The sun., 1918-11-12
$500. 600. 600. 900
WAR COST ESTIMATE

WAX COSl ESTIMATE
NOW that It Is over humanity will
De years reckoning the cost in money
and human resources. All figures now
are unreliable because there has not been
and could not be exact ways Of COM
putting the expenditure in cash and in
lives. It Is generally accepted, how
ever. that the four years and three
months OF war produced casualties Of
27,S75,0o0, at the lowest possible esti-
mate; and that tees money burden
saddled upon the warning nations will
rise to two hundred billion dollars. 1t
Is estimated that the Entente Allies
In all fields suffered casualties Of about
l5.b2S.00O. while the total casualties of
the Central Powers may amount, rough
ly, to 12.a46,000. These figures take in
all casualties, but the death toll is prob
ably 100000 for all combatants.
Until the statisticians of the coming
peace conference reckon up the de-
struction Of property and other damage
caused by the German invasions Of
Belgium. France. Serbia, Rumania.
Montenegro. Italy and Russia there can
'e no way of supplying an estimate
except to say that French authorities
state that Germany's bill for damage
will certainly not be less than $4,000.
100000 for compensation alone.
Britain's Cost $4,000, 900, 900.
To date the war has cost Great Brit
ain about $52. 000. 900, 900, France about
$4,000. 900. 900. Italy about $4,000
600 and the United States about s2O,-
000,ooo,o00. The debt OF the Central
Powers will include Germany's $4s,000,-
100000. Austria-Hungary's $4,000, ooO,-
600, and at least $1,000. 100000 on Bull
garia and Turkey.
The Illuminating eposide of the war
was the assassination of the Austrian
Archduke Franz. Ferdinand at Sara.
3evo June IS. 1914. but the actual cause
was the Austro-Hungarian note to Ser
bia Of July IS. 1914. note which vir-
trally demanded that the little nation
surrender to Austria lis freedom of
nationality.
Back of this ultimatum was the de-
| termination OF the German Kaiser and
the German militarist party to subju-
gate all Europe and to establish a new
empire which would reach from Berlin
To Bagdad. This dream had been ma
turing for nearly half a century. Serbia
was pretext for the attempt to con-
vert IL into a reality.
Humbly as Serbia asked for mercy
earnestly as the British Foreign Secre-
tary. Sir Edward Grey, appealed for
peace or even delay. despite the protes-
tation of the Car of Russia, Germany
! forced Austria to declare war agains,
Serbia July IS. 1914, and then. on Au.
gust /, 1914. herself declared war against
Russia on n specious pretext that Rus
STA was mobilizing and that Germany
could not AFFORD to wait
England sensing her own peril ant
hound I'm honor n NJ oi,
integrity. already violated by German
armies, announced August 4 a state o.
war against Germany. simultaneously
the German hordes struck at the Belgian
forts and for weeks the world wa.
thrilled at the news of the heroic de
fence being made by that small, brav,
nation against overwhelming odds o
mon and great guns Liege fell on Au
gust Is after the Germans had paid ;
terrible price for their victory.
10000 British Join French.
In the meantime French armies, which
had scrupulously respected Belgian ter
ritory and which could not DO mobilize,
with the savage swiftness characteristic
OF the Germany military machine, thrus
forward into Belgium and soon wer
joined by Britain's contemplate l,ttl,
army OF $4,000 regular troops Bel
gtans. British and French. outnumbered
outgunned. stunned by tho swift result
OF German faithlessness, fought desper
ately, hut were driven inexorably back
ward through Belgium and beyond tn
French frontier. The British retrea
from Mons stands in military history q
ono OF the heroic achievements of tn
war as having supplied the delay whicl
may have saved Paris
Japan demanded August l6 the with
drawsl of German warships In Japanes
ana Chinese waters and ordered III
surrender OF the German port of Kiao
chow. Germany's refusal brought Japa
into the war August 20 and short cam
paign resulted In the capture of tn
whole German colony in China. Elk
cept for sporadic naval raids. such a
that OF the famous Emden. that even
ended Germany's power In the Pacific.
With the fall OF Liege and Namur an
, the withdrawal of the allied forces fror
Belgium the occupation OF Brussels b
, German troops followed as a matter Q
, course, the occupation taking place Au
gust 10. Only in the east at this tim
was there promise of German defea
The russians had pushed forward int
East russia and seemed about to ad
vance their steam roller TO Berlin itsel
but OIL August 20 Gen. Won IIindenburf
resurrectcd from retirement and OF
security as the great authority on In
military possibilities of the East Prus
sian and Polish narshlands. met III
Russians under the luckless Renner
kamptt In the morasses al Tannenbur
and crushed them with AWFUL slaughte
, Time was to show that treachery at s
Petersburg brought about this fearf,
disaster. In the south the Russian
, were victorious. pressing on to Lembur,
capital of Galicia, and beginning a
ominous march toward Cracow an
Sllesia. Austria. as ever was no mate
In herself for any vigorous enemy
Foe IL Turned Back mt Marine.
On the western front the Gernap