Omaha daily bee., 1915-08-01
YEAR Of WAR is
over TODAY. NO
END YET IN SIGHT
Eleven Nations Still Battling in
Europe with Fury Never Before
Equalled in HistOry's
Records.
HALF THE WORLD IN MOURNING
Millions of Casualties Out of Armies
the Size of Which is
Staggering.
LOOK TO WINTER CAMPAIGN

The second year of the European
war opens today. On August 1, 1914,
Germany declared war against Rus
sia and the last chance vanished of
locallzing the Austro-Serbian war, de-
clared three days previously by Aus
tria-Hungary.
All the great powers of Europe
were drawn into a struggle the like
of which history has not heretofore
recorded. Eleven nations are at war
and almost all lands are affected, di-
rectly or Indirectly. Millions OF men
have been killed, wounded or carried
to captivity in hostile countries. Bill
lions Of dollars have been expended.
Thousands oe square miles OF terri
tory have been devastated and hun
dreds of cities and towns laid waste.
Half the world is in mourning for
the dead. And although the war has
been in progress with unexampled
fury for year, no decisive results
have been achieved and the end is
not in sight.
some Figures on the War.
Determination to pursue the war to a
decisive ending has been expressed by
high officials Of all belligerent nations.
preparations are being made for next
winters campaign, and. in fact. indica-
tions from Europe are that it is more
likely to increase in size rather than de-
crease. 1t is still an open question
whether Bulgaria, Roumania or Greece
will be drawn in.
1t is impossible to obtain accurate
statistics of the number of men engaged.
the casualties and the cost. For obvious
reasons the size of the various armies
are kept secret. Most of the nations do
not consider IT expedient to reveal the
number of casualties; in fact, Great
britain is the only one which has given
out official totals. As to the money ex-
pended. there are available only partial
statistics.
More than half the population of the
world lives in the countries at war. The
population Of the warning countries is
estimated roughly at 947, 10000. and of
the countries at peace at 797 900. The
population of the entente nations is per-
haps five times as great as that of their
opponents The number. of men under
arms has been estimated varlously,
usually In the neighborhood of 100000
William Michaeiis. writing recently in
Berlin magazine. put the number OF
soldiers at war at 2i.77O.OlO; for the allies
12,S20,OO0; for Germany. Austria Hungary
and Turkey. s,9JO.00O.
No previous war has appros ched the
present one In wholesale destruction OF
life This Is due not only to the number
OF mon involved. but to the terrible ef-
6iciency of modern weapons. Trench war
fare on a great scale, with it's deadly
charges. mining operations and extern
sivo use of artillery and hand grenades.
has contributed to this end. Whereas in
the past It has been calculated that the
proportion Of killed to total casualties
runs l to s or to 10. the proportion in
trench warfare. as indicated by official
British statistics is about to 5.
battles Near Butchery.
The battle on the plains Of Flanders,
on the Warsaw front, in the Austro Ger
man advance through Gaiicla and in the
Carpathlans were attended by frightful
slaughter. Russian losses in the Car
pathians alone were estimated unoffiSally
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