Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-01-18
Figures Stupendous Beyond Pow
er Of Human Mind to
Compass.
MOST OF THEM ARE KILLED
Sig Price Being Paid for the Worlds
Future Security Money Cost
Nearly $f75.ooo,ooo Day
Capital Cut Down.
Rx FREDERIC ]. HAsklN.

correspondent OF the Chicago News.}
Washington, ID. G.. The figures te-
Eating TO TIN, cost Of this war are stu
aendons beyond the power Of the hui
mcn mind to compass.
The number of men killed in battle
i has been between 100000 and 81
100000 Offsetting the number of
deaths which would have occurred in
fines of peace. it is safe to set the
var loss at more than 100000 men.
This is about one man in twenty for
lraeh 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
lrate has been falling steadily through
ont the war, as methods more eeonOm-
Seal Of human life are adopted and
hospital efficiency increases. The
well-prepared nations lose least. Rus
sin has suffered casualties dispropor-
ti0nately large because in the first
year of the war her troops were sent
30 the front poorly supported by artil-
On tile western front the French losses
we've heaviest for the first two years,
| but as England takes over the bulk of
lthe fighting her casualties increase
@and those Of France fall OFF.
Total Of 525o,o0o Disabled.
In addition to the dead, the perma-
inently disabled total about 5.250000
men. Thus the net loss in men
amounts to about 13,000,000, There
have probably been about 100000
men less seriously wounded in such
ivay 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
nv disabled equal more than half the
able bodied men In the United States.
The money cost Is q vastly more
confusing problem. The total is be-
lyond all comparison with any nation
Ial debts. loans or expenditures of the
past. At the beginning Of the war
the cost of $30000,00O day. 1t was
predicted Europe could not stand 1t
Tor six months. Now, well along in
the fourth year, the cost is nearly
I$175000,000 day and there are no
signs of a financial breakdown.
1t has become increasingly evident
that lack of money" win never make
any nation surre der. AS long as suf-
ficient economic resources actually ex-
list in the shape of men and munitions,
food and beasts and iron and steel,
lso long can the nation In question con-
Ifinue to make war. In looking for
German breakdown the eye should
turn not toward the absurdly depreci-
ated German mark, but toward what
Germany has left In men and food and
steel.
Its Future Mortgased.
This is because a nation can mort
gage its future like a man who enters
q shop with empty pockets and pays
for goods with signed notes pIedging
the labor of his children. The worlds
debt since the war has increased BY
s90.000,000.0O The total cost has ex.
eeeded this figure by at least S15.0O0.,
OO0, 900, the difference representing the
amount levied In taxes In excess Of the
interest requirements.
1t is easy to see that If all the inter-
est IS paid to people living in the
United States, and the principal at
the end Of the term also paid to resi-
dents in the United States, the Omitted
States as a nation is nc weaker finan-
eially for having borrowed SIC. 000, 000,- |
900 than If it had never borrowed a
cent. Such enormous loans win prob
ably effect redistribution of wealth.
for the interest charges VIII be met
by taxation, and provision made for
sinking fund in the same way. By