The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-10
Japan Still Staggers
 Under Burden of
 War With Russia

Eleven years ago to-day the CzaPf of Russia issued a proclamation de- claring war with ;Japan-a proc1a- nation which was only a recognition of hostihties already existing. since Japan, without waiting for 8 formal declaration, had dispatched it's fleet against. the Russian war vessels aC Port Arthur. The, tremendous cost of modern warfare, in money as well as Hvess was illustrated in that strug- gle between nations which are now fighting in a common cause.
 The Russo-J Japanese war continu- ed for 614 days, from Feb. 10, 1904, to Oct 16, 1905. The cost to Rus mot less than $1,O75,8 5,800,00O. The Japanese government has officially stated that the cost of the war to Nippon was SIP, ,575, 5,o00, but this did not include war vessels lost, propfr- ! ty destroyed, nor any. of dozens of other losses incidental to a state of war The total cost to Japan has been estimated at $475,000, 900. or more than four times the amount of the official figures. Thus the total money cost to the two nations was lin the neighborhood of $1. 55O, ,000, 900 ! The total forces engaged in this war mum nbered about IL 54o,00O men. 1 Of these nearly a half, or 625.000, were killed, wounded or inyahded home-375, on Russians anw. 250 900 1 Japanese.
 | Although Japan was unexpectedly l victorious, the resources of the em- l pire were so reduced that the Mika- l dos government, in order to bring about peace by the treaty Of Ports mouth, had to waive the indemnity l claim and to compromise other mat 1 ters at stake. Japan still staggers l under the tremendous financial bur- 1 den imposed by the war Russia, with her vast resources, was able to recover more quickly, although no Isman part of the indebtedness due remains unpaid. As a matter of fact, Russia would doubtless have l declared war on Austria in 1908. be- cause of the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Dual Mon archy, except for the financial weak ness and military unpreparedness re- suIting from the conflict with Japan.
 Staggering as was the cost of the 1 Russo Japanese war, in money and l men, it was but a drop in the buck ct compared with the present war long time must elapse before exact l figures are obtainab1e, but it is cer- tain that every great power involy-
 ed has already spent more money
 than either Japan or Russia in their
 Hate unpleasantness.
 Up to the present war, the siege
 and battles of Port Arthur remain
 ed the high water mark in military
 expenditure. The victory, after g
 siege of 282 days, cost Japan nearly
 a hundred million dollars, while the
 financial loss of the Russians, in
 cluding the value of the fleet de stroyed in Port Arthur harbor, Ina:
 been conservatively estimated a
 15O,00O,O0O. The Russian casual
 ties during the siege were 32,745, ana
 the Japanese lost 97,480 men. II
 the battle of Moukden, the greates lr1F Ia ne 9
 suaItfes were Al 900 and the casual
 ties of the Czars army more thai
 twice that figure. Tn magnitude O
 losses, extent of the field, number
 engaged and duration of the struggle Moukden overshadowed all previou
 battles in history, but it has doubt
 less been ecIpsed by several battle
 in the present war.