WAR’S INCREDIBLE COST

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 17 July 1916, Page 4

WAR’S INCREDIBLE COST

While exact figures showing the cost of the war will not be compiled until after it has come to a close, yet estimates have been made by the “Revue des Revues” which show what a greot destroyer of wealth it is. The best estimate is that up to January 1 last not less than 200,000,000,000 francs had been expended in direct prosecution of warfare. The lincpmprdpnsible fum averages 386,133,800 francs a day since war began, and does not take into consideration the billions of francs’ worth of property wiped out in the countries invaded, and the money lost through the deaths of millions of workers. Imagine this to be in gold and put into bags having a capacity of £SO each, it would require the services of probably three soldiers to carry each minute’s monetary needs. Fortunately the warring nations are not obliged to gather together the coin and transport it at one time to the front If th e did, it would require 15 trains of 70 carriages each. Even if it were desired to do this, there is not enough visible gold in the world to permit it.