The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette Published Daily. SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1902 THE WAR.

Feilding Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 1408, 12 April 1902, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette Published Daily. SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1902 THE WAR.

. « The original estimate ot the cost of the war in the Transvaal, made by the War Office, was that with an expenditure cf £10,000,000 the two Republics would be defeated and subdued in about four months. That sum included the cost of transporting 47,000 men to the scene of the war, and their maintenance for the period mentioned. The House of Commons was told by Sir Michael-Hicks Beach it was possible that estimate might be exceeded, but neither he nor anyone else ever imagined it would be exceeded over twenty-fold. Tho war is in its third year now, and still drags its weary length along. The 47,000 men have been increased to nearly 250,000, and the modest £10,000,000 first voted now appears ridiculous. The cost of the war is the subject of an article in the Fortnightly Eeview in which the writer gives some interesting details of the vast expenditure entailed upon the national treasury. The cost of the war up to 1902 has been £158,405,000, made up as follows :— 1899 to 1900, £23,007,000 ; 1900 to 1901, £66,178, \ 000; 1901 to 1902, £69,220,000. The estimates for 1902-3 total £40,---000,0000. That represents a decrease of considerably over £20,000,000 upon the war services of the previous year, but it is a heavy enough addition to a war bill already gigantic in it sproportion. Even if the war is finished by the end of September next its cost will almost certainly have exceeded £200,000,000, and may, perhaps, reach £250,000,000. To this must be added the annual interest charges, and the cost of making good the damage done to the war-swept territories. And not only has money been poured out like water, bat the thousands of lives sacrificed in the great struggle must be taken into account. The nation has not grudged the cost, but it does feel that after such an outlay no settlement can be accepted which does not render impossible in the future any recurrence of such a disastrous Avar.