The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-08-18
Six Million Lives Lost Since Ger.
many Declared War on Au.
gust !, 1914.
CjST NEAR HUNDRED BILLION
Not q Corner o. Earth Too Remote %
Feel Effect Of Mighty Conflict
Great Changes Como to
Human Society.

to close.
Three years ago, August 1. Germany
declared war on Russia, precipitating
conflict which has killed five million
soldiers and certainly over a million
civllians-perhaps many more; cost di.
rectly between seventy-five and hum
dred billion dollars, and piled up q
sum In human woe entirely incalcula-
bic and incomprehenslble.
Not corner OF the earth has been
too remote to feel the effect Of the
forty million or more men who have
gone forth to war. Not IN intelligent
being but has been stirred to his
depths by the dreadful, wasteful fire
that has scOurged the globe.
From a petty Balkan quarrel, re-
sulting in the seizure of Bosnia and
Herzegovina by Austria and in the
assassination of the heir to the throne
of the dual monarchy and his cOnsort
by resentful JugO-Slavs, the conflagra-
ton has spread to every continent and
every land. Most of the world is d.
rectly involved In war, and in the nom
belligerent countries questions stirred
ND by the conflict are the subject of in
tense and constant domestic differ
ences.
Vast Human Changes.
What changes ION the map" the war
will make still await the great peace
conference to be told; but already hui
man society has been altered with
such swiftness as can scarcely be par
alleled even in the era of the French
revolution.
Russia has changed from the great
est example Of an absolute and bur-
densome autocracy to the worlds
freest and most liberal democracy.
with its eyes set on ideals as high as
the stars.
The people rule In Russia after CEN
turtles of oppression, and in many 9TH
nations the bonds forged by birth
md privilege are giving way.
Germany has Its first imperial
chancellor without "von" to his
uame-a small, uncertain step toward
democracy, yet ray Of hope. The
junkers and the militarists are still
In the saddle, but their faithful, care
fully nourished slaves for the first time
have them worried.
In every country the importance OF
government has increased The CEN
trail authority has had to take over
powers 1t never possessed or wished
before. The peoples are thinking more
about their government, selfish
thoughts perhaps, for their leaders
mean more to them than formerly.
Governments More Active.
The British government has taken
over thousands of great industrial
plants to run ON war work, while
similar changes of revolutionary char
acter have taken place In France,
Italy and Germany. Even the United
States has Communicated all the ship
yards for the purpose Of speeding them
up, and will undoubtedly take over
more and more lines Of production as
the conflict wears on.
Through the vast pressure OF war
business, woman's place In the CON-
munity everywhere has increased In
Importance. The wives and sweet
hearts must labor while their men are
on the field Of battle. And this promi'
4 nence Of the fair sex has resulted In the
4 promise Of equal suffrage to women In
Great Britain and will undoubtedly
give greater political rights to women
In many other lands.
The dignity of work has received
n recognition such as was never accord
ed before. Germany has forced by Ia"
perhaps a million persons into In
A dustry; France would have put SINH
lar measure into effect had the en-
trance of the United States into the
4 war not made this unnecessary. The
state Of West Virginia has passed Q
statute making 1t crime to be idlt
In war time, and the sentiment whici
was behind this law Is felt through
out the world.
Human LIES Worth.
For their working millions the gov
ernments are caring as never before
Their health and their lives are tn
~bjects of solictude. The value OF
X Aman being, simply from the stand
point of productivity, is realized. INT
well.learned lesson that 1t pays to con
serve human life and energy, Will be re
membered and will undoubtedly, som'
day, when this war is over, result II
making the world better place t
live in.
Mems brains have been busy thes
three years Of war. But, II we tax
Thomas A. Edison's word for 1t, IN
results in new inventions have beef
surprisingly small, And still srnalle
have these results been from the poin
of view of human benefit. Most
the new devices are means to Stay an
main.
In two directions, however, tn
world has progressed In ways to b