Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-02

The second wear Of the European
war opens today. On Aug. /, 1914,
Germany declared war against Russia
and the last chance vanished OF local
izing the Austro- Serbian war, de-
clared three days previously by Aus
trIa- Hungary.
All the great Powers OF Europe
were drawn into a struggle the like
Of which history has not heretofore
recorded. 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. Bill
lions of dollars have been expended.
Thousands of square miles of terri
tory have been devastated and hun
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 for year, the result may be
summarized in one brief sentence.
No decisive results have been
achieved and the end is not in sight.
For Decisive Ending
Determination to pursue the war to
a decisive ending has been expressed
by high officials of all the belligerent
nations. preparations are being made
Tor next winters campaign, and, in
fact indications from Europe are that
1t is more likely to increase in size
rather than decrease. II is still an
open question whether Bulgaria, Ru-
mania 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 in
Volved are so vast as to convey lit
tie meaning. The nations at war
have poured out their treasures of
men and gold without limit. The
usual standards of life have been
subordipated or disregarded. and in
some cases social, industrial and
political activities have been virtually
reorganized on a militaristic basis, to
make all contribute to the supreme
necessities of war.
1t is impossible to obtain accurate
statistics of the number of men en-
gagged. the casualties and the cost.
For obvious reasons the size Of the
various armies is kept secret. Most
Of the nations do not consider it ex.
pedient to reveal the number Of
casualties: in fact, Great Britain is
the only one which has given out Of
fetal totals. AS to the money ex-
pended, there are available only par
tial statistics.
More than half the population of
the world lives in the countries at
war. The population Of the warning
countries is estimated roughly at e47,-
100000. and of the countries at peace
at 7s7,0O0.000. The population OF the
Entente nations is perhaps f1ve times
as great as that of their opponents.
The number Of men under arms has
been estimated variously, usually in
the neighborhood of 100000. WN-
liam Michaelis. writing recently in q
Berlin magazine, put the number 81
soldiers at war at 21.770.0OO; for the
Allies, 12,S20,00o' for Germany, Ads
tria- Hungary and Turkey S.s5O.o00. 81
No previous war has approached
the present one in wholesale destruc-
ton Of life. This is due not only to
the number Of men involved, but to
the terrible efficiency Of modern
weapons. Trench warfare on great
scale. with its deadly charges, mining
operations and extensive use of artil-
lery and hand granades. has con-
tributed to this end. Whereas in the
past it has been calculated that the
proportion of killed to total casualties
runs l to or l to 10, the proportion
In trench warfare, as indicated by Of
fetal British statistics. is about to s.
The battles on the plains of Fan
ders. on the Warsaw front, in the
Austro- German advance through
Galicia and in the Carpathians were
attended by frightful slaughter. Rus
sian losses in the Carpathians alone
were estimated unohicially at 100000.
Along the battleflelds 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 of1cia1
British statistics, the British army
alone has been losing Of late, in killed,
wounded and missing 1000 q day. On
June Premier Asquith announced
that British casualties since the be-
ginning of the war Excluding naval
losses of 1850 up to May 31) amount
ed to 25s,069. Of which the total of
killed was 5o,S42.
Later, however. on July 81. Mr..
AsQuith issued a statement saying
that the naval casualties up to July
20 were 9106. Apparently Mr.. AS
Quith's first statement was based on
transformation. which he has subse-
Quently corrected.
The losses of GERMANY. France and
Russia, by reason Of their larger
armies. have been far greater. The
Heer Und Politik Of Berlin early in
June estimated that more than. $780,
900 soldiers Of the countries at war