The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-04-18
FRIDAY, APRIL IL. 1910
THE VICTORY LOAN

In view of what other nations have
done. Americas patriotism has been
put to no test, according to Edward
Cookingham. executive chairman of
the Oregon Victory Loan. He says:
During the four years of the war
the gross indebtedness of the civilized
nations of the world grew from $27,-
0OO, ,00O, 900 to more than 100000
100000. The Indebtedness Of Great
Britain grew from per cent to a.
per cent Of that country's entire ma
tional wealth. The indebtedness Of
France grew to about As per cent Of
her national wealth. and Russia's ma
tional debt reached about the same
proportions. The Indebtedness of
Germany was more than so per cent
Of her wealth at the end of the war.
and that Of Austria-Hungary had be-
come about so per cent. In compari-
son with the enormous debts Of her
allies, that Of the United States at
the end of the war seems very insig-
nificant, inasmuch as it amounted to
less than per cent Of her national
wealth, and as an Offset, we hold near
ly $4,000. 900, 200 of obligations of
foreign governments, SO that the net
drain upon the people Of this nation
will not be over per cent of the sum
{, ,al of the assets of the nation.
The available statistics received
up to the present time show that the
total death losses during the war ag-
g,egate about 7,35O,000 men. OF our
allies, France lost 1,3S5.00O men;
England 100000 men, and Italy 46O,-
600 men; Russia lost about 100000 |
men. About $4,000 U. S. troops were /
killed in battle. The death losses of
Germany, Austria-Hungary and their
allies aggregate 2.750,000 men.
''None of the allied commanders,
French, English or Ital-
ian, believed that military victory
was possible in 1918. Hence, at the
time the armistice was signed mill
tary plans in the United States were
on a prodigious scale.
These plans contemplated that by
July /. 1919, there would be 4,O0O,-
0eO American soldiers in France. To
transpor. and maintain this vast army
1s,0C" 900 tons of shipping would
have been required, and the plans Of
the government included the con-
struction of sufficient ships to furnish
the required tonnage. Had the war
continued until the middle of the
summer of 1919, this nation would
probably have suffered a loss of 500,-
300 American soldiers, with many
hundreds of thousands of disabled
and wounded. The outlay required
to train, equip, transport and feed
this vast army would have been not
less than $4,000, 100000 per month.
1t is quite obvious, therefore, that the
sudden collapse of the German mil
itary power resulted in a saving to
the American nation of not less than
s15, 100000 to 100000, 900
per month. Moreover, every red
Dlooded American citizen must not
Tail to remember that Germany's col
apse was directly due to the magnifi-
cent fighting qualities of the hitherto
unframed American army.
During the brief time that the
American army participated in the
active hostilities of the war, 3,918
service crosses were I
awarded for gallantry in action to (
American officers and soldiers. II we ,
nay believe the glowing accounts .
which we have received of the un-
valor of the American
roops in the battles in which they
we're engaged, we may well say that
hese soldiers who received the dis
inguished service crosses were but q
ype Of hundreds Of thousands of 9TH
y American soldiers that fought with
he utmost bravery and gallantry."
.