The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-09-08
Cost of the World Wa.

The estimated cost of the world
war to date, is, approximately $780,
000,000,000, a sum almost beyond
the comprehension of the average il
dividual. 1t means a per capita cost
of about $55 for every man, woman.
and child on earth. The expenditures
for war purposes are growing less,
in the aggregate, is seen by the fact
that the daily cost to all belligerents
is now about SLIT, 100000. This COM
pares with about sos, 100000 SIX
months or so ago. Now that the Unit
ed States has entered the conflict. it
it probable, from this time forward,
that the expenditures will increase
much more rapidly.
The financial demands have meant
hard strain upon the resources of
the belligerents of Europe, particular
~ the Central Powers, Russia and
Italy. In its forty years of prepare
tons of war, Germany had provided
a well-filled war chest, and was in an
excellent condition, in both a fnan-
cial and military way, for the inaugu-
rtiOn of hostiles. The three years of
fighting, and the rapidly increasing
cost of it, however, made such ser
ious inroads upon Germany's war
chest that IT'S contents have, it IS be-
heved, all but vanished. Germany's
credit with the few neutral countries
of Europe has nearly disappeared.
They demand gold for what they sell
to Germany now, and Germany has
not the gold to pay. If Germany sue
ceeds in getting further credit from
the neutrals, it will be only in the
manner in which highwayman gets
his booty from his victims. In short,
Germany is virtually bankrupt. If
the morals of Germany were as good,
for instance, as that of China, which
never considered itself a Christian
nation, the neutral peoples would pro-
badly keep on extending credit, tax
ing Germany's promises to pay as
contentedly as its gold. But Germany
has forfeited its standing as nation,
both financially and morally, and no
people is inclined to trust financial
and moral bankrupt. 1t is an axiom,
among the business men generally,
that a man of character and without
security is more desirable to lend
money to than the man with security
and without character.
Germany began to lose gold most
| heavily last June, when the United
States Government embargo measure
became a law. If President Wilson
| had any doubts as to the effect of
that act upon Germany's economic
position, they must have been dispell-
| ed at that time or soon afterward,
for since then, Germany's gold has
disappeared so rapidly that marked
exchange in the neutral countries,
has declined to a most serious extent
Germany's efforts to stem the tide
by shipping gold has resulted in the
depletion of the gold supply, but has
had scarcely any appreciate erect,
upon exchange rates. England has
shipped considerably more than ST.
600, 100000 in gold TO the United
States, but England's annual produe-
tons of gold, within her colonies and
possessions, is almost one-third Of
that amount. Germany has not out
side sources to draw from, but, on the
contrary, has had to help Austria and
Turkey. Germany has spent money so
lavishly, In carrying on the war, that
it is necessary for it to borrow to pay
interest on the obligations already IN
Cured The entrance OF the United
States, into the world war came about
a short time before Germany's hnan-
lcial exhaustion. The United States has
brought to the aid oe the Allies, the
resources OF the wealthiest nation IN
the world, in addition to the contrl-
button Of millions Of men for trench
warfare It is, therefore, not difficult
to see ultimate victory for the Allies,
nor Is it hard to understand why
Germany desires peace noW--Chr1S-
tan Science Monitor.