The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-24
FABULOUS COST OF < WAGENG WAR SUCH
 AS THAT IN EUROPE
Billions Go Up in Smoke as the Pick of Nations Per
 ishes in the Fray.

l upon a, scale such as chara cter1zes
 the present world war, is interestingly
 told in special correspondence of the New York Evening Post from Wash
 ington, D. C.. the facts of which are
 based partly upon the official figures
 of the warring nations. and partly | upon the estimates of our own na-
 tiona1 defense finances. The luxury 1 of war is the most expensive of all na-
 tiona1 enterprises, may be realized 1 through perusaI of the following: For the first five months of the
 present war France was called upon
 to make a daily expenditure of | sS,500,00O. For the first six months 1 of the present year the French Min | ister of Finance stated that the av-
 craze had been about $1O,10O.00O. He
 estimated the daily cost for the next
 three months, ending on October 1,
 at $12.1oo,ooO. In April last MT. As quith told the British Parliament England had been expending $10,- | 0O0,000 a day since the outbreak Of war, and MT. McKenna, Chancellor l of the Exchequer, told the same body $15,0OO,OOO a day, and were certain
 to go higher. Recently the statement was made in Parliament that the ex- | penses of the Government had mounted above $2o.ooO,0oo day and.
 were certain to reach $25,o0O,00o I daily in the ,near future.
 1 Why the high cost of war and why l the constant increase in the high cost \ of war?
 l. This question has been asked in
 number of official quarters where pert knowledge on this subject goes with the job and the answer was un- versaI: Men, supplies, new fortifca- 1 tions, new ships, relief measures, in crease in the rate which the Gov ernment can borrow money, increased | prices, lack of efficiency when skilled
 men go to war, general waste. It is possible to elaborate these | items in so many ways to become
 tiresome to the average reader Any one who will take the time, for in
 stance, to read over the estimates
 submitted to Congress every year by
 the War and Navy Departments for the needs Of the army and navy in i time of peace would get 9 fair idea | of what this country would need to l go to war; only each item would have | to be multiplied almost indefinitely. | These items, however. do not cover | everything that is necessary to 8 na- | ton engaged in war. They take into | consideration nothing that has to do l with the civilian population left be l hind.
 The quarterm aster-general of the
 army, as an example. is in charge of
 
 mals, the subsistence of both men and
 animals, the purchase of clothing,
 harness, etc., the purchase of tents | and camp equipment, and the trans portation of everything that moves by
 railroad. in a boat or wagon.
 The pay of mon in the United k States army isLthea highest in the
 world. It is probably next highest in England, where the same system of voluntary army service is in vogue, and one of the main arguments for
 conscription in England today is that
 men can be kept in the army cheap CT than under the volunteer system,
 Any considerable increase in men in the army of the United States,
 whether regulars, militia mustered in to the service, or volunteers, becomes
 a charge on the Federal government when the service is for the whole
 country.
 By mere multiplication, accQfding to the number of men in the service it is possible to ascertain what charge an immense army in time of war would be to this country. No one of these men would be producing any 1 thing, so that their subsistence would be paid by the government, as well | as the relief given to those depen- dent upon them who would be left 1 behind Last month about SIC, ,OO0,- l 900 in animals X alone went to the 1 European nations at war from the | United States. The clothing an army. | can wear out in a year of fghIing | is appalling. and changes are neces- sary with the seasons in year-round
 fighting. Every regular and recruit | has to be transported somewhere, | perhaps many times over What is said of the army in this regard ap- | plies equally to the navy except as to
 animals and to transportation after the men get aboard ship.
 An ordnance officer. whose business 1 it is to supply the army and the sea7 coast fortificauons or the navy with
 death-dealing devices and weapons, would not hesitate to say that guns and ammunition of every description,
 from a revolver cartridge to a sixteen inch cannon ball. would. have to be
 turned out in endless profusion to meet
 the demands of modern war These items cost money, and they cost more money when the order is an en1ergen- Fey one than they do in time Of peace. Some of the belligerents in Europe have paid such fancy prices for emer- gency orders in this country that they
 have enabled manufacturers to put up brand-new plants to fill the orders, and still make a handsome profit.
 l This government at this time would -i profit largely by the antici ipatory needs Of Europe, but no one doubts that, if ! the United State@ became involved in war now, more intuition plants would l have to be built and more rush orders filled at higher prices. Guns and can-
 non galore and ammunition to fill their l hungry mouths would come out of practically every concern in the coun- try capable of making them, both for the army and the navy and the sea- coast defences.
 In addition the country would have Ito enter at once on the building of a new navy as powerful more so than the present one. No nation in time of
 war can afford to stand still it's
 navy. One battle may send the whole
 fleet to Davy Jones's locker, a sub
 marine may pick off a dreadnought
 here and there-a1I losses have to be made up and the building program