Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-01-25
Figures Stupendous Beyond Pow
er of Human Mind to
Compass.
Big Price Being Paid for the Worlds
Future Security - Money Cost
Nearly $175,ooo,o0O a Day
Capital Cut Down.
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN.

I
! Washington, d. 'C.-The figures re-
lating to the cost of this war are stu
pendous beyond the power of the hui
man mind to compass.
The number of men killed in battle
has been between 100000 and s.
100000. Offsetting the number Of
deaths which would have occurred in
times of peace, it is safe to set the
war loss at more than 100000 men.
This is about one man in twenty for
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 o,25o,ooo Disabled.
In addition to the dead, the perma-
nently disabled total about 5,250,0O0
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 |
able-bodied men in the United States. |
The money cost is vastly more /
confusing problem. The total is be-
You'd all comparison with any nation |
al debts, loans or expenditures of the /
past. At the beginning of the war
the cost of S30,O00,000 a day. 1t was
~ tdlCltu HiLuiOPt tOuAO IOt StdAih ~
FOR six months. Now, well along in
he fourth year, the cost is nearly
a day and there are no
signs of financial breakdown.
1t has become increasingly evident
hat lack of money" will never make
my nation surrender AS long as suf-
icient economic resources actually eX-
st in the shape of men and munitions,
God and beasts and iron and Steel
o long can the nation in question con-
inue TO make war. In looking for a
ierman breakdown the eye should
urn not toward the absurdly dapreci
ted German mark, but toward what
has left in men and food and
teel.
Its Future Mortgaged.
This is because a nation can mort
age its future like man who enters
shop with empty pockets and pays :
" goods with signed notes pledging
lie labor of his children. The worlds
ebt since the war has increased by
10000 100000. The total cost has ex-
seded this figure by at least $15,000,-
10000, the difference representing the
mount levied in taxes in excess of the :
terest requirements.
1t is easy 70 see that if all the inter-
t is paid TO people living in the L
nited States, and the principal ut
e end of the term also paid to resi-
nts in the United States, the United q
ateS as nation is no weaker fnan- e.
ally for having borrowed S20,000000,- el
0 than If it had never borrowed a II
Mt. Such enormous loans will prob m
~ effect n redistribution of wealth. 81
r the interest charges will be met OF
taxation, and provision made for II
sinking fund in the same way. BY NJ