BRITAIN'S WAR EFFORT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 264, 4 August 1919, Page 3

BRITAIN'S WAR EFFORT

STRIKING STATISTICS

WHAT THE EMPIRE DID AND SUFFERED An interesting article on "The Military Effort of the British Empire," in whioh such justice as figures can express is given to the supreme effort of the Empire during the war, is published in the June "Bound Table." As tho writer points out, figures cannot measure tho extent to which tho military effort of the United Kingdom was handicapped by the necessity of making munitions for the Allies, assisting their finances, maintaining the command of the sea, and keeping up tho oversea carrying trade. Moreover, statistical comparisons aro difficult to draw since national totals are rarely compiled \>y the same method. Yet when these necessary drawbacks are taken into consideration, a very striking impression is produced by a study of the figures for tho total enlistments and casualties of tho British Empire, and their comparison with such statistics as are available for our chief allies^. Tho following table shows the total existing forces of the United Kingdom in August, 1914, and the totals recruited during- the war:— Existing Forces in Since re- Total. ■Country, Aujjust, 1914. cruited. in Arms. United Kingdom 783,514 - — England — 4,006,158 — Scotland — 557,618 — Wales and Monmouth ... — 272,924 — Ireland — 134,202 — United Kingdom - 4,970,502 5,704,416 Exactly parallel figures from the Dominions are not availablo, and the following tnible includes enlistments for certain forms, of auxiliary service which are not included in the United Kingdom recruiting statistics :— Country. Total in Amis. Total. Canada 028,904 — Australia 410,809 — Now Zealand 220,099 — South Africa 130,070 — Newfoundland 119'2 — Total-Small colonies' 12,000 ■ -

Empire (less United Kingdom — 1,450,85 i The total number of enliatmonts in the British Empire therefore amounts to i, 130.280, to which must be added 1,524,187 Indian and coloured troops, making a «rand total of 8,651,467. Thesß forces were distributed in the various theatres of war as follow:— Maximum Total rhcatro strength, employed. France 2,016,001 5,399,563 tta'y., • 132,607 145,761 Salonika 285.02 i 404,207 Dardanelles 127,737 468,937 Mesopotamia 447,531 889,702 Egypt and Palestine 432,857 1,192,511 Total, all theatres ... — 8,975,941

Total, all theatres... — 8,975,944 It will be observed that this total is slightly larger than that given above. It contains certain Labour and Lines of Communication units which cannot f» regarded strictly speaking as fighting troops. If tho figures for the Navy, merchant service, and-men employed at home for auxiliary military sorvico wero included, the total man power raised for service by tho British Enipiro would excoed ten millions. Woman power, as represented only- by women wearing an ofheiallv recognised uniform, amounted 250,000. The proportion of male enlistments to the total whito male population of tho- British Empire is 24.07 per cent whilo to the total white population of tho British Empire :it is 11.5 V per cent. Tho following table is eloquent as to Ireland's achievement:—

' , PercentTotal en, agf: of enlistments lishnonts from Aug., Estimated male 1914, to Nov. male popuCountry. 11,1918. population, lation. England (less Monmouth) 4,006,158 16,681,181 24.02 Wales and Monmouth . 272,924 1,258,2 M 21.52 Scotland 557,618 2,351,843 23 71 Ireland 134,202 2,184,193 g!h

Total, United ' . Kingdom ... 4,970,002 22,485,501 22.11 The table above includes only the enlistments since August, 1914, and not tbe total of 733,514 serving at that time. The full total for the United Kingdom is given in tiie following table, so as to make the figures parallel to those shown for the dominions:—

Percent- _ , , age of Total sent Esti- serving oversea or mated troops to in train- white white ing as at male popu- male popuCountry. Nov., 1918. lata. lata. United Kingdom 5,701,416 22,485,501 25.36 United Kingdom (less Ireland 5,540,214 20,301,308 27 28 Canada ... 458,218 3,400,000 13 48 Australia 331,314 2,470,000 13.43 New Zealand ..._ 112,223 580,000 19.35 South Africa 76,184 085,000 1112

Tho casualty list for the British Empire 16 shown in the following table — Percentage casualties to male Country. Killed. AT'ndM. llisng. n. ]Sns United Klngd'm 5*9,967 1,649,946 253,353 2,453,2<i8 10 91 United Kingd'm (lees Ireland) ... - - _ 2,391,560 11.78 Canada ... 55,!75 149,733 767 205,675 6.04 Australia, 55,585 151,245 3,121 209,951 8.50 K.Z 16,132 40,749 5 56,886 9.80 India, \31i,'62 62,106 UK 112,310 - The percentages of casualties in the various theatres of war were as follow:— Percentage of men sent out. Franco 55.99 5 9 Dardanelles ~.. 23.88 2 9 Mesopotamia .. 15.79 .•' 2 12$ Othor theatres 9.67 1 10$ Salonika 8.60 1 12 East Africa ... 8.26 1 12 Egypt 6.53 1 15 Italy 4.7G 1 21 These figures may be compared with the statistics of some of our Allies; UNITED STATES. Per- PerPorcentage centago centage VI Forces of of cf T'l pop. trans- Forceß T'i. \.-asual- cnsualof U.S. ported to to casual- tioa to ties to June, '18. Buropo. pop. ties. Fees. jion. 103,500,473 2,040,000 1.97 264,9)3 12.99 0.25 Pull figures are not available for all our Allies, and in tho next table tho French figures clearly do not include the slightly wounded s Prison- MiosCountry. Killed. Wd'd. ers. inc. Total. Franco... 1,257,300 442,800 408,000 — 7,138,100 Belgium 13,716 44,656 10,203 24,456 53,061 Serbia... 45,000133,148 70,423 82,535 331,116 The final comparison ifl made in the concluding table: Killed Pefand centCountry. Population. Wounded, age. British Empire 61,607,320 2,782,779 4.51 Prance 40,000,000 1,730,100 432 Serbia 5,000,000 178,158 3.5G Belgium 7,500,000 53,402 0.78 United States... 103,600,473 230,419 0.22 It is to bo observed that the naval effort of tho British Empiro is not included in tho foregoing statistics.