Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-11
COST OF WAR.

81 'stlNS are bclnk puoPrHtu hnVN-
ing ,io immense cost Of war In our
days. NJ. Jules Roche, formerly MIN
ister Of commerce In France, proyes
tina, the war with Germany cost France
nearly IA francs q day Tor each soldier
engaged, But at the present time, Is
francs day would not cover the actual
expenses. In case of war, he says,
France would have To bring her field
strength up TO 100000 men, and that
10 maintain this force would mean
daily expense Of 100000 This esti.
mate accords with one made few
years ago by an Austrian economist,
who declared that war Involving the
European continental powers would
cost France s5,lCO,OOO a day, Issia
t6,6OOOOO a day, Germany s5,000,0o0 a
Jay, aud Austria 5000 200 ! day,
The present conflict Asia will IN
all probability, not develop into a
struggle between 40 gigantic armies.
Russia Is said to be contemplating the
transportation OF only 100000 men 10
the scene. rad that is about the force
Japan At present has ready for the field.
But the cost Of transportation and
maintenance so far from home, must
be enormous, The cost Of landing jan
ans force on the Korean or Manchurian
coast Ia estimated at ;i,0o0,OOO. NJ.
Roche believes that the cost OF main
tanning the japanese forces will not be
greater than sl.25 a day for each man.
including clothing, equipment food,
transportation and munitions. But even
at that figure the cost OF the war to
Japan, including the navy is not less
than about 100000 a day
That Is TO say II takes not less than
100000 japanese workingmen, with
the snail '' ges OF that country, TO
earn enol. 20 keep the army and the
navy.
Russia Is not much better of, All
supplies for her fighters must be dra N
from a great distance. The cost OF TAX.
Ing 400, 900 troops TO the seat Of war ex-
elusive OF artillery horses, and supplies,
il estimaed at ss0,OOOOoO After this
first expense. NJ. Roch thinks that the
vlsrations Will cost Russia from 81 7OO,-
200 ) N,75O.O'O a day, 30 lo"S ne = has
TO fight only In the FAR east But II the
conflict should spread TO Europe, II the
great powers should take the field
agolnst each other, the estimated cost
Of the struggle under modern conditions
would De simply staggering
Mt oniy is the cost OF war In.
creased on account Of tho enormous
size Of the armies, bus the advance In
the implements Of war increases the
cost OF operations, AS compared with
former times, almost beyond corpre-
henslon. General Chatfee In n recc'
address called attention to this special
feature, Speaking Of the new field gun
that has been adopted by the United
states, he said It is astonishing when
compared with the field gun OF 1861. II
fires a shot Weighing fifteen pounds.
with muzze velocity Of 100 fe1t per
second, at the rote OF twenty shots
minute, equal to gun energy Of GOO
foot tons per minute, as against about
1875 foot tons for the old l2-poundcr. A
battery OF six Of our new field guns
represent more execution tina the $50
Union guns at Gettysburg, The M.
creased eSpensiveness OF such arms as
this is In proportion to their Increased
execution. The ammunition used 40 In
q single days firing by a Japanese bat.
tleshIp In the engagements now IN pro.
gress at Port Arthur represents a sum
which would not look small In oompar.
ison with what used to be culed "a
princes ransom
No wonder that the statesmen Of Eu-
rope are bending all their energy TO
avert war The governments cannot
afford to indulge In great wars The
| luxury has become too expensive,