The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-22
When the War Must End.

In sneculating upon the duration
of the war in Europe the first consid.
GRAFTON must he the ability Of the
Allies on both sides to keep and main.
tain large armies in the field. Up IN
the present time the struggle has
been a draw, and there Is no pros
pect Of a decisive campaign either 10
the east or west. The problem Is
one Of men and money. but mainly
Of men. The last casualty list pub
lished in Berlin brings the German
total Of killed. wounded and missing
up to 1885 after nine months OF
war. In the Franco German conflict
Of 1s7O-71. which lasted seven months
and a half. the German losses were
1882 killed, O6.1s7 wounded. and
14,13S missing. total Of 127.s79. The
deaths from wounds brought the mum.
her OF killed up to 2s.2T7. The
strength Of the German armies was
SS7. $40 from first to last.
How many soldiers Germany has
put into the field In the present war
there Is no means Of ascertainlng
from Official publications. but It may
be assumed that the total Is not
five times that Of the strength Of the
armies which conquered France In
1S7o-71: yet the German casualties In
the present war are more than nine
times greater than those suffered In the
war with France alone forty.f,ve years
ago And both sides. calling all avail
able men 10 the colors. pause only for
nm opportunity to renew the slaughter.
Being so evenly matched. exhaustion
Of military resources must apparently
determine the struggle.
Russian losses are probably on a
larger scale than the German. but
Petro9rad gives out no official figures.
France and Austria also conceal their
losses. but 1t is known that they are
tremendous. England. which still has
millions Of men NJ home. very la rye
number OF whom have not volun-
teered. can AFFORD to publish her ca si.
aIties. but Is suspiciously hackwa ri
about It. adopting the instalment sys-
TEN to soften the hlow-the others
fed by too big butchers bill at once
In every capital Of combatant ma.
ton the conviction gains ground that
the deadlock will end and peace he
accepted only when the count shows
that the trained fighting material on
one side or the other Is in hopeless
minority. Beyond this It is not nee
essary to go. for the question is one
Of electives and not Of numbers Of
men who might be trained in course
Of time to take the field.
There Is one factor in the situation
that has not been brought out: II Is
the proportion Of wounded to killed.
On the German side in the war with
! France alone there were "a wounded
to one killed: the proportion Of
wounded TO killed and mortally
wounded was 500, In the present
war the ratio may turn out to he
greater, for recoveries from wounds
/ inflicted by the modern rife bullet
are said TO he very common. Never.
theless. It may prove 10 be serious
matter for an army when thousands
Of men are invaded home for sew
eral weeks after heavy fighting. 1t
Is most impressive to compare the
casualties Of the Union army during
four years Of civil war with those Of
the Germans In nine months OF fight
ing. The Union losses were 10000
killed and died OF wounds and 275..
175 wounded, total of dead and
wounded 3s5245 How long can the
comhatants In Europe stand the drain
Of casualties In the millions?