New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-01-30

thoughts turn TO the dead who, while
they did not die i'm the war, died be-
cause of the war. Those who ven out
In battle left life in a burst of glory.
Others there were who fell in their
tracks-exhaustion, broken hearts sem
them west" She has not forgotten
now the home flank suffered. The stay
at-homes were not all slackers. They
fought hunger and cold. bent their
backs beyond the straining point.
Worst OF all. they waited. 1t Is esti-
mated that 20.OOO.OO 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. un~dernourished children. Is
there any wonder that Europe has a
death look in her eyes? Death has
been her morning thought, 1t 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. i'm
possible to understand their full mean
Ing. The mind can't grasp it; the
world is bewildered by the number. 1t
is too ~stupendous. too horrible for IN
derstanding. Think Of it, seven and a
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 u half million wound
ed.
who can measure this loss?
Wal brought death. 1t did more
1t stopped birth. In the devastated re-
sions 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 1915
was 1913, the lowest on record. NAL
lett calculated that the birth rate had
fallen II per cen in England and
Wales by 1916.
The Journal of Heredity quotes Saw
as having estimated that it will
take England at least ten years, Ger
many II years, Italy IS years and
france SO years to recuperate their
These calculations by
were made before the fear
'ul losses of the campaign of 1918.
A village in France, ~Blerancourt,
ellis what the wal has done to the man
'ower of Europe. This village. which
$ In the Chateau Thierry-Soissons dis
rict, had a population of a thousand
before the war. Its losses have
'een tabulated. Twenty-six soldiers
rom this village were killed in the
var. Ninety-seven of the villagers
lied from war privations. The total
4 1913 is the death toll Of "A village
4 a thousand.
The figures I have quoted from the
calculations of Sayorgnan and Mallett
1ere made before the wal was finished.
'ince the war, estimates have been
lade, and these estimates show the
to be ever worse. In France
was told that 81 per cent OF the men
twenty and forty years were
sted as dead or incapacitated for
'ork. Further. that IL would take
rance over 20 years TO recover her
ormal population.
II is said that II will take Italy 30
and England % years TO regain
OF population.
The human waste of the war Is more
ian sad memories. The loss OF man
over makes a grave problem. II has
lrown nj OF balance the domestic
'heme of the world. 1t will be felt
n years. There are a great many
ore young women Than men. Home
fe is bound to suffer. There will be ,
wer marriages, fewer children. Sta
sites only tell part of the story.
1890. Western Newspaper Union)