The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-04
WHAT WAR WOULD COST
UNITED STATES WOULD PAY OFT
S5OO,OOO,0o0 IN SIN MONTHS.
Spain Already ON "a War Footing. hut
Would Need S2OO, 00O.00O More
ut the Stnrt.

IL WOULD cost the United states S2Uu,UVJ,VJO
to so to war with Spain, and S3O0,OO9O0O TO
maintain the war six months. 1t would cost
Spain a thousand million pesetas-a peseta
equals about twenty cents-to go to war
with the United States. and fifteen hundred
million pesetas to maintain the war six
months. These are conservative estimates,
made after talking with those in a position
to best judge the cost of a conflict between
the two countries. At best the estimates of
the cost of a war must be in the most gem
eral terms, as all depends upon the scale of
preparation, the aggressiveness of the con-
tending parties, and the particular theater
of war-whether on land or water. And
yet the essential requirements in waging
war are readily determined by those famil-
lar with military science, and with this goes
the experience of our last war, which cost
the stupendous sum of three thousand mill
lion dollars.
There are veterans in the public service
here such as General 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 bureau
chiefs skilled in the detailed cost of ord
nance, equipment, transportation, quarter
masters supplies and the commss ariat,
who know the cost of war in all its forms.
They are naturally loath to discuss an hy-
pothesis of coming war, and yet it was
from men of this character that the basis
for these estimates was drawn. With a
view to getting also the cost from the Span
ish standpoint eminent Spanish authorities
were consulted.
WAR is the most costly thing in the
world said Gen. Hawley, q veteran both
of the field and public life, when asked
what it would cost us to go to war with
Spain. But that is about the only certain
element in it. 1t is a cost so enormous as
to be almost beyond comprehension. But
when it comes to enumerating the items of
cost to stating in advance what a given
conflict will cost, that cannot be done with
any degree of accuracy. In the first place,
it depends upon how many men are to be
called into service, and then the kind of
service they will have to perform. With
that mach known, the. thing to do Is to
consult the heads of the several bureaus
of the War and Navy Departments. There
is a fixed cost of ratiOnS, another cost or
equipment, another of clothing, etc. BY
learning all these separate items of cost
some adequate idea might be formed OF
the cost of going to war, but until knew
the number of men to be brought into
service and the scope of preparation L
innate of cost. 1t is like asking how long
is a piece of string. 1t depends. All that
can say is that the cost of war Is enor-
mous-the greatest one item of cost
known"
General Hawley mentioned the expert
ence which the last war gave in the meas
ure of cost of war, and many other mill
tary authorities base their ideas on the
practical experience which that conflict af-
forded to our own people. 1t was lesson
not only in the assembling of men and sup
plies. but in the best methods to be fol-
lowed III raising great sums of money Tor
emergencies.
OUR EXPERIENCE IN 1861.
When President Lincoln called on Con-
gress for 100000 men, he also asked for $780,
OC9,CoJ. This was at the rate of $1,000 for
every man called into service. His message
to Congress stated also that the sum asked
was less than one-twenty-third part of
the money value owned by men who seemed
ready to devote their whole" This gives
another percentage-one-tw enty-th
basis of calculating what amount of the
wealth of a country should be summoned
to aid in it's defense.
Secretary Chase, then at the head of the
treasury, estimated $32OOO0,O00 as the
sum required to begin the war This proved
to be short of the requirements. The Army
appropriation bill passed by the extra ses-
sion of Congress after the firing on Sumter
carried $207, 900 600. The navy appropriation
bill carried $50 900 Geo. These estimates and
appropriations were made, it must be
membered, with no conception of what the
war was to be. and with an idea that at
most 1t would close within six months The
first estimates of war are usually under
rather than over what the cost proves to
be.
With this experience at hand, some gem
eral idea can be had of the cost of going to
war at the present time. The circumstances
are much different, and yet this is the only
experience of our own in modern warfare
frcm which lessons can be drawn, and if
now than then. In war with Spain the
conflict would be essentially different from
that between the North and the South, in
that Spain and the United States would be
lighting instead
hand in one country.
This would make it essentially q naval
warfare and q war on commerce. and to
that extent the elements of cost would be
different from land warfare. But with both
countries having long lines of coast to pro-
tect, with Cuba as q field of land conflict,
the element of providing for the cost of
land warfare would be hardly less than that
of the marine struggle. Prudence would
also dictate that the scale of preparation
would take into account the possibility,
even probability, of Spain's forming alli-
ances with European powers by which her
fighting strength on land and sea would be
largely augmented.
With these considerations existing, the
cost of going to war with Spain at this time
could not be estimated far below the cost
when the first crash of arms came in 1861.
There would not be the need of the vast
land force, at first 100000 and fast increas-
ing, until the armies exceeded the tabled
forces of Xerxes q million men being in the
field at one time. But the manning of ships
of war and merchantmen, the assembling
our seaboard and borders, would require
the men drawn from the field In the
rough general estimate of cost at the out
set and for the first six months a consid-
cradle reduction was made from the ilrst
cost in 1861, in order to give q wide margin
Of conservatism in estimates. although il Is
believed the circumstances OF a confllct
with Spain and her allies would justify an
estimate fully up TO the cost of opening the
civil war.
SPAIN ON WAR FOOTING.
AS to Spains first cost in going to war
with the United States, it must be borne
in mind that Spain is now practically on q
war footing and has been since the Cuban
struggle became serious. The war footing
of Spain is 1881 men, and this footing has
been reached, if not exceeded in Cuba alone.
The forces there have fiuctuated but the
official figures u year ago give 12l ,136 men in
Cuba Adding the reserve force in Spain
and those i'm the Philippines and Puerto
Rico the total is fully up to the war foot
ing of Spain. The same is true or SPAIN
navy, which is and has been on war loot
ing This then would give her the ad-
vantage of having her organization of war
in actual operation, whereas the Cnlteu
States would be preciptated from state OF
peace into one of war; Doubtless a war
footing of Spain capable of dealing with
larged in dealing with the United States,
but at least IL would serve as a nucleus-it
would save that extraordinary cost OF a
first start. Up to this time, however, Spain
has known no need of a war footing beyond
that above given, WHICH. in detail, is as
follows
infantry ~