Bisbee daily review., 1904-03-11

It is estimated that Japans avail able army at the present time aggre
 gates about 100000 soldiers. The
 cost of landing this force on the Ko
 rean or Manchurfan coast a tthe rate
 Of, say, $50 per man, exclusive of
 horses, artillery and supplies, would
 be $4,000,000 Nr Roche, formerly
 minister of commerce of France, be-
 lieves that the cost of maintaining
 the Japanese forces will not be greater
 than s1, ,25 day for each man, includ- ing clothing, equipment, food, trans portation and munitions. He esti- mates the cost of the war to Japan, including the navy, at about s1 ,000, ,0eo a day. If this be a fair valuation of Japan's fighting expenses, it will take the entire earnings of more than s. 0O0, GOO Japanese toilers to support the war. at the average wage rate of 12 cents day. This out of a total pop ulation of about 45,000,O00 In other words, more than one-third of the male of Japan can barely earn the daily cost of the struggle. Nor is the loss to Japanese commerce in- cluded in the estimate
 II is differen, in Manchuria. All supplies must be drawn from a great distance. Clothing, transportation and food are dear. Besides. before the Russian troops can .ake the fielo aside from the 150. .OJO said to be in Manchuria now-they must be carried more than 5000 miles by rail. Put ting the naked cost of transportation at one cent per mile for each soldier, the cost of carrying 100, 900 troops excluding artillery, horses and sup be at least s, 1000, 900.
 Mir. Roche believes that when Rus sia has got over the first expense of her war with Japan her army and na- " will cost her from s1 800, 900 to si,750.O00 a day so long as she has to fight only in the far east. Assum- ing the larger figure to be correct, it will take the wages of 1000, 900 Rus sian laborers to meet the expenses of the war.
 All this relates to the war of Russia and Japan is Asia But if the con fict should spread to Europe, if the great powers should take the field against each other. the estimated cost of the struggle under modern condi- tons is staggering
 Oficial figures show that in 1871 it cost France more than s2,000, 900 Gay to keep an army of 600,0O0 men in the field against the Germans But tcGay France claims to be able to within forty-eight hours about 7. .000 ,000 men and 100000 horses and mules. Germany can put 2,55O, GOO ren in the field. Austria 1900, 900 and Italy 100000 Schaffe, the Austrian economist, declared in 1896 that a war involving the European continental powers would cost France s5,1e0,000 day, Russia s5.60O.O00 a day, Germany s5,G00,000 a day and Austria s6,000,000 a day
 According to Mir. Roche conflict between the European powers today would cost for the first two months, including the initial outlay, the inn rense sum of s400,000, 900, and if g. 100000 soldiers should take the field, he daily cost would amount to s6,- l ,o0, GOO.
 With these estimates in sight, even | rough they are mere approximations, 1 t is not hard to understand why the | statesmen of Europe are straining l heir wits and their energies to con inc the present war to Asia
 If it takes the wages of 15,0o0 900 ren to pay the daily cost of the war 'etween Japan and Russia-a war within radius of 1000 miles what would a general conflict mean o the overtaxed population of Europe? New York World.