THE EXPENSE OF MODERN WARFARE.

Kumara Times, Issue 548, 29 June 1878, Page 2

THE EXPENSE OF MODERN WARFARE.

A. little tract published, recently by the London Peace Society gives the following as the military armaments in the year 1877, and their cost. It also publishes the loss of life, and the cost of recent great wars, as follows: ARMY. Peace War ' Footing. Footing. Russia (European) 800,000 1,600,000 Germany 800,000 1,400,000 France ... 750,000 1,300,000 Austria 400,000 800,000 Italy 200,000 450,000 Great Britain ... 150,000 ' 400,000 navy. Tons. Russia (European) ... 80,000 . Germany ... 85,000 France 100,000 Austria ... 65,000 Italy 100,000 Great Britain 200,000 It will be seen that the total wtrength of the regularly trained soldiers of Europe amounts to nearly 6,000,000 ; or having regard to the fact that the whole adult population of the nations of Europe, except Great Britain, is liable to be called to take arms, the total military force may be estimated at from 6,000,000 to 10,000,000. The lessor number equals the whole of the adult and efficient population of the British Islands. It has been pointed out that if only one-half of the present excessive armies of Europe were disbanded, at least 3,000,000 of from twenty to thirty-five years of age would be restored to useful labour, and £10,000,000 of money saved from a very oppressive taxation. The tract before us contains a table enumerating the wars between 1843 and 1877, and the' loss of life thwy occasioned. There were killed in the hattle, or died of wounds and diseases, 750.000 men iu " the Crimean war, 45,000 in the Italian war of 1859, aud 3000 in the war of Schleswig-Holsteln, 800,000 in the Amvi-ican civil war, 45,000 in the".* Prussian .war of 1866, 155,000 on the French side, and 60,000 on the Ger-