The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-04-06
THE TERRIBLE TOLL
OF THE EUROPEAN WAR

: the losses IN k1Iieu ana WCunQGd QpI
ing the eig months Of the war, anu
al OF them ere made in suc2 cnnr-
nous figures as to seem almost i'll
credible. The insisteace by reputable
! and competent students G: the war,
however, that hundreds Of thousands
of men Lave been sacrificed in the
course Of tie fighting thus far can
not fail to carry some measure Of
conviction to the most skeptical.
A staff correspondent of The New
York World, but lately returned from
tie war area, declares that the allies
on the western front are patiently
biding t2eir time for the great stroke
they are determined to- make against
t e Germans, and they have calculat
ed on losses aggregating million
men in the campaign they are plan
ming to drive the invaders out O:
France and Belgium. From this he
proceeds to an apalysis of tie losses
thus far scored on the field of battle
saying:
These figures stagger one, but
moments reflection viii STOW that
tEey are by no means exaggerated.
The total losses so far in this war
have been at least 100000 killed,
wounded or put out of action On bot.
sides.
"The Prussian lists clone show
losses in excess of 1000 900 men, and
it is admitted that this is not half of
the German losses. A very conserva-
tive estimate to date is that Germany
has lost 2,5O0,OOO men, and that Aus
tria as lost nearly if not quite 000,-
0OO
"Of the allies Russia has lost most
iEeavily, and although no accurate fig
ures are available, her casualties total
at least 100000 The French have
lost well over 100000 Nobody knows
wi at the Serbian losses are, but have:
heard them estimated at 225,000. Great
Britain aas lost at least 100000, caunt-
ing the casualties in her Indian forces.
Pelgium has had nearly 100000 pat
hors de combat
This gives roug ly a total loss o.
100000 for the allies and abon:
100000 for their enemies
Of tais number certainly two mil
lion, and perhaps, half as many more
are prisoners. The Germans havs
nearly a million in their camps anI
compounds, and te Russians proba-
t bly, have half million in theirs. II
2 six million men lave been put out oi
action, perhaps three and a half mil
e lion have been killed or wounded, and
= of these per. aps one4:ourth have
;. been killed, or in the neig1borhood oi
S tlree-quarters of million men. O1
d the wounded many, of course, have al
I ready recovered and resumed theii
places in the ranks, a large proper
!. ton of tie remaining will be able tc
e return to the lines within the mex;
: few weeks, and many will recover am
J, be able to aid in the work Of restor&
r ton that will come after the war
: With all these deductions, however
S tie number of men lost beyond recall
in tie great conflict is huge total
: but the significance of the number IL
the prospect of further losses is tins
f most hideous feature Of the bloody
: toll. Tie heaviest fighting in the west
ern area is vet to come. If the allie:
count upon sacrificing million mef
!, to the effort to expel the Germans, /
is certain the Germans may be ex
pected to lose three-Quarters as man!
,, in opposition There will remain tn
fgfating in the eastern area Of TIE wa
where, up to this time, there have beei
only the open operations since th'
first sharp campaign in Belgium aai
0 France and tie losses there may wei
: be estimated as equal to those tha
e will be made in the west. Before tn
E anniversary of the wars beginn1n:
comes around, it is not unlikely tina
two million more men will have beer
e brought low, and the end will hardl!
d then be in sight. If the estimates o
0 six million incapacitated thus far il
a correct, there is in sight toll of per
haps eight million men sacrificed in
year of struggle for the mastery o
Europe. Such figures stagger the I'M
agination and mock tae comprehen
sion Of men of normal mind.
Most Likely.