The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-09-13
FIGURES OF AMERICAS, PART IN
war PASS ALI PREVIOUS RECORDS
Co., Leonard Ayers Prepares Remarkable Statistical Summary
Showing Comparative Costs in Men, Money and Material
for An the Countries Engaged-Costt the United
\. States Is $22, 000 900.

Il Washington. The war cost the
United States directly about so, O0O,-
OOO, 200, or nearly enough to pay the
entire cost Of running the American
government from 1791 up to tn. out
break of. the European war. For every
hundred American soldiers and sail.
orss who served in the war with Ger.
many two were killed or: died Of dis
ease during the period Of hostilities.
The number of men serving in the
armed forces of the nation during the
war was 100000, Of whom 4, 0OO. 900
served In the army. .:..... :. -. n, IN
These facts are set forth In a sta
tistical summary Of s'The War With
Germany" compiled under the direc-
ton Of Col. Leonard P. Ayers, chief Of
the statistics branch of the general
staff Of the army.
This summary, just published by
Colonel Ayers by direction Of the Sec
rotary of war, is a complete review of
Americas participation in the war
against Germany condensed into less
than $50 pages. It is detailed sum-
mary Of American military operations,
and yet the. long statistical tables
usually. found in official reports are
entirely lacking.
Col. Leonard p. Ayers is the only Of
flcer from civilian life who has risen
to the position Of chief Of division
Of the general staff Before the war
he was a director of the Russell Sage
Foundation. He was chief statistical
officer of the peace committee. After
his return here he received the dis.
tinguished service medal. ~'~~~.a~ .-<~ r.
r. Some of the Figures.
Some of the statistical summaries
in the report show Z
The war cost the United States con.
siderably more than 81 100000 an hour
for over two years. =: 49,. ~
Amerlca'ss expenditures in the war
were sufficient to have carried on the
Revolutionary war continuously for
more than a thousand years at the
rate CT expenditure which that war
actually involved. -. ",.''~
During the first three months ex-
pendftures were at the rate Of $2O00,-
600 day. During the next year they
averaged more than 100000 day.
For the final ten months the daily
average was over $44,O00,O00.
The total war? costs of all nations
were about 1886 OOO, 900 900, Of which
the allies and the United States spent
two-thirds and the enemy one-third. -
The three nations spending the
greatest amounts we're Germany,
Great Britain and France, in that or
der. After them come the United
States and Austria Hungary, with sub
stantially equal expenditures. -"> =
The United States spent about one
|eighth Of the entire cost of the war
and something less than one-fifth of
the expenditures Of the allied side.
The total battle deaths of all ma
lions in this war were greater than all
deaths in all the wars in the previous
hundred years.
Russian battle deaths were "a times
as heavy as those Of the United
States, those of Germany 80 times as
great, France %. times and the Brit
ish IS times as large. 49,.
Infantry Suffered Most.
In the. American army the casualty
rate in the infantry was higher than
in any other service, and that for off,
GERS was higher than for men. ~,
For every man killed in battle seven
we're wounded. IL. er,,,:
Five out. Of every six. men sent to
hospitals on account Of wounds were
cured and returned to duty. &S
Pneumonia killed more soldiers than
were killed in battle. Meningitis was
the next most serious disease.
The British sent more men to
France. in, their first year Of war than
we, did In our first year. but 1t took
England three years to reach a
strength Of 100000 men in France,
and the United States accomplished it
in one-half of that time. = ~
In the physical examinations the
states of the middle West made the
best showing. Country boys did better
than city boys, white better than col
ored and native better than foreign
born. >5..s ..--'-.
Most Of the troops who sailed for
France left New York. Half Of them
landed in England and the other half
in France.
OF every 100 Americans who went
over, 40 went in British ships, As in
American ships, three in italian, two
in French and one in Russian ship
ping under English control.
g. American cargo ships averaged one
complete trip every 20 days and troop
ships one complete trip every IS days.
The cargo fleet was almost; entirely
American. It reached the size Of q
100000 deadweight tons, and carried
to Europe about 100000 tons OF
cargo.
Work Of Engineers.