Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-04

lost ones The women who have no
men at the front join in the search, be-
cause they understand how sorely wait
ing tries the heart.
When the women don't write they
visit each other, always looking for
some slight clue that may add another
link to the endless chain that is each
individual search. Here in France coun-
tesses call upon janitorS, Janitors upon
countesses, with the utmost freedom.
Strange women talk to each other or to
men in the street, in the cars, when
ever they feel they can find fresh bit
of news.
The war has made all women sisters
and all men their brothers. 1t is not
unusual for woman to stop In the
street an officer soldier home on
sick leave, just out of the hospital,
and SIX if he has heard of her lost one;
for huge as are the armies. it is always
possible that one soldier may have met
another.
The difficulties of the search are stag
gering. 1t is estimated here that S,O00,-
900 men have been dropped from the
active lists of all the armies, as sick,
wounded, dead prisoners or missing.
England alone, with her comparative
ly small army occupying but thirty-six
of the $40 mile line of trenches stretch
ing from the channel to the Swiss
frontiers, has to date lost in these ways
no fewer than 10000 men. Originally
an army of less than 100000 it is now
army of 100000 so EnSland's losses
daily mounting.
Germany has lost. it is roughly esti
mated, fully three million men in these
various ways. France has lost. roughly
and in all ways, 100000, exclusive of
the civil population in northern France.
which, within the German lines. has
been in much the same condition as the
Belgian civil population. Austria and
Russia have each lost as heavily as
France. So huge total will not seem
unreasonable when it is considered that
in the United States civil war, which
was but baby war compared to this
one. the Confederate army of 100000
men lost $4,000 in prisoners alone.
How many OF this huge total are
dead. or in hospital, or prisoners to the
enemy?
For military reasons none of the gov
ernments would give complete lists if
1t could But none can save possibly
the English. The difficulties of keep
ing account of losses will be realized
If it is remembered that in the civil
war of the United States accurate sub
divisions of losses could not be COM
piled until long after the war. AT such
a battle as Charlottesville it was in
later years computed that out of 1887
Union soldiers dropped from the rolls,
no fewer than one-third-5,9 19-were
missing. In all the great battles of
this war the proportion of the missing
was one-third to one-fourth the losses.
The number of German prisoners in
France has steadily increased during
the last few months until it is now up
ward of 100000. Barring errors. these
names are all known in Germany. they
tell you bitterly here. And in the same
breath they accuse the Germans in
many cases of Withholding the lists of
their prisoners to demoralize the
French civil population and to destroy
the French race by undertaking the
prisoners
Those prisoners who, by bride or 9TH
erwise, have gotten news home to
France give descriptions of their treat
ment that would make the charges
against the Confederate treatment of
Union soldiers in Libby prison pale in
comparison.
Further. there has been but a limited
exchange of prisoners. 1t is war of
exhaustion and each side has apparent
ly adopted the attitude of Gen. Grant
who. in refusing to exchange prison
ers. declared the man who died in
prison from illness or for want Of food
laid down his life for his country made