Imperial Valley press., 1914-08-31
SAYS WAR WILL COST
SEVENTY BILLION DOLLARS

SEVENTY BILLION DOLLARS
New York, Aug. 28.-Taking issue
with other statisticiars more moderate
in their estimates, Nikola Tesle, the
famous inventor of electrical contriv,
ances, said today the total cost Of the
general war now going on probably
will not be less than $7O,OO0,00O, 900.
"The present war may easily involve
20,000,000 combatants, said Mr.. Tesla.
81 have seen an estimate of a total cost
Of $50 100000 g day. This is too low.
The number of those disabled through
wounds and disease was recently
placed at 100000. This, also, is too
moderate. 1t would be less than two
and one-half per cent and it must be
rem embered that in the most recent
great war preceding this, the Balkan
struggle, the casualties were ten times
greater, or 25 per cent.
observe hat it is reported Belgium
lost S300,000,000 in two weeks fight
ing, while there We're no large cities
IN the path of the Germans.
"The difficulty with most statistic
ians @ war losses is-that they simply
consider the cost of military opera
tion5. This is a small fraction of the
whole waste.
"To measure the losses due to war
merely by statistical standards is alb
surd. An example will make this
clear. The strain imposed upon
country in 4 state of siege is COM
pelling of strict economy. The saw
ings thus affected go to offset the
Grain of war. Theoretically it is pos
sible for nation, by living on bread
and water and curtailing all expenses.
to accumulate enough for not only
meeting the cost of military opera :
tons, but leaving surplus besides.
From the point of view Of the sta To-
tistician such a war, far from being
costly, would he the very means of
creating wealth.
at is equally unreasonable to de-
tne the waste of international con-
filct as the excess of waste in time
OF war over that in time of peace. A
quantity b may be deducted from
a quantity "a and the difference will
be ABB on the supposition, however.
that the quantities are composed of
identical units.
Now, while the same human be-
lngs are concerned both in peace and
war, these two states bear no rescm-
Llance to each other. In one. reason
and sober sense, feeling of safety
and desire 10 do justice prevails; in
the ether these beneficial influences
are weakened, and folly, fear and
greed assert themselves. War change,
individuals as we'll as values.
"A true appreciation Of the enor-
nous losses which are likely to result
from this unprecedented calamity ca,
only Lc gained by taking into account
It's effect on all phases and condi-
tion5 Ct individual and national exist
ence. Stated in the order of their
magnitude these losses may be emu
meratcd as follows:
First, temporary or permanent
Shrinkage Of wealth of nations as dis
tlnct from negotiable securities. The
total wealth Of the countries involved
IS about three hundred billions of dol
Lars. Assume only moderate pro-
CuctIoh OF ten per cent and suppose
1urther that the war should last from
SIX - seven months or about 200 dav4
as forecast by experts, then the daily
ShrlnNage will amount TO $4,000. 900.
10 be sure such depreciation of phvs-
zeal possessions is mostly due to ignor.
ance and fainthcartedncss Of the peo-
pie, FOR the properties are there and
some are indestructible. But Just the
same the warning nations will lose
credl- ana purchasing power and will
re subjected for an indefinite perioI
to 5uherings and privations, all of
which must be interpreted as loss Of
so much money
Losses in Industrial Pursuits.
Second, all losses, individual ana
H..