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Show British Losses in War Reach 733,030 Included in Casualty List Are 136,115 Civilians. LONDON. The cost of Britain's five years of tntnl war the normal life of the nation oblilcrnted, 1.5 per cent of the whole population casu-i casu-i alties. the riches stored up by past generations dissipated was described de-scribed to the world recently in a government white paper. Grim statistics told the story of the United Kingdom's war contribution: contribu-tion: Total casualties of 733.030, including includ-ing 136.115 civilians killed and wounded and 29.629 merchant seamen sea-men killed; the export trade, basis of Britain's wealth and power virtually vir-tually abandoned; overseas gold reserves re-serves spent on war materials; one home in three damaged and one in 30 destroyed; more than 5,500 factories fac-tories damaged; monotonous diet; strictly rationed clothing; high I taxes. "We have sacrificed most of our Victorian inheritance," said Minister Minis-ter nf Information Brendan Bracken Brack-en in a press conference after the release of the document. "What was the treasure of nur grandfathers has I gone, and it has been well and gladly sacrificed." j Britain, he said, gave up her export ex-port business at the start of the war and converted the whole of her manpower to the making and using of war goods. Her workers since have produced more than 102,000 planes, 25,000 tanks, 35,000 guns, 5,700 ships. In five years her people have paid approximately $15,900,000,000 in income in-come tax nd other direct taxes and have turned over to the government approximately $19,243,000,000 in per- j sonal savings. "The Victorians." Mr. Bracken observed, "were proud t be called a nation of shopkeepers, but there never have been such shopkeepers as the British. No shopkeepers ever befere sold out their entire stocks j in order to fight." |