The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-27

Switzerland, to Washington Starr
The German general staff Septem-
Der 2 admitted their losses in Bel
GUM and rance to have already a
tanned 20 per cent i'm killed and
wounded.
Twenty per cent Of what? OF their
forces having actually combated?
of of their total forces in Belgium
France?
silence.
The English lost nearly 10 per cent
Of their electives cat that moment in
France) in four days@the terrific
fighting retreat after Mons. when the |
Germans poured their serried ranks
upon them, fresh troops on fresh |
troops, reckless that their own Ger
mans were moved down like wheat.
What the French have lost is not
known. but it is less than the Ger
mans. being on the defensive, and the
men not sacrificed.
All Depends on Cost Price.
Nevertheless, military xperts are
asking if the war will not end by ex-
haustion? Exhaustion Of what? OF
men, or of money? All depends on
the cost price of killing a mar in
battle.
The French Gen. Percin saw, in an
American newspaper, that it costs
$4,000 to kill a man in modern war
fare. The figure seemed to him ex-
aggerated. but when he sought to
verify it by examining the data he
seemed to discover, he says, hat the
American paper, instead of exaggerat-
ing. leaned rather on the side of mod
Grafton.
The cost price of killing a man in
wal is found by dividing the total cost
of the war to one side combating by
the total killed on the other side.
In 1S70-1S71 France spent $780,
000, 900 on war expenses proper. In
addition she spent, after the war,
$500, 900, 900 on renewal of material
and pensions, which must be added.
The 81 600, 900. 900 was indemnity paid
Germany, plus $500, 600, 900 interest
on it, Dan expenses. loss of taxes,
taxes imposed by the Germans and
expenses of their occupation army I'M
til the last cent was ~liquidated, need
not be added. They need not neces-
sarily repeat themselves in every war.
In the same order of ideas. the
Russian-Turkish war Of 1877-1878
cost the Turks $500. 900, 900, while this
Observation-Disclosures war Of 1905 cost
Ruussia 81, zoo. 900 900.
On the other hand, the killed and
dying of their wounds were: Franco
German war, Germans, $4,000; Russo
Turkish war, Russians, $1,000; Russo
Japanese war, Japanese, $500.
From which it results that the cost
Of killing a man by the soldiers of the
yanquished side In 1S70-1871,
$21. 900; i'm 1S77-1S7S, Sis, 200, and in
1905, 500 400. These figures are as
high, and slightly higher than those
given by the American
At first glance, n might have X
pected constantly increasing results
from 1870 to 1905. On h other
hand. engines Of war were constantly
being perfected and their cost price
constantly increased. On the other
progress in the art of wholesale kill
ing has always been surpassed by pro.
gress in the art of defense, SO hat The
proportion of killed and wounded ir
one hour of combat has constantly di.
minished. proportion was 6 pei
cent under Frederick the Great, 3 pei
cent under Napoleon, 2 per cent il
1870. and one-half Of ! per cent IL
Manchuria.
Yes. but in 1870 only a dozen grea
battles were fought. The armies o
Napoleon III fought very little be
tween ~Froeschwiller and Sedan, am
the armies Of the republic fought yer.
little between Sedan and ChOulmiers
The struggle began again in Decem
Der. but with less rage. During tn
Gains. the men wore themselves out
but did not kill. In Manchuria, OF
the contrary, they fought almost ever
Gay. Battles had terrible duration
hfteen days at Mukden, twelve day
al Cha-Ho, and eight days at Liao
Yang.
Such an increase in the duration Q
battles cOmpensates for the diminish
ing proportion of killed and wounde
In an hour OF combat. Which is Wh
thee cost price of a man killed was a
cheap in 1905 as in 1870.
Price Is Failing.
In the present war, where tn
French-English-B elgians and the Gel
mans reinforced at the beginning b
Austrians) are fighting all the fim'
the cost price is falling, falling. bs
low $4,000 per man killed; belo
$4,000. below g. 0OO-in spite OF TT
vast totals of war Ar
when we add the hectacombs of Aul
Uo-Servian. AustrO-Russian and Ru'
so-German battlefields, with Italy pr
pairing to make death still cheape
~ would look as il the cost of killiT