The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-01-21

Thoughts tslHn to the dead who, while
they did not die In the war, died be-
cause of the war. Those who went out
in battle left life in a burst of glory.
Others there were who fell in their
tracks-exhaustion broken hearts sent
them west" She has not forgotten
how the home flank suffered The stay
at-homes were not all slackers. They
fought hunger and cold, bent their
hacks beyond the straining point.
Worst Of all. they waited. 1t is esti-
mated that 100000 civilians died
from weakness, fatigue, strain, broken
hearts-the horror of waiting de- /
stroyed resistance. These were the |
underfed older men and women, the |
scared, undernourished children. Is
there any wonder that Europe has a |
death look In her eyes? Death has |
been her morning thought, it has been
her night sob, and for four years made |
up of months, weeks. days, hours.
minutes and seconds death has been
her Nemesis.
She is now totaling. The figures are
appalling. They stagger her imagina-
ton. 1t is easy to write them, Inn
possible to understand their full mean
ing. The mind can't grasp it; the
world is bewidered by the number. II
is too stupendous, too horrible for I'M
derstanding Think Of it, seven and
half million young men. for the most
part between the ages of eighteen and
thirty, the youth, the strength, the
spirit, the man power of Europe, dead
twenty million from civil life dead,
| over twelve and half million wound
| cd
Who can measure this loss?
War brought DEATH 1t did more
| Il stopped birth. In the devastated re-
/ gions of Belgium, France, Italy, PO-
| land. parts of Russia and the Balkan
| countries, the birth rate fell to al
most nothing In England and Wales
/ the birth rate in the last part of 1913
was 19.5, the lowest on record. NAL
| lett calculated that the birth rate had
fallen i per cent in England and
Wales by 1916.
The Journal Of Heredity quotes Say
orgnan as having estimated that it will
take England at least ten years, Ger
many l. years. Italy 80 years and
France SO years to recuperate their
populations These calculations by
| Savorgnan We're made before the fear
full losses Of the campaign of 1918.
A village in France, Blerancourt,
tells what the war has done to the man
power Of Europe This village, which
is in the Chateau Thierry- scissors dis
trict, had 4 population of thousand
people before the war. Its losses have
been tabulated Twenty-six soldiers
from this village We're killed in the
war. Ninety-seven of the villagers
lied from war priyations. The total
Of 123 is the death toll Of village
Of thousand.
The figures I have quoted from the
calculations Of Sayorgnan and Mallett
were made before the war was finished.
Since the war, estimates have been
made and these estimates show the
situation 10 be even worse. In France
| was told that 81 per cent of the men
i between twenty and forty years We're
listed as dead or incapacitated for
work Further. that it would take
France over 20 years to recover her
normal population.
It is said that it will take Italy 80
years and England - years TO regain
: normality of population.
! The human waste Of the war is more
, than sad memories The loss of man
power makes a grave problem. 1t has
thrown out Of balance the domestic
scheme of the world. 1t will be felt
for years There are 4 great many
more young women Than men. Home
. life is bound to suffer. There will be
fewer marriages. fewer children. Sta
tistics only tell part of the story.
: Copyright 1920 western Newspaper Union