The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, News and The Echo. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1902. A COSTLY WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 77, 2 April 1902, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, News and The Echo.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1902. A COSTLY WAR.

For the cause that lacks assistance For the vmng that needs resistance For the fiature in the distance And the good that -we can do.

"The Cost of the War" is the title of a lengthy article by Mr H. MOrganBrowne, in the "Fortnightly Review." In his Introduction he says: "For many months past the question whj--250,000 men cannot catch 30,000 has been increasingly on men's lips. Men are beginning to ask why it costs so much. Some go further and ask what can be the relations between the enormous cost and the steady failure of our army in South Africa? The first demand for money for the war was on the 20th October, 1899, for £10,000,000. At that time the British . Government seriously proposed to subdue the two Dutch Republics with some 50.000 men, operating for four months at a cost of £10,000,000 sterling. Mr Wyudham, Secretary of State for War, at the beginning of hostilities thought the sum -necessary for mobilising a.field force of 47.000 men, for transporting it 0000 miles over sea, for equipping and maintaining it for four months, in a land destitute of surplus supplies, would amount to £8,000,000. The total cost of maintenance of reinforcements sent prior to the outbreak of hostilities was estimated at £2,000,000. The official estimate made provision for prime charges and for continuous charges to 31st March, 1900. For additions to the Natal garrison, reinforcements from India, Mediterranean, 12,500 men, and a field force of ,47,000. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, while approving of his estimates, said it was possible that it might be exceeded, as no one could foresee the total cost of the^War. But he saw no reason why the war should not be brought to a conclusion within the time speci-. fied. On the 12th February a further demand was made for £13,000,000, making a total to that date of £23,000,000. This vote was. introduced under the sobering influence of several reverses. On the sth of March there was a third call for £37,797,000, making a total up to that date of £60,797,000. The Chancellor of the Exchequer in introducing this vote said: "We may be obliged in August next, most unhappily, to ask Parliament for a further provision, but I think Aye are fully justified in the hope and expectation that the estimate which we have on the table Will be sufficient to conduct this war to a successful termination." The estimate was passed in the belief that the war would be ended by» the 30th September. But on the v27th .July the Government came down with another request for £5,500,000, making a. total up to that time of- £09,299,000. In his speech the Chancellor' said "the7 estimate had been framed to meet all the charges that would come in course of payment until the end of February,, 1901. The vote included the cost of transport back to England and India etc.. of 135,000 men, gratuities, new clothing, etc., for the reservists on their return, medals, and other minor charges. A fifth demand came on the 11th December for £15,500,000, a total up to that date of £84,797,000. Mr Brodrick, "in his speech in support of the vote, allude^ to the prospects of an early conclusion of the War. "We. believe," he said, "that we are reaching the climax. Before the House' meets in February I trust we may be able to give it a much more satisfactory assurance than we are in a position to make now." J ' But on the 21st February, 1901, a sixth vote of £3,000,000 was asked for, a total of £87,797,000 up to date. The new vote was to meet the cost of remounts (£2,000,000), and forage, etc. (£1,000,000). There was a. seventh demand on Bth March, 1901, for £56,----070,000, bringing up the total to that date to £143,807,000. Mr Brodrick thought this w rould be the full sum that the Goverpment was likely to ask from, the House, and that in asking for so large a vote it was an earnest of their determination to pursue the war at all cost to a successful conclusion. -.Mr. Morgan-Browne points out that, only the net receipts''of the various" loans are given. It is not, for instance, £29,519,000,. the net produce of the khaki loan, and of the consols issue of 1901, which the country

