The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-08-06
First Year Of Conflict
Sees No Decision Near
of Millions and
Crushing BgerenG
Changes in Mark Struggle for Supremacy


witt Germany and her allies have been
killed, wounded or captured. Hailaire
Belloc, the English military writer,
said Germany's potential manhood for
actual fighting probably had dimin-
ished from all causes by nearly one
half in the first year of the war, and
asserted conservative estimate was
that Germany had much nearer 4,000,-
900 than 100000 men permanently
out of the field. Estimates of the to-
tai casualties run from 100000 to
100000 with the former figure prob
ably conservative.
: The cost in money runs to similar
ly huge total. Great Britain is now
spending about s15,OOO,OOO a day on
the war, according to Premier Asquith
Albert Metin, general budget reporter
of the French chamber of deputies,
calculates the war is costing France
$4,000 minute, or S14,00O,OO0 a day.
William Michaelic recently estimated
the daily cost to Germany at $8,250,000,
saying 40 days Of this war cost as
much as the whole Franco-Prussian
war of 1901. In March DR.. Karl
Helfferich, secretary Of the imperial
treasury of Germany, said the war
was costing all belligerents $375,000,-
900 week.
On the basis of DR.. Helfferich's es-
innate, the first year of tie war cost
the stupendous sum of $11, 900, 900.
Mr.. Michaelis puts the figure at Is
billions of dollars, not including Italy's
expenditures, a sum more than so per
cent. greater than the gold production
of the world during the last 500 years.
Other estimates run still higher, to 20
billion dollars or more.
In addition to tie money expended
directly on the war, the loss in de-
struction of property on land and sea
has run high into the millions. Great
losses are being occasioned by the ces-
sation or curtailment Of many forms
of productive industry. The energies
of the world have been largely di-
verted to making war Factories Of
all sorts have been turned over to the
making of war munitions, men taken
from mill and field, to be replaced by
women, old men and children. Econ
omists assert that for generations to
come the world will feel the effect Of
the huge losses, in the burden of tax
alton and otherwise, and sociologists
make conflicting predictions as to its
moral, physical and psychological ef-
feet on generations living and to come.
Neutrals Also Affected.
Neutrals as we'll as belligerents have
been affected. The financial stringen-
cy which followed the outbreak of war
was worldwide. The United States, in
common with other neutrals, has been
confronted with the threatened
abridgement of it's rights, particularly
at sea, and has sent notes of remon-
stance to England and Germany, the
complications with tie latter country
following the sinking of the Lusitania
giving especial concern.
The war has been attended with many
unexpected features, one Of which is
its protraction. 1t has been believed
that such struggle would be of COM
paratively short duration, on account
of the cost and loss Of life it would
entail. At the outset it was commonly
said that within less than year the
nations involved would be compelled
to seek peace through financial ex-
haustion, if for no other reason. While
each side has won it's victories, no final
results have been reached IN any OF the
campaigns, with a few minor excep-
tons of the lesser operations in dis
tant colonies. Over the greater part
of the Franco-Belgian front the oppos-
ing millions are facing each other in
the same positions as last September.
Movements on the eastern front have
been wider, but with no signs of an
approaching decision.
The German. plan is generally as
sumed to have been to deal first with
France, in the early weeks of the war
before the Russian army, slower to
mobilize, was able to present a serious
menace; and then to turn on Russia.
The fierce resistance of Belgium and
the Unexpectedly quick mobilization OF
both the French and Russian armies
presented the full fruition of this plan.
Nevertheless Germany has been able to