The Cost of War
Thomas J. Watson Sr.'s "The Cost of War" |
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Published August 26, 2021
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Introduction to Tom Watson Sr.'s "The Cost of War"
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Watson Sr. believed in "World Peace Through World Trade." He pleaded for peace until it was time to enter the fight. Then he fought the best way he knew how. His two sons, just like 27% of all IBMers, entered the military to serve their country. He turned his company over to the U. S. Government and limited profits on war-time munitions to 1.5%. This money was earmarked for the widows and orphans of IBM war veterans.
Before this he tirelessly spent his time working for peace. Why? Maybe because he understood better than most the terrible costs of World War I. "The Cost of War" was read into the Congressional Record on June 16, 1938. Watson recounts these horrific numbers. |
Select image to read about the impact of the coming of war on Tom Watson in 1939.
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To understand the extent of World War I, it is necessary to convert dead, missing and wounded into today's numbers. The number of solders killed in World War I was 10,000,000; the number of civilians was 13,000,000. An additional 23,000,000 soldiers were wounded or went missing. This was a total of 46,000,000 men, women and children either dead, missing or wounded. As a proportion of today's worldwide population—even though this was a war fought mainly in Europe—would equate to 87,000,000 dead and another 87,000,000 wounded or missing—a total of 174,000,000 people.
Only seven countries in the world have a larger population. So pick your country and if it isn't China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria or the United States, this war would have touched every person within the population. In most cases it would have destroyed even today's nations in multiples of fives or tens. In the United States, more than 1 of every 2 citizens would be dead, wounded or missing.
It is no wonder that so many individuals tried to prevent another war. When this was read into the Congressional Record, barely two decades had passed since an armistice was signed to end the war that was meant to end "all" wars.
Subheadings and pictures have been added by this author and are his sole responsibility.
Only seven countries in the world have a larger population. So pick your country and if it isn't China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria or the United States, this war would have touched every person within the population. In most cases it would have destroyed even today's nations in multiples of fives or tens. In the United States, more than 1 of every 2 citizens would be dead, wounded or missing.
It is no wonder that so many individuals tried to prevent another war. When this was read into the Congressional Record, barely two decades had passed since an armistice was signed to end the war that was meant to end "all" wars.
Subheadings and pictures have been added by this author and are his sole responsibility.
Thomas J. Watson Sr.'s "The Cost of War"
The History of The Great War and Its Human Costs
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The World War took a toll of 23,000,000 lives—10,000,000 soldiers and 13,000,000 civilians. In addition, 23,000,000 soldiers were wounded or missing, 9,000,000 children were orphaned, and 10,000,000 persons became refugees.
This toll of lives was taken from the ablest and best of the world's population. Among those killed and disabled were many whose ability and genius would have made great contributions to the civilization and progress of mankind. |
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The Treaty of Versailles, which ended the "war to end all wars" was signed only 19 years ago. In the intervening years the utter futility of war has been vividly apparent from the fact that none of the combatants in the World War won; they all lost. Yet today the nations of the world, large and small, are again engaged in a race to rearm at an expense of many billions of dollars annually in the fear that the world is headed for another outbreak of hostilities.
What humanity faces in this terrific race for rearmament is only to be shown by facts. Let us examine the cost of the World War. Let us consider what might have been done with the money expended for the World War by this country alone, if it had been employed instead for the welfare of our people.
And, finally let us attempt to estimate what participation in another world war would cost us - if we could not keep out of another world war.
What humanity faces in this terrific race for rearmament is only to be shown by facts. Let us examine the cost of the World War. Let us consider what might have been done with the money expended for the World War by this country alone, if it had been employed instead for the welfare of our people.
And, finally let us attempt to estimate what participation in another world war would cost us - if we could not keep out of another world war.
The Dollar Costs of World War I
In money, the World War cost $337,846,000,000, of which $189,000,000,000 were spent directly, and the remaining cost was in destruction of property and stoppage of industry. Of this amount, the cost to the United States for the war period was $32,000,000,000. Continuing costs of the World War now total $19,000,000,000, which when added to the costs of the war period, make a staggering total of $51,000,000,000.
The human mind can scarcely realize the enormity of the social and economic waste represented by the part of this war cost borne by the United States alone.
The human mind can scarcely realize the enormity of the social and economic waste represented by the part of this war cost borne by the United States alone.
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Fifty-one billions of dollars would pay the cost of running the public elementary and high schools and universities and colleges of the entire Nation for seventeen years. It would build nearly 2,000,000 miles of paved roads, which is about three times the mileage of all surfaced roads now in use in the United States. It would construct 12,750,000 6-room houses. It would construct 16 hospitals costing a million dollars each, in every one of the 3,073 counties of the United States. It would pay the unemployment insurance premiums on all employees of business and industry of the United States for more than 100 years at the New York State rate.
