The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-05-13
GheArmorrat-S Star
WHAT WAR MEANS.

What has actually been lost In tbo
wealth OF the world in the bl,ud 90.
ashes OF war since authentic histn,n
begun Is beyond all estimate. Il ~,
pee computed that the loss OF hpnon
lire alone in that time from w,.
amounts to l4,000, 0OO, 900 souls
number equivalent to the en,i,. ,oa
ulation OF the globe for the las, 200
years. 1t should he noted here tho,
the class OF men who are drafted -.
accepted for military service ara ~
Varlably the very class who. by reason
OF age, health and strength, are ~.
most valuable to the world, from ,hs
purely economic and material stand.
point. They are the stalwart. in,o,
''gcnt, capable men. In this coun,
economists have set the definite yalns
o. $4,000 upon the average man con-.
sIdercd as a wealth producer. Takin,.
THIS figure as the general standard n,
Tie 'aluc OF a man, 1t can be sco,
what an ~incOnceivablc Amount -,
wealth in the shape of men has bean
destroyed on the battle fields Of ,ho
world since time began.
The war losses OF the United S,a,os
have not been as great, comparatively,
as AZ OF other civilized nations IN
recent times, but even the totals bcre
are sufficient to show the a%bsurditvo ~
the suppositlon that either now or ,t
any other time we may reap financial
gain by the sickles OF battle. The
annual expenditure OF the United
States during the War OF the Reyo.
'utlon was $50, 0OO, 900 in specie. Most
OF thls money was raised by public
loans IN the form Of paper currency,
Inc diminishing value Of this slender
security invariably brought about the
boarding OF gold. The. consequent
scarcity of real money, as a matter Of
course, was followed by suffering wide.
~" W ittCliSc.
Our second war with England lasted
only two years, but il cost US s72..
ooo,O 600 to vindicate our cause, lust and
righteous as it was. And this did not
include the losses TO- our merchant
marine from English priyatecriny-a
| 'ss beyond computation even in those
times of our comparative commercial
poverty.
For the folly Of the Mexican War
we had to pay de; rly in men and
treasure, IA loss for which our acouis.
itlon OF territory did not compensate.
The lives OF more than 5000 Amer.
lean citizens was the price We paid for
that display Of power, and something
more than S25, ZOO, 900 for military dis.
bursclnents was another part.
For the civil war the figures of loss
al around mount up to stupendous
totals. The immediate financial losses
were $1,000, 900, 900 to the North and
$4,000 200 to the South, with such
after-rcsults as a national debt Of
$3,oC0,0o0, O0O, Il crippled mel cl,ant
marine, a ruined agricultural com.
munity. besides the losses occasioncd
in other parts Of the world. in sudinv
those consequent upon the cotton
famine OF Lancashire, and the loss of
employment to more than 100. 600
European lahorers. Such, Mt least,
are the losses computed by LEROY
Rcaulicu in his Lies Queries Contcm.
poraIns,' causing him thus to close
his chapter on our Civil War: "Such
Is war. Its nature is so komicidal
that it Stays thousands Of victims
even at a distance OF thousands of
miles from the battlefield"
Coming to things OF the present
moment, it is proper To bear in mind
The fact, given on indubitable author.
lty, that according to the plans now
arranged 1t will cost about 800, 600, 900
4 month to carry on our military op-
erations. One may compute for him
self what that means for q year OF
war or longer. We have also In this
expense account such items rs these:
That every one of our big defenscguns
costs from 5000 600 to $500, coo for
ana $1,000 and upward for
very shot fired. An engagement be-
'wcen two great modern battleships
will cost about 800. 600 an hour. And
or everyone OF such battleships de-
troyed an investment OF $4,000, 900 or
more will be wiped out. Ten Of our
var vessels now In service represent
otal expense to the nation OF $780,
10000. This is a large amount OF
apltal placed at a great risk.
II may be admitted that the frst
esults OF the war just now will be
eneilcial to many lines OF trade and
Industry. 1t will stimulate some
lnds OF business as with q galvanic ?
hook; 1t will give employment to
unemployed; it will create new
nd large demands for certain pro-
ucts, and thus will seem for u time
justify the belief that val pays.
ut experience, to say nothing Of
sense, teaches us that WI
lnnot escape the operations Of econ
mic laws In these matters now any
Iore than we hare in the past. The
W will profit now, the many willlose
ter o. Peter will be robbed to-day,
lt Paul will have his pay tO.mDrrOw.