TOLL OF WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 121, 22 May 1917, Page 5

TOLL OF WAR.

TEN MILLIONS OUT OF ACTION, LATEST APPROXIMATE FIGURES. Approximately ten million men are recorded as killed, wounded, captiirt-d, or missing in the European war m the. first complete tabulation of official and authenticated semi-official reports of tho various belligerents received at Washington (says the San Francisco "Chronicle" of MaTch 12). Among the military proper, 4,441.200 are reported dead, 2,508,500 wounded, and 2.504,500 captured and missing. Among civilians, especially on the Kinsian and Balkan fronts and in Armenia, another four hundred thousand are either dead or wounded throigh Ihe war.

These figures are admittedly only approximate, and in some instances necessarily several weeks old. They are not called exact in any sense, but arc known to be so nearly so as to give a fairly reliable picture of the war's results. They depend for their accuracy, first, on the official reports of the various belligerents, which are certainly minimum figures, and tlien on a careful re-cheek-ing with all available authentic information. ENTENTE LOSS GREATEST. The Entente's losses are given as 0,318.400. as against 3.384,800 for the Central Empires. One reason for the great discrepancy between the two is believed to be the relative unpreparedness of the Entente, the disastrous retreats in France at the beginning of the war, in Russia from the -Mazurian lakes and the Carpathians, and in Rumania.

The Entente's dead total 2,890.400, against 1.550,800 fjr the Central Empires: the Entente's wounded total 1,676,500, against 022.000 for their enemies, and their captured and missing 1,(552,500, against 012,000 for the Central Empires. Those losses are 'based upou the assumption that-in Germany 90 per cent of the total wounded return to tho front, and 80 per cent in all other countries. RUSSIA HEAVIEST LOSER. Russia is infinitely the heaviest loser so far. with a grand total of 3,084,200 men. The bulk of these losses occurred in the Mazurian Lakes disaster and the two retreats from the Carpathians, ■when prisoners were taken by the tens of thousands. Moreover, lack of communications and 'hospital facilities have made the death rate in Russia extraordinarily high. Their dead total 1,500,000, their wounded 784,200, and their prisoners and missing 800,000, ■whidh is said to be much, lower than the probable number.

Franco has suffered uhe second highest casualties, with a total of 1,810,800, largely because of the early retreat to the Marne, and the terrific losses in the battle of Verdun. Her dead total 870,000, her wounded 540.500, and the missing and captured 400,000, though this last figure is believed here to be improbably high. BRITISH DEATH LIST LOW. Britain's total falls far below, being about one-third of France's and one-sixth of Russia's, owing, of course, to her lute sending of a Continental army. From now on, however, her losses are cx- | pected to keep fairly close to those of the French, who have seriously felt the drain on man power. Britain's total comes to 515,400, with 205,400 dead, 102.500 wounded, and 107,500 captured and missing.

Rumania, though entering the war only last summer, has lost half-a-million men through her fatal attempt to cross into Transylvania when the Central Powers were outflanking her through the Dobrudja. Her dead are given as 100,000, her wounded as 150.000. and her captured and missing about 250,000.

Italy has 'been saved from extreme casualties through the impossibility of open operations on her mountainous frontiers. Her total reaches 20!).000, including 105.000 dead. 49,000 wounded, and 55,000 captured and missing.

Belgium and Serbian, the two small States overrun by the German machine after desperate resistance, have both lost very heavily in proportion to population. Belgium's casualties come to 112.000, with 50,000 dead. 22,000 wounded, and 40,000 captured and missing. Serbia's dead come to 60,000, her wounded to 28,000, making a total oi BS,OOO, with the nixmber of missing and captured large but unknown. CENTRAL POWERS' LOSSES. Germany, among the Central Empires, is given as by far the largest loser, her total casualties being 1,585,200, or 225.000 less than France's. Her dead come to 893.200, which is slightly higher than France's, while her wounded are set at 450.000. and her captured and missing 245,000, proportionately the lowest of the nations. Germany, bo- ' cause of her fighting on interior Imee, I without having suffered a bloody reI treiit, and with a highly efficient medical I service, has lost very few- in captured and wounded, but her offensives have led her into heavy losses in dead. Nearly I one-third of her losses are estimated to have been suffered around Verdun. Austria is rally slightly less heavy a. loser than Germany, with a total of l,4C!),100. Her dead, however, only number 523.1J0, and her wounded 355,000. Her captured and missing run up to 451,000, owing to the heavy losses of prisoners in the two retreats before the Russians.

Turkey also has been a heavy loser, having a wide sweep of front from Gallipoli through Syria, Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Armenia, with serious pressure from British. Russian, and native armies. Her total is given as 307,000, with 127,000 dead, 110.000 wounded, and 70.000 captured and missing.

Uulgaria is the smallest loser, with the meagre total of 20,500, largely because the Serbian campaign was won merely by the threat of her entrance into the war. Her dead total 7,500, her wounded 7.000, and her captured aud missing 0,000.