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The $51,000,000,000 which the World War has cost us to date could do all of the following:
In Peace, We Could Have Spent the Money Differently
Wire the 9,400,000 urban and rural homes of the United States which do not have electricity; pay all farm mortgages in the United States; install bathrooms with running water in the 80 percent of our farm homes which do not have them; double the present endowment funds of all institutions of higher learning in the United States; build four consolidated rural high schools, at $250,000 each, in every county of the United States; spend a million dollars in each county for airports and emergency landing fields; build 10 bridges like the Triborough Bridge; build another canal across the Isthmus of Panama; establish a five-billion-dollar program for prevention of floods and soil erosion; set up an endowment fund which, at 3-percent interest, would provide a pension of $100 a month for every blind person and deaf-mute in the United States: finance the entire recovery and relief program of the United States from the time it was begun in 1932 to the end of the fiscal year 1938, which includes aid to agriculture, the Civil Works Administration, the Public Works Administration, aid to home owners, and the resettlement and housing activities of the Government; and endow at 2 percent an organization to promote world peace at more than the combined cost of the League of Nations, the World Court, and the International Labor Organization.
The Burden of the Cost of War on Governments
The combined national debts of the countries of the world was increased from about $43,000,000,000 in 1913 to $400,000,000,000 in 1921. The cost of living has doubled. The inflated price structure and dislocation of trade and industry finally resulted in the world-wide depression which began in 1929. The world is still paying for that war in interest on debt and in caring for the crippled and insane. Over $4,000,000,000 of the expenditures of the United States Government in 1936 can be traced directly to war and more than three and one-fourth billions more was for relief due to the depression which grew out of the war.
Of the eight and one-half billions of dollars of government expense of 1936, about seven and one-half billions, or 88 percent, was due, directly and indirectly, to war.
Of the eight and one-half billions of dollars of government expense of 1936, about seven and one-half billions, or 88 percent, was due, directly and indirectly, to war.
What Would Another World War Cost?
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That another world war would lead to bankruptcy for the nation seems certain when we examine the cost of wars to this country, beginning with the Civil War. That war cost about three and one-half billions of dollars not including destruction of property, and raised Government expenses to a new level about five times as high as before the war. The per capita debt of the country was increased 30 times (from $2.06 to $63.19). Five years after the war (in 1870), the interest on the public debt annually was approximately double the pre-war total of all Government expenses.
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The Spanish-American War, 33 years after the close of the Civil War and lasting only a few months, left the United States with an annual expenditure for national defense more than three times as high as it was before, and increased the total running expenses of the Government by 46 percent. Nearly 20 years later, the United States entered the World War, which raised expenditures from $734,000,000 to more than three and one-fourth billions, a new level about four and one-half times as high as before. National debt was increased from $12.16 per capita before the war to $222.35 in 1921, and the interest was nearly one and one-fourth times as much as all Government expenses together had been before the war.
Based upon such figures, it seems fair to conclude that another major war would cost the United States from $130,000,000,000 to $150,000,000,000 and would leave us with a debt burden of about $160,000,000,000.
Comparing military expenditures of 1913, the year before the World War, with those of the current fiscal year, Great Britain's has gone from $385,000,000 to $870,000,000; France's from $307,000,000 to $653,000,000; Germany's from $281,000,000 to $1,560,000,000; Italy's from $195,000,000 to $291,000,000; and the United States from $245,000,000 to $962,000,000.
The $962,000,000 the United States is now spending for armaments is about double the amount we are spending to run our normal schools, colleges, universities, and professional schools. It would provide $1,375 for the special education and correction of every one of the 700,000 boys and girls of this country who are making a wrong start that leads to crime. We cannot eliminate all our crime bill, estimated to be $15,000,000,000 annually, but we are thinking within the bounds of possibility if we speak of eliminating half of it.
The great lesson which civilization must now learn is that another great war is certain to bankrupt the world, both financially and morally. It must also learn that war can be avoided; and that the free interchange of ideas and ideals, of men and methods, of products and processes can afford every nation an equal opportunity to advance the welfare of its people. As a result of this lesson we should see all countries of the world reduce trade barriers in time, stabilize their currencies and adjust their international debts on a basis that will be fair to debtor and creditor countries alike.
If all countries would adopt spiritually the principle of "World Peace Through World Trade" higher living standards and prosperity for all would be sure to follow.
Based upon such figures, it seems fair to conclude that another major war would cost the United States from $130,000,000,000 to $150,000,000,000 and would leave us with a debt burden of about $160,000,000,000.
Comparing military expenditures of 1913, the year before the World War, with those of the current fiscal year, Great Britain's has gone from $385,000,000 to $870,000,000; France's from $307,000,000 to $653,000,000; Germany's from $281,000,000 to $1,560,000,000; Italy's from $195,000,000 to $291,000,000; and the United States from $245,000,000 to $962,000,000.
The $962,000,000 the United States is now spending for armaments is about double the amount we are spending to run our normal schools, colleges, universities, and professional schools. It would provide $1,375 for the special education and correction of every one of the 700,000 boys and girls of this country who are making a wrong start that leads to crime. We cannot eliminate all our crime bill, estimated to be $15,000,000,000 annually, but we are thinking within the bounds of possibility if we speak of eliminating half of it.
The great lesson which civilization must now learn is that another great war is certain to bankrupt the world, both financially and morally. It must also learn that war can be avoided; and that the free interchange of ideas and ideals, of men and methods, of products and processes can afford every nation an equal opportunity to advance the welfare of its people. As a result of this lesson we should see all countries of the world reduce trade barriers in time, stabilize their currencies and adjust their international debts on a basis that will be fair to debtor and creditor countries alike.
If all countries would adopt spiritually the principle of "World Peace Through World Trade" higher living standards and prosperity for all would be sure to follow.
Thomas J. Watson Sr., "The Cost of War"