AFTER THE WAR OF 1870-1871. 169 



the remodelling of the French frontier departments 

 from the judicial and administrative point of view, and 

 this is not the least interesting part of the whole 

 story. But the main fact, which sums up all the rest, 

 is the total account of what the war cost us. The 

 figures, which tell us this themselves, testify to the 

 financial power and vitality of our country. 



The total of this cost, excluding, of course, the 

 losses sustained by the various branches of industry 

 and trade during and immediately after the war, 

 exceeds 1,460,000,000. In this total, extraordinary 

 war expenses are put at about 80,000,000, war 

 indemnities at 36,000,000, and the maintenance of 

 the German troops at 14,000,000. The cost of the 

 different loans is estimated at 25,240,000, and the 

 net loss from the territory annexed at 2,640,000, 

 while the reconstruction of our war and naval material 

 is given at 80,000,000. 



The question as to whether the State is responsible 

 to the inhabitants of the country for the damage caused 

 by war is a very important and complex one. Theo- 

 retically, it excites the liveliest controversy, and from 

 a practical point of view it forms the subject of con- 

 stant demands upon the Government. Various views 

 were expressed in the National Assembly, but the 

 majority did not make any exceptions or distinctions 

 which in strict justice could be repudiated. As I 

 have already said, foreigners as well as Frenchmen 

 were allowed to benefit by the beneficent measures 



VOL. II. N 



