Evening journal., 1900-01-30
COST OF cREAT1wARsa.
The Aggregate Sum Is So Vast as %
Be Beyond the Ordinary Grasp.

Be Beyond the Ordinary Grasp.
We have recently heard that as Ear
as we have gone we have spent some
thing like six millions to bring Mr..
Kruger to his senses. It will, there
fore. be interesting to look back to
other items Of our war bills, dating
back to exactly three hundred years
ago.
If we take the paid bills off the file
and add up the totals, we find that
during this period we have spent
about 1.400.00O,O0O In war. Cal
culating the population of the United
Kingdom at forty millions, we might
estimate that had the money been
saved, there would be a nice little
nest-egg of e35 for every man, wom-
an and child Of the population.
Still, II Is well to remember, when
peace ad coates point to the figures
with grief, that, on the whole, we
have made a very fair profit on our
war expenditure, for it has helped Us
largely to gain an empire whose total
revenues would pay of the war oil
in less than six years. Indeed, one or
the best investments we ever made
is found In the heaviest item Of the
whole account, the e8Sl 100000 spent
in smashing Napoleon. II this sum
had not been forthcoming, Answers
would, without doubt have been print
ed in the French language, and the
tri-color would now be waving over
the House OF Parliament.
The next largest item to the Well
ington account is the bill for the cam
paigns OF the great Duke of Marlbor-
ough, which totals up to the compare
lively modest figure of 6 1872 ,000,O 600,
while &121. 100000 is written off In
our profit and loss account as to the
price of our little family quarrel, when
Cousin Jonathan left home and set up
in business for himself John Bull al
ways scratches his head rather doubt
fully over that leaf in his ledger.
IL is three hundred years ago this
year since the Earl of Essex started
the account by four million pounds
worth of war against the Spaniards In
Ireland; while less than fifty years
after Cromwell followed him In the
same distressfUl country, wasting nifty
seven good millions In slaughtering
some OF the very best material In the
British army. He In his turn was fol.
lowed by William Ill, whose travel.
| ing expenses in ireland and Holland
amounted TO G 333.0OO,000.
Canada cost us about 6 $4,000, 600
a fairly good bargain when compared
with the Crimean War, OF wnicn on
share was e6S,000, 900. out OF a total
! OF & 3O5.OOO,O 900. The terrible waste
In this war laid rather In lives than In
! money, for, out of 1880 men we rul
IN the field. we lost 22.1S2, OF 226 POI
cent Of the total strength. Only 2,75'
OF these poor fellows were killed In
action, while of the 1890 wounded
only 1876 died of their wounds. There
were l7,S47 died of disease, and II
may be safely assumed that, had oui
troops been as well cared for as those
who are now engaged with the Beers
the British army would have left the
J Crlmea richer by 1900 men.
Less unpleasant reading than oui
i own are the war bills of our neigh
bors, though they naturally have In
volved many of our losses.
The worlds wars during the ninet,
years ending in the year 1880 cost al
together G 3,047, 100000, together will
loss Of 4,470,000 lives.
Next to the twenty-year war be
tween ourselves and France, which
ending at Waterloo, cost altogethe
$50. 100000 and 100000 lives, tn
most costly struggle was that between
! the Northern and Southern States .
America, the price of which wa
c74O, 100000 and 656.000 lives.
The Franco Prussian war cost tn
belligerents e316000.000 and $1,000
killed and wounded out Of the Lib
600 men engaged. Altogether SITS
men were put out Of action althoug
this total includes 100000 French prii
n oners.
= The German hospital returns, hov
e ever, showed a great improvement o
b, our Crimean record, for out Of thei
= $4,000 wounded only 1910, or 81
e per cent of the cases terminated q
h tally.
e The last great war Of the worl'
h that between Russia and Turkey. CO!
altogether e19O 100000 and 1900
lives Of which Russia paid f133.OOc
OOc and 10000 lives.-London Al
| swcrs.