The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-04-03

Ellis Il Rowland of New York, spe-
cdal representative of the National
Industrial conservation movement,
this noon at The Stratfield hotel spoke
to the members of the Chamber of
Commerce at their Tbi-weekly noon
day luncheon on 1.-THE Industrial Vol
unteer in War" Following is an alb
stract of his talk:
Whatever else the war has done,
it has brought the world into a state
of serious. thought. Never before
have momentous events had so fate
full a significance; when not only the
afte of empires, but the trend of our
whole civilization hangs daily and
hourly in the balance.
Y '"The withdrawal of 4O,0O000O men
directly and 2O0,O0O,OOO indirectly from
the occupations of peace and their
employment in the work of pure de-
struction and waste could not fail to
shake human institutions to their very
Foundation. No one dareS calculate
the awful cost, in men or in money
Cor how seriously it will permanently
scripple the industries and finances of
some of the world powers. Thanks
wealth of almost $500 per capita and
the immensely of our business 1nstitu-
tions, America seems safe financially;
but stemming the tide of exhaustion
odes not stay the severity of eco
nomic drain. By no twist of optimism
or involved logic can one cajole him
self into a. belief that the Wastage OF
lives by the thousands and money ny
the billions is an investment in any
sense; it is loss, 1rreparable loss and
the deluded demon who started it all
o can never he regarded other than the
foe of civilization.
s. From thoroughly dependable data
brought down to December 81, 1917, 1t
is calculated that the war has cost NO
less than $121, $780, 900, 600; about one
third upon the Teutonic powers and
two-thirds on the Allied nations. This
equals thrice the total world indebt-
edness at the opening of the war;
hour times all the bank deposits and
ten times the agricultural production
of the United States; 12-fold our total
foreign trade and 1000 times our gold
output. The outlay every month
equals double the whole cost OF the
Russo-Japanese war;. which lasted ~
months. Every eight days it rolls up
a cost equal to that Of the whole Boer
war; every three weeks that of the
Franco Prussian war and every SO
days sees totally wasted a sum equal
to the whose cost of our great Civil
aWr of four long years.
Previous War Costs EcIipsed.
'"The six greatest world-wars of the
last 125 years aggregated only one
sixth what this one has cost already
1t is costing every man, woman and
child in America at present % cents
a day; of England IA cents; of France
so cents; of Russia 10 cents; of Italy
% cents; of Germany 40 cents, and OF
Austria Hungary Il cents. Every day
1T levies an expenditure of no less
than $4,000, 1000 upon Uncle Sam. And
all this to crafty the hellfng cupidity
of an ego-ridden pervert who would
tearSdown for his own glorification al
that the blood of heroes has achieved
for human freedom and sound gov.
eminent in a millennium. Surely 4
ought to impel every loyal American
to a new resolve to stand by the gov.
eTnment-our government; not that o.
some potentate-iby saving, by sacri
flee in giving, by struggling, by firm
resolve to bend every ounce Of en-
ergy to win a speedy peace and STAMP
forever from mans sight and mem
ory the dendish idea1ism of Teutonit
philosophy
"As to the human costs of the war
estimates are bound to vary, but the
following are the estimates of one
statistician:
Total lives lost in the war, 1900, 90.
Total wounded, 26,OOO,O 0t
Total permanently disabled, $4,000, 0O
Total less of population, 13,O00,00
Total prisoners, 5,160,00
Total tonnage destroyed C2,SOO
\ shtps), II, 800, OO
NOTHING could better contrast thu
ideals of two nations-two systems o
civilization-than to compare thi
fruitage of 40 years of Teuton effor
with that of our own country. TIL
one ends in destruction of appalling
magnitude; the other in such a flooI
of prosperity as has never been Wis
tied on any nation since human his
tory commenced. For 40 years Ger
many has been preparing for DE
Tag when she could spring at tn
throat of trusting neighbors ans
throttle them into a disgraceful sub
jugation. --.ss
'sFor 40 years America has stoo