owes to subscribers, but £30,000,000. The items of discount were: Khaki loan, £481,000; exchequer bonds, £577,000; consols, £3,300,000; total discounts, £4,358,000. This sum has been incurred for the flotatiop of loans, exclusive of the interest. The cost of the wqr up to 1902 has been as follows: 1890 to 1900 „......£ 23,007,000 . 1900 to 1901 .66,178,000 ; 1901 to 1902 69,220,000 T0ta1.... £158,405,000 In order, however, to arrive at the approximate estimate of the cost of the war up to the 31st March, 1902, a considerable sum must be added for the further supplementary estimate which would be presented as soon as Parliament met. During July last the weekly cost of the war was approximatel3r £1.250,000. From this basis, say's Mr. Morgan-Browne, the sum is easy. Thirty-five weeks at £ .1,250,000" a week, the estimated expenditure is £44,000,000. Towards meeting this only £30,000,000 remained on August 1, and so it would seem highly probable that a further sum of £14,000,000 would be required to prosecute the war down to the end of the current financial year. Adding this, we arrive at an estimated war expenditure for the current year of £83,220,000, of \ which £70,000,000 is for army service, and an aggregate expenditure down to the 31st March of £172,405,000. It is estimated that the army in South Africa will cost £70,000,000 during the current financial year. Mr. Morgan-Browne then sets out an estimate of the cost of the war for the thirty months ending 31st March, divided into three main heads, estimated expenditure, debt services and incidental expenditure. Army expenditure: 1599-1900 .... ... £ 22.700,000 1900-3901 63,737,000 1901-03 (estimated) 70.070.000 Total £ 156.597.000 Debt- services--1599-1900 £217,000 1900-1901 .......... 2.441,000 1901-1902 0,550,000 T0ta1.... £9,208,000 Incidentals: 1901-1902 £6,600,000 Grand total... £ 172,405,000 . Even if the war were finished by the 30th September, 1902, the aggregate cost would .almost certainly largely exceed £200,000.000, and it might'reach £250.000.000. to say nothing of the annual load of interest running on, and the cost of repairing and restocking the ruined territories. The total of army pay, transport, remounts, provisions, clothing, stores, works and miscellaneous for the period 1599-1900 was £22.800,000: 1900-. 1901, £67,200.000; 1903-1902, £58,200,----000 Deducting two sums of £3.500.000 aud £2,200.000 foi- China, the total is reduced to £142,500,0Tj0. The war expenditure in South Africa for the first two years of the war was as follows:— Pay of troops £ 24,700.000 Transport 25.400.000 Remounts 10,300,000 Provisions 30,000,000 Clothing 7,300,000 - Stores • • 16,900.000 Works and miscel- . laneous .' 5,900,00 ft' Total £ 123,000.000 At the"outbreak of hostilities, including Indian reinforcements, the army ~ numbpred 20,000; including these, by the Ist August, 1900, 265,000 ' troops had been sent, but by that date 35,000 had'to be deducted from the field force for casualties and-invalids, leaving 230,000 in South Africa, including from 10,000 to 12,000 in hospital. Up to Ist December, 1900, in spite, of further reinforcements, the total had fallen to 217,000, and up to the. Ist February, 1901, there were 205,000, exclusive of recently-raised colonial contingents, and up "to the Ist May, 1901, airincluded there were 250,000. In the first six months of the war, the process of reinforcement was extremely rapid. Between the middle, of October, 1899, and the Ist April, 1900, 163,000 troops were sent out. from England and the colonies, and about 20,000 raised in South Africa. These added to the garrison would give a total Of 203,000 men. Deducting the 13,000 killed, died, or sent home up to > the Ist April, we have an army of 190,000 in South Africa, including sick and wounded in hospital there. The uumbers were: — Ist August, 1900.:.... 210.000 Ist December.. 1900.. 217.000 Ist February. 1901.... 205.000 Ist May, 1901.....:.. 250,000 During, the fiv£ months from May to September. 1901, the deductions from the British forces, excluding disbandment of local levies, averaged 2700 a month, or a total of 13,000, of whom nearly 3000 were killed or died. The monthly average of the army in South Africa for the two years was nearly 193.000. Tne total number sent over-sea (excluding the garrison already in South Africa, on August Ist, 1899, 10,000 men, and 52,000 troops raised locally) was, up to the end of April, 1901, 285,000 men. The number sent away from South Africa (not counting Boer prisoners) was'up to that date 76,500.000. Adding 15,000 for reinforcements, " drafts. etc., the amount between May Ist and September 30th. 10,500 invalids, etc.. and, say, 13,000 British and colonials left- South Africa during those five months, we have a total'of 300.000 men landed in South Africa, and 100,000 shipped from there during the two years. On June 6th. 1901, Lord Stanley stated in the House of Commons that up to the 31st May 173,000 horses and SO.OOO mules had been sent out to South Africa, and on. the 11th May, 1901, 185,000 animals, excluding oxen, were being fed. The War Office had conveyed over 260,000 animals, and had been for six months supplying horses at the rate of 10,000 a month. It is estimated that during the first two years of the war 300,000 animals were conveyed to South Africa. On the 21st June there were from 70,000 to 80.000 mounted troops. It is estimated that 120,000 horses and mules'were maintained in South Africa for' the use of the army. The summary is, for the first two years of the war, as follows:—

1. An average army of 200,000 *nen> with 120,000 horses and mules. 2. Three hundred thousand men and 300,000 animals landed in South Africa. ' 3. One hundred thousand men conveyed from there. The-average cost was £60 per annum per man, and colonials £ 100.