The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1915-10-08
PRODICIOUS COST
OF EUROPEAN WAR
Divine FOrGSaW Great Conflict
Two Years Ago.
HIS PROPHECY FULFILLED.

One Year Has Cost More Than Esti-
mated Value of All Property of
United States West of Mississippi
Would Pay National Debts of All
Nations.
Philadelphia.-Rev DR.. j. Henry
Smythe, editor, author, traveller, lee
turer, chancellor of the American uni
versity. Tennessee, two years ago last
February made the following startling
prophecy while speaking at Knoxville:
"One hundred years or more ago Ma
poleon, in the fiery flush of manhoods
morning, was master of all France.
The Egyptian and the Austrian cam
paigns were over. Russia was invaded.
/ England was threatened. Spain was
: s,ubjugated.
".The whole continent of Europe was
PROSTATE and paralyzed Millions of
armed men were in the field, and con
flict and carnage ragged from the Tiber
to the Thames. But Nelson pounded
Napoleon on the sea, and Wellington
pounded him upon the land, and to
BCLnCl lntg pOuudGu llllL W DlcIco
Elba and Waterloo were but the blood
stained stepping stones to st. Helena.
IF you will stand with me tonight
at the hinges of history and look along
the sky line of current events you will
see that war is simmering in every
arsenal of Europe and every wave that
breaks upon the shore is red with
blood. Yet Tientsin and Port Arthur,
Havana harbor and Manila bay were
but the shifting scenery, moved by the
hidden hand of God, In the awful and
unending tragedy of time"
I'VE estimate the cash cost of the
European war to Aug. 1. 1915, at ST.,
000.000,000," says Dr. Smythe, while
other known losses will amount up to
make a grand total of $46,000,000O
No one can have even the faintest con
ception of what $46,000,000,000 may be-
1t is four times all the coin in the
world. If this sum were measured out
in twenty dollar gold pieces and they
were placed side by side on the rail
way track, on each rail, they would
cover with gold every line from New
York to the Pacific ocean, the two
Canadian lines included. There would
be enough left over to cover each rail
of the Siberian railway from Vladivos-
tok to Petrograd. There would still
remain sufficient to rehabilitate Bel
GUM and to buy the whole of Turkey,
at her own valuation, wiping her finally
and forever from the map.
"Or we may figure in some other
fashion. The average workingman in
America earns $51S per year. 1t would
take 100000 years work to pay the
cost of the war up to date, or 100000
American laborers might pay it Off in
one year If all their living expenses
were paid.
1.-THE cost of a year of the great war
is a little more than the estimated
value of all the property of the United
States west of the Mississippi river.
1t is nearly equal to the total value of
all the property in Germany, S4S'0OO,-
100000, as estimated in 1906 The
whole Russian empire, $35,0O0,OOO,OOO
could have been bought for less sum
before the war began. 1t could be had,
on a spot cash sale. more cheaply now.
This sum would have paid for all
the property in Italy, $13,O00.000,o00;
Japan, 100000, 900; Holland, S5,O00,-
100000; Belgium. $7,o00.OOO,O00; Spain,
$4,000, 100000 and Portugal, $2,500,0OO,-
600. 1t is three times the entire yearly
earnings in wages and salaries of the
people of the United States. $15,5OO,-
100000.
'oThe first years cost of this war
would pay the national debts of all the
nations in the world at the time the
war broke out If all the farms, farm
ing lands and factories in the United
States were wiped out of existence the
sfcost of this war would more than re-
Y place them. If all the personal and
real property of half our nation were
destroyed or If an earthquake of In
credible dimensions should shake down
every house from the Atlantic to the
Pacific the waste would be less than
that involved In this war up to date.
And such an elemental catastrophe
would leave behind 1t no costly legacy
of hate
And then the aftermath-good God,
the aftermath"