History of the World War, Volume 1 (of 7) : $b An authentic narrative of the world's greatest warMarch, Francis A., Jr.
History
History of the World War, Volume 1 (of 7) : $b An authentic narrative of the world's greatest war
March, Francis A., Jr.
World War, 1914-1918
Representing American Labor at the International Labor conference
held in Paris simultaneously with the Peace Conference were Samuel
Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor; William Green,
secretary-treasurer of the United Mine Workers of America; John R.
Alpine, president of the Plumbers’ Union; James Duncan, president
of the International Association of Granite Cutters; Frank Duffy,
president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, and
Frank Morrison, secretary of the American Federation of Labor.
Estimating the share of each Allied nation in the great victory,
mankind will conclude that the heaviest cost in proportion to pre-war
population and treasure was paid by the nations that first felt the
shock of war, Belgium, Serbia, Poland and France. All four were the
battle-grounds of huge armies, oscillating in a bloody frenzy over once
fertile fields and once prosperous towns.
Belgium, with a population of 8,000,000, had a casualty list of more
than 350,000; France, with its casualties of 4,000,000 out of a
population (including its colonies) of 90,000,000, is really the martyr
nation of the world. Her gallant poilus showed the world how cheerfully
men may die in defense of home and liberty. Huge Russia, including
hapless Poland, had a casualty list of 7,000,000 out of its entire
population of 180,000,000. The United States out of a population of
110,000,000 had a casualty list of 236,117 for nineteen months of war;
of these 53,169 were killed or died of disease; 179,625 were wounded;
and 3,323 prisoners or missing.
To the glory of Great Britain must be recorded the enormous effort
made by its people, showing through operations of its army and navy.
The British Empire, including the Colonies, had a casualty list of
3,049,992 men out of a total population of 440,000,000. Of these
658,665 were killed; 2,032,122 were wounded, and 359,204 were reported
missing. It raised an army of 7,000,000, and fought seven separate
foreign campaigns, in France, Italy, Dardanelles, Mesopotamia,
Macedonia, East Africa and Egypt. It raised its navy personnel from
115,000 to 450,000 men. Co-operating with its allies on the sea, it
destroyed approximately one hundred and fifty German and Austrian
submarines. It aided materially the American navy and transport service
in sending overseas the great American army whose coming decided the
war. The British navy and transport service during the war made the
following record of transportation and convoy:
Twenty million men, 2,000,000 horses, 130,000,000 tons of food,
25,000,000 tons of explosives and supplies, 51,000,000 tons of oil and
fuels, 500,000 vehicles. In 1917 alone 7,000,000 men, 500,000 animals,
200,000 vehicles and 9,500,000 tons of stores were conveyed to the
several war fronts.
The German losses were estimated at 1,588,000 killed or died of
disease; 4,000,000 wounded; and over 750,000 prisoners and missing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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