The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-08-01
Germany's Declaration of War
against Russia Made Just
One Year Ago.


war opens today. On August l, 1914,
Germany declared war against Rus
sia and the last chance vanished OF
localizing the Austro-Serbian war. de-
cIared three days previously by Aus
trta Hungary.
All the great powers of Europe were
drawn into a struggle the like OF
which history has not heretofore re-
corded. Eleven nations are at war
and almost all lands are affected, d.
rectly or indirectly. Millions OF men
have been killed, wounded or carried
to captivity in hostile countries. BIZ
lions OF dollars have been expended.
Thousands OF square miles OF terri
tory nave been devastated and nun
dreds of cities and towns laid waste.
Half the world is in mourning for the
dead. And although the war has been
! In progress with unexampled fury Tor
a year. the result may be summar-
tzed in one brief sentence: No de-
cisiye results have been achieved and
: the end is not in sight.
No Signs OF Pace.
Determination to pursue the war TO
, a decisive ending has been expressed
by high officials of all the belligerent
nations, preparations are being mace
for next winters campaign, and, in
fact Indications from Europe are
that it Is more likely to increase IN
size rather than decrease. 1t 10 stiIl
an open question whether Bulgaria,
Rumania or Greece will be drawn In.
In view OF the immensely OF the
struggle, previous standards count for
little in considering the price the
world is paying. The figures involved
are so vast as to convey little mean
ing. The nations at war have poured
out their treasures of men and gold
without limit. The usual standards
of life have been subordinated or dis
regarded, and in some cases social,
industrial and political activities have
been virtually reorganized on mil
itaristic basis, to make all contribute
to the supreme necessities of war.
It is impossible to obtain accurate
Statistics OF the number of men en-
rged, the casualties and the cost.
For obvious reasons the size OF the
various armies is kept secret. Most
OF the nations do not consider 1t eX-
pedient to reveal the number OF cas-
ualties; in fact, Great Britain is the
only one which has given out official
totals. AS to the money expended.
there are available only partial sta
tistics.
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; GOO, 0Ge, and of the countries at
peace at T9T,O00.O00. The population
of the entente nations is perhaps five
times as great as that of their oppon-
enta. The number of men under
arms has been estimated variously,
usually in the neighborhood of TO-
100000. William Michaelis, writing
recently in Berlin magazine put the
number of soldiers at war at 21,I7O,-
600; for the allies 12,S20.GG0 for Ger
many, Austria-Hungary and Turkey
S,950.000.
Great Loss of Life.
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
terrible efficiency of modern weap-
ons. Trench warfare on great
scale, with its deadly charges, min
ing operations and extensive use OF
artillery and hand grenades, has con-
tribufed to this end Whereas In the
part II has been calculated that the
proportion Of killed to total casual
ties runs to 8 or L to DO, the pro
portion in trench warfare. as indi-
Gated by official British statistics, is
about 1 to 5.
The battles on the plains OF Elan
ders, on the Warsaw front, in the
Austro-German advance through un-
licia and in the Carpathians we're at
renoed by frightful slaughter RUS
sian losses in the arpathians alone
were estimated unof1cially at 100000
Along the battlefelds from Arras, in
northwestern France, to the Belgian
coast whole fields have been covered
with corpses, and at the time OF the
German attempt to reach the English
channel the User canal was choked
with the dead. According to official
British statistics. the British army
alone has been losing OF late, in killed
and wounded and missing 2,o00 Day.
On juno Premier Asquith announced
that British casualties since the be,
ginning of the war Excluding naVal
losses OF 1859 up to May BID amount
ed to 25S,Q69, of which the total OF
killed was 60s342.
The losses of Germany, France and
Russia, by reason Of their larger ar
mics, have been far greater. The
Heer und Politik of Berlin early In
June estimated that more than 5000
600 soldiers Of the countries at war
with Germany and her allies have
been killed, wounded or captured
Hailaire. Belloc, the English military
writer, said Germany's potential man
hood for actual fighting probably had
diminished from all causes by nearly
one-half in the first year OF the war
and asserted conservative estimate
was that Germany had much nearer
100000 than 100000 men perma-
nently out IF the field. Estimates OF
the total casualties run from 6,0oo,oe0
to 100000 with the former figure
probably conservative.
Great Cost.
The cost in money runs to a sim
ilarly huge total. Great Britain is
now spending about $15,oo0,000 day
on the war, according to Premier As.
or1ith. Albert Metin, general budget
reporter OF the French chamber OF
deputies. calculates the war 10 cost
Ing France $4,000 a minute, or $14.-
400. 600 a day. William Michaelis re-
1890 nnhlnnafad the daily cost &c