The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-08-06

"dI OpCuSu last OuuOdS. Ou Au5uoI
1, 1914, Germany declared war against
Russia and the last chance vanished
of localizing the Austro-Servian war,
declared t-ree days previously by Aus
tria-Hungary.
All the great powers of Europe were
drawn into struggle, the like of
which history has not heretofore re-
corded. Eleven nations are at war and
almost all lands are effected, directly
or indirectly. Millions of men have
been killed Or wounded or carried into
captivity in hostile countries. Billions
of dollars have been expended. Thou
sands of square miles Of territory have
been devastated and hundreds of cities
and towns laid waste. Half tie world
is in mourning for the dead, And al
though the war mas been in progress
with unexampled fury for a year, the
result may be summarized in one brief
sentence: No decisive results have
been achieved and the end is not in
sight.
Determination to pursue the war to
a decisive ending has been expressed
by high officials of all the belligerent
nations, preparations are being made
for next winters campaign, and, in
fact, indications from Europe are that
it is more likely to increase in size
rather than decrease. 1t is still an
open question whether Bulgaria, Rou-
mania or Greece will be drawn in.
In view of the immensity of the
struggle, previous stan lards count for
little in considering tine price the
world is paying. The figures involved
are so vast as to convey little meaning.
The nations at war have poured out
their treasures of men and gold witt
out limit. The usual standards Of life
have been subordinated or disregarded,
and in some cases social, industrial
and political activities have been vir-
tually reorganized on militaristic
basis to make all contribute to the
supreme necessities of war.
1t is impossible to obtain accurate
statistics of tie number of men en-
gagged, the casualties and the cost.
For obvious reasons the size Of tle
various armies is kept secret. Most
of the nations do not consider it ex-
pedient to reveal the number Of cas-
ualties; in fact, Great Britain is the
only one witch has given out official
totals. AS to the money expended
there are available only partial sta
tistics.
Half of World at War.
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,-
100000, and of the countries at peace
at 779,OO0,0OO. The population of the
entente nations is perhaps five times
as great as that of their opponents.
The number of men under arms has
been estimated Wariously, usually in
the neignborhood of 20,000,000. Will
liam Michaelis, writing recently in
Berlin magazine, put the number OF
soldiers at war at 1,770,0O0-for the
allies, 12,S2O,OO0; for Germany, Aus
tria-Hungary and Turkey, S,950,0oo.
No previous war has approached the
present one in Wholesale destruction
of life. This is due not only. to the
number of men involved but to the ter
rible efficiency Of modern weapons
Trench warfare on great scale with
its deadly charges, mining operations
and extensive use Of artillery and
hand grenades b2s contributed to this
end. Whereas in the past it has been
calculated ttat the proportion Of killed
to total casualties runs 1 to 8 or
to 10, the proportion in trench war
fare, as indicated by official British
statistics, is about to >.
The battles on the plains of Elan
oders, on the Warsaw front, in the Aus
4ro-German advance through Galicla
and in the Carpathians were attended
by frightful slaughter. Russian losses
in the Carpathians alone were estlmat-
ed unoficially at 100000 Along the
battlefelds from Arras, in northwest
ern France, to the Belgian coast Whole
fields have been covered with corpses,
and at the time of the German attempt
to reach tine English channel the Ypser
canal was choked with the dead. Ac-
cording to official British statis1lcs'
x1 p-i+iab army alone has been