THE COST OF WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 147, 21 June 1918, Page 2

THE COST OF WAR.

SOME STAGGERING FIGURES.

In liis statement at tire annual meeting- of the Bank of New Zealand to-day, Mr. Beaiuahamp said, that the Mechanics and Metals National Bank of New York! had published an interesting tbooklct on-•ti-tied "The Cost of the War." On the aSsiJinpbion that hostilities -would continue to the fourth anniversary (let August, 1913), the writer estimated the direct cost of the war, based on the daily rate of expenditure, as follows:— Dally Average. Total Mllllarv i Cost. Tlirec years to August, 1917.. £18,000,000 £10,490,000,000 One year to August, 101S.. .800.000 11.030.000,000 For four years.i £21,430.000 £31.120,000,000 The figures of the United States are included in the last year. The sum of money expended since the middle of 1914 had been greater than the combined money expenditure for all Other wars that have occurred in recent history. The following table showed the approximate costs of the world's most notable struggles of modern times: — Napoleonic Wars £ 1.250.000.000 Crimean War 340,000,000 American ■Civil War 1.G00.000.0Q0 Franco-Prussian War.... 700,000,000 ■ South African War :.'50,000,000 Russo-Japanese War .... riM.OCO.OOO The Great War 31,120,000.000 Even if the war terminated at the end of the year (which unfortunately does not seem probable). there -would stHl be very heavy expenses in respect to repatriation, -re-conditioning of shipping and railways, and readjusting ifoe businesses that -were now controlled, together with numerous other items. These we might safely reckon would; absorb another one thousand to t\vo| thousand millions of expenditure. I