Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-03-21
UNPLEASANT FIGURES.
What the South African and Philippine
Wars Have Cost in Lives and Treas

CONGRESSMAN Miers of Indiana made
speech in the House earlier in the ses-
sion in regard to the amount that the
pension appropriation will be swelled
by claimants on account Of service in
the Philippines. He pointed out that it
was estimated now by some army men
that it will require $1,000 men for %
years to completely overcome and sub
due the Fiipinos Taking the average
cost of maintaining a soldier in the Phil
ippine islands at $500 per year, it would
make $4,000 600 a year, sum which. in
- years would amount to Nl25.po0,OO.
But infinitely greater IN Importance than
is this money loss is the loss of life
which is certain for some time yet. Con-
gresham Miers stated that he had re-
quested the war department to furnish
him with the statistics of the number of
men that had been lost to the country
since the beginning Of the war with
Spain. The reply to his letter stated
that from May l. 1895. TO June 30, 1899,
there had been 224 officers and 6395 en-
listed men who were killed in battle. or
who died by reason Of wounds or dis
ease: from June 30 1893 to July I. 1900.
there had been "a officers and 1890 men
thus lost, and from July l. 1900 to
June 20. 1901 the record was - officers
and 1893 enlisted men. The figures for
the last two years thus averaged about
1000 men per year. The assistant ad-
jutant-general. who furnished the infor-
nation said that il was entirely i'm
practicable to furnish the number Of
soldiers discharged by reason of wounds
or disease incurred In the service, be-
cause of the fact that no statement Civ
ing this data had ever been prepared in
the adjutant-generals office.
But the total Of 1868 men killed since
the beginning of the war with Spain is
large enough to be startling. While the
Boer war has not lasted as long as our
own trouble. dating this from the be-
ginning of the Spanish war up to the
end of the last fiscal year. June 80, 1901
our troops have seen nothing like the
stiff fighting that the British have had
| to face. and yet our losses were about
| one-half as great as those incurred ii
| the Boer war up to August last Ac-
| cordng to the returns furnished by Gen
Macarthur. in his annual report to the
war department dated July 4. 1901. in the
period from May 5. 1900 to June go 1901
| 2i5 of our soldiers We're killed in battle II
| the Philippines. 400 We're wounded. III
were captured. and 20 were missing. II
the same period 2S54 Filipinos We're Killed
] 1893 were wounded. CSC were captured
| and 1905 surrenderd From these fig
ures it will be seen that in this period
| the war in the Philippines cost In live
| killed in battle 3099 and I'm wounded 1853
| We have previously called attention t,
| the wide difference between the numbe
| of killed and the number of wounded.
| difference so great that we said II called
for some explanation on the part of tn
war department; but. # this explanation
| has been given. we have never seen It
! With an army of 10000 men serving II
such n country as the Philippines. Their
| is an absolute certainty that there vii
be n large number of pensions granite,
on account of this service On the Is
| of July last there were 5605 names OF
| the pension roll owing to the war witt
Spain, and II may he expected that thi
number will be very largely augmente
every year that an army is maintaine,
in the Philippines. all this helps to brln
the the total cost of the Philippine island
that must be very far from pleasant 70
Uncle Sam To emplate.-[Boston Her
aid.