The Saint Paul globe., 1898-08-07
AWFUL COST OF WAR.
Millions Spent in the Conduct OF
Great Conflicts.

treat
FROM the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
At the present moment, when Spain
and the United States are engaged in a
deadly struggle, it will not be unsea-
sonable to inquire into the cost of war
in life and treasure.
Man is a fighting as well as a think
ing animal, and his pugnacity has not
decreased with the progress Of his iE-
tellect Despite the much vaunted civ
ilization of mankind war is still the
only means by which, In the last re-
sort, nations decide points of differ
ence, and might is right" today, as 1T
always has been.
Tradition and history consist almost
entirely of wars, battles and slaughter,
for as far back as we can peer into
the mists of antiquity, we find that man
has been killing and being killed, and
the death roll of this incessant strug
gle cOnfoundS the reason and overpow-
ers the Imagination by its immensity.
Commencing with the Trojan war, the
first chapter of European and Asiatic
history. it Is intimated that GLORIOUS
war" has claimed as his need 10000, 900
human beings every century. The est;-
mated waste of human life in Europe
alone averages between $4,000, 900 ana
20 600 coo souls century. Three thou
sand years may have elapsed since the
battle ragged around the walls of Troy
and in that time probably the almost
incCnceivable number of 1900, 900, 900
men have perished in order to enforce
sundry systems of politics, to decide the
ownership of some few square miles Of
land, or to avenge the wounded pride
of a ruler or of ruling estate
If every man, woman and cid now
living on this planet were massed to-
gether on a vast plain, and by their
sides were ranged all the dead who
perished in war; the two forces would
nearly equal one another If every hu-
man being on the earth were struck
down tomorrow by some dreadful
plague, the loss would be no more than
that which the weapons of the soldier
have accomplished in the past
In the wars Of the last century no
less than 20, coo men were killed and
az least as many women and children
bereaved and desolate. The European
wars Of the first half of this century
slew 2,500,0 COG men at a cost of FL $40, ,000-
000. The great exhibition of 1851 was
suppose to mark the commencement of
the era of peace and progress. 1t was
seriously expected that when men had
once been prevailed upon to meet to-
gether in friendly and peaceful rival
ry, they would no longer draw the
sword against each other. But the ex-
hibition, instead of marking the begin
ming Of the reign of peace, may more
truly be said to have marked it's close
The Crimean war broke out ere the ex-
hibition had ceased to be talked about
and the Indian mutiny quickly follow
ed Then came the Chinese war, the
Franco Italian, the American Civil, the
AUstTc-Prussian, the Franco-German
TIE Russo-Turkfsh wars, together with
inrUmerable minor campaigns, little ir
comparison, but great in slaughter OF
life and loss of treasure. Since 1850 nc
less than 100000 men have perishe6
in war. The American Civil war stands
foremost, not only by reason Of brother
fighting against brother, but by the
slaughter Of 8000 0G0 men. The war cos
the states f740,00O,0O0-a sum sufficient
to have purchased the freedom of al
the slaves. Added to these items mus
be the sorrow of bereaved relatives, ths