
Vessels and munitions of war can be
obtained only on the gold basis. and
every round fired from the Spanish
, twelve-inch gun must cost that govern
, ment not less than $500, and every tor
pedo sent on its mission of death from
a Spanish beat must cost a like sum.
Spain is now enjoying the luxury of
, cheap money that is demanded by
; many demagoGues in our own country,
and she pays for the luxury in trehling
, the cost of every shot she fires against
/. her foe.
The present war with Spain will be
the most costly war of any time. How
, ere brief it may be. our comprehensive
: preparations for it will count up in the
: hundreds of millions and If ii shall
continue for a year, its aggregate cost
I will probably not be, less than 81 OO0.-
900 and may be more. In short,
modern warfare is the most costly saw
; agerY in the history of the world.
n