Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-06-21
War Losses and Numbers
N,r Hort Rr.nin- Post.

TSROM different within the last two weeks
n enabled to draw ideS OF the losses
y incurred by three Of the combatant nations since
the beginning OF tho The most definite figures
the British, contained in statements in the House
OF Commons The next definite the German, being
compiled from the Prussian casualty lists with an
estimate for the other German states. The least
definite are the Russian losses. which may only be
Appropriated from the statistics of Russian prisoners
recently published In the German newspapers. For
Austrian and French losses have no basis even
for approximation. though know OF
that in both cases they have been extremely severe
So far the English land forces are concerned,
the war up to May 81 had lasted a little forty
weeks beginning with the battle Mons wednes-
day IL was announced In the House OF Commons that
the total casualties land since the beginning Of
hostilities have been 2s,Ose. average Of $500
week. The first general summary Of British losses
as compiled from the lists to September T. for two
and half weeks OF total casualties Of 1873
or an average OF little over 1000 week These first
sixteen days included disastrous battle OF Mons
and the hurried retreat before Won Klucks over.
whelmng forces. TO the beginning the Of the
Marine. Yet the weekly It will he noticed is
not much higher than for the Of the war
showing that trench fighting though undramatc and
barren OF great results may be costly as the old
fashioned fighting IN the In the beginning this
would not seem to have been the case In February
Asquith announced that up to the fourth OF that
month the casualties about words
during the twenty-one and half weeks after the
ginning OF the battle of the the weekly average
was about 1000; and these would include the captures
around Antwerp and the terrific fighting around
Ypres I'm November. In April second official state
ment gave the losses up to the eleventh OF that
month $4,000, since February a weekly average
OF something less than 1000; yet this period included
the assault at Neuve Chapele and the furious counter
attacks that followed.
But the latest figures show n extraordinary in
crease. lf the losses April 139 and on
May 81 were 26scOO it would that the casualties
for seven weeks nearly 10000 or a weekly
average Of 1900, four times heavy as during the
battles OF the Marine. the Aisne and Ypres. two aud
half as heavy during the retreat from Mons. The
operations during this period included the capture
defense of Hin co. the poson-gas battles Ypres
and the unsuccessful drive i'm conjunction with the
successful French attacks north Of Arras The figures
show plainly that the British have been under heavy
pressure in Flanders and. in the place. that
their losses have been high in the Dardanees They
explain the growing unrest about high explosives
/ Without them II 10 not only impossible to break
through 1t is fesrfuly expensive merely hold the
line
For Germanys losses have the Prussian lists
which up to two weeks are reported to have run
close to 100000 For the south German states
must add about 30 per cent. that the total
casualties would amount to well over 100000; and
with the fairly heavy cost paid for the victory in
Gaca, the German debit account is now close TO the
! 100000 mark The English figures show that the
established ratios still hold. that the loss in officers
is about per cent of the loss of men in the ranks
actually the ratio Is to Band that the killed
one-fifth OF the total casualties. Applying these
ratios to Germany. find that the German deaths
about 10000 and that the kaiser has lost be
tween $4,000 and 5000 officers in killed, wounded and
missing.
The number Of Russian prisoners in Germany at
the beginning OF May $4,000, according to the
German press. In Austria Hungary there 10000
Russian prisoners Since the beginning of the battles
in Gaca the Teuton allies claim TO have taken 800 900
| prisoners. This would bring the total number Of
Russians IN captivity to 11i5OOO OF other nationates
there In Germany and Austria on May 20 40
cordng to the authority, French prisoners,
BelganS, SerVians,
240OO. altogether 900 allies These numbers
the German press OF which the history of war
has the like. This is quite true But very
fair approximation is supplied by the number Of
Teuton prisoners in allied countries In April Russia
officially claimed $4,000 Austrian prisoners BY this
time the number be close to 100000 OF Aus
trlsn prisoners in Serbia there must be easily
OF Serbian prisoners in Austria that the
Austrian losses may be placed at 10000
For German prisoners have figures
but 10000 Is safe conjecture, the great majority
being taken in the west Thus the prisoners held
the allies are close TO 1OOOOOO giving Austro.
Germans the advantage by 10000.
Russias total losses, argue the German papers
! must enormous. n takes the number Of pris-
into considerations and 1t is indeed probable
! that the drain the cars armies has been more
severe than that OF any other nation Austria
Hungary there the obvious consideration that
Russia's large losses In prisoners must mean com
paratlvely low loss in killed and wounded The large
Russian captures have been made by envelopinS
/ German movements In which resistance has become
useless and scattered bodies OF have laid down
| their arms with comparatively small loss of life
This happened twice in East Prussia and In
West Galica, where the swift German advance from
4 the Dunajec took In the rear the Russian armies
in the Carpathans. Thus Il is likely that the Russian
| dead and wounded good deal less than the
prisoners lost The total Russian casualties do not
exceed 100000 and probably nearer 10000 ActU
| ally. the Russian losses would be less than the
| German which, have seen by this time have
reached the 2OOOO00-mark But OF course the German
loss must be reckoned on basis of 100000 men under
arms whereas It is doubtful II Russia has had more
/ nonn M ~ IL rnn