The Cost of War

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Apr 8, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 14.

The new Brazilian war-ship is stated to be of 32,000 tons. There are some authorities that give it as low as 28,000. But the United States battle-ship Pennsylvania is a big one. Her length on the designer's water line is 600 feet, over all, 618 feet; breadth, 97 feet, ½ inch; draft, 26 feet, 10 inches; displacement, 31,400 tons; speed on four-hour trial, 21 knots; heavy battery, twelve 14-inch guns; four submerged torpedo tubes, supported by a torpedo defense battery of 21 5-inch guns; cost $12,000,000; the armor 18-inch plates. The boilers are all oil burning, the water-tube type. What a monster she is! And yet, if we remember rightly, there are several that have been planned since this larger than the Pennsylvania. The cost of this battle-ship would build 3,000 churches at $4,000 each, or erect 3,000 schoolhouses at $4,000 each. It would support 12,000 large families for one year at $1,000 each family. But in one year from this time the Pennsylvania may be practically obsolete. Some other ship may be devised and built that would destroy a fleet of her. Such is the cost of war.