The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-02-01
Figures StupendouS Beyond Pow
er of Human Mind to
Compass.
MOST OF THEM ARE KILLED
Big Price Being Paid for the Worlds
Future Security Money Cost
Nearly $t75,ooo,ooo a Day
Capital Cut Down.
BY FREDERIC }. HAsKIN.

NSOIT6SponOGul Oh the NulNdBO Ne"n.B
Washington, d. C.-The figures re-
lating to the cost of this war are stu
pendous beyond the power of the hu-
man mind to compass.
The number of men killed ia battle
has been between 100000 and s.
O0O0 900. Offsetting the number OF
deaths which would have occurred in
times Of peace, 1t is safe to set the
war loss at more than 100000 men.
This is about one man in twenty tor
each year of the whole number mo-
bilized.
The figures are large, but they are
based on the greatest armies the world
has ever seen. Moreover, the death
rate has been falling steadily through
out the war as methods more econom-
ical of human life are adopted and
hospital efficiency increases. The
well-prepared nations lose least. Rus
STA has suffered casualties diSpropor-
tiOnately large because in the first
year Of the war her troops were sent
to the front poorly supported by arril-
lery and sometimes literally unarmed.
On the western front the French losses
were heaviest for the first two years,
but as England takes over the bulk Of
the fighting her casualties increase
and those OF France fall off.
Total of $3.50, 900 Disabled.
In addition to the dead, the perma-
nently disabled total about 5,250,OO0
men. Thus the net loss in men
amounts to about 100000. There
have probably been about 100000
men less seriously wounded In such
way that they have either been re-
turned to the front or able to pursue
some useful occupation in civil life.
Some realization of the meaning of
these totals may be cleaned from the
reflection that the dead and the total
ly disabled equal more than half the
abie-bOdied men in the United States.
The money cost is a vastly more
confusing problem, The total is be-
yond all comparison with any nation
al debts, loans or expenditures OF the
past. At the beginning of the war
the cost of $4,000. 900 day. 1t wGs
predicted Europe could not stand II
for six months. Now, well along in
the fourth year, the cost Is nearly
$l75000yOo0 a day and there are no
signs of a financial breakdown.
II has become increasingly evident
that lack OF money" viii never make
any nation surrender. As long as suf-
fCient economic resources actually *
list In the shape Of men and munitions,
food and beasts and iron and steel.
so long can the nation in question con
tinUe 10 make war. In looking for a
German breakdown the eye should
turn not toward the absurdly deprecI-
sted German mark, but toward what
Germany has left in men and food and
steel.
Its Future Mortaaged.
This is because a nation can mort
gage its future like IN who enters
q shop with empt' pockets and pays
for goods with signed notes pledSiuE
the labor u BIZ children. The worlds
debt since the war has increased by
S90O0OnO0W0. The total cost has x
:eeded this figure by az least $1,000
10000, the difference representa-. he
amount levied In taxes in excess 81 the
interest requirements
II T. easy 20 ace that II an the inter
est IS paid to people living IN the
United States, and the principal al
the end 81 the term also paid t1 resi-
dents in the United States. the United
States as q nation i no weaker fuan-
Cially for having borrow ed S2O.u1UU1D.-
Go than II II had never borrowed
cent. Such enormous loans will prob
ably effect a redistribution ~ wealth.
for the interest charges viii be met
BY taxation. and provision made for