THE COST OF WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 November 1923, Page 3

THE COST OF WAR.

In tlu.* course of an address at tho unveiling cf the war memorial at Nelson on Armistice Day. Air Harry Atnioio. AI.P. for Xclson, gave some striking figures on the terrible cost of war. Civilisation, he -aid. could not survive another such outpouring of money and young men's lives. Ten million men were killed during the war. It v.a.s tiifficult lor the human mind to realise what “millions’’ meant. Inn perhaps In; could illustrate it by saving that ll' tills huge legion of the dead were til man h lour abreast, oast this memorial. it would take too months for them to pass. It would take neail.v six days and nights for the Uritisb dead to pass any given jo int. Tim war had cost C00.dC0,01.10.000 which worked out at £.j(!o!> for every man killed. The lost of modern war threatened to swallow all the fruits of industry. (id per cent of the Ihutisii National Kxpelidlimo to-day is spent on cot ol arm.iineiiLS and I list rails. - ]n*r lent, on old age j eu.si- in ; per cent. on la all h measures and 0 per cent on education, 'll;.re was an ever increasing cost in mi.deni w ms. and if we do not end war. it Will end lIS. Yfc fought Napoleon lor over t evenly yea is. luit only -iiflered H):l.(hll) c-a -us I lies whilst the cost was .‘lightly ovei £i’>oO.Oot.l.oOO. The leccuit war lasted olio-tip h cf l hat t ini-: mir total casualties were I’.TS’-’.TTM. while tin’ eniiciulllurc* was over L", ,001 l,(( HMj,(lod The liritisii Naiional debt which was slightly ever t! 700.000.000 in 1S»14 is now C 7 -iid.(lt Itt,Dili I and the interest on her wai expenditure is IT, 111. 000.000 per annum. lie wished to contrast the expenditure on naval war in hold Nel-

son’s time with the 1 relileiidous cost of i.o-dnv. Nelson’s flagship, the famous Victory, eosi L'sst.nOl) to Imild, and it had a tonnage of “l!i| toils. hi.-M.fi. 110. d, in our Navy to-day, has a HO,OOO tonnage, and cost C 0,000,000 to hllild. Tim Victory's largest projectile weighid :C’|!i ■ and cost Is. whilst her broadside ol iii tv guns could he discharged at a cost of 10s. The Hood to-<la.v a shell weighing nearly a ton (f) and 1 bey n,si rj! I each. A broadside In-- cf phy-a nl virility is t reniendoUs. Two niillioii ['TeinTuncn were killed during iht' Na j io’eon ir wars and as a r--'ill; the average height of a Krenehniu* was reduced by mm inch. A nation cann .1 kill elf ils line-.i men and breed lioiii rejects with impunity. The price niie-i 1,., panl. A really civilised world permeated by Christian altruism will ii ml better u-.es lor its \nimg men ilia/ sacrificing ilmm in Ihe moloeli of the battle held.