One hundred years ago this week the Great War had become a monster in just five months. Brisbane's Worker published a cluster of some of the most awful statistics ever gathered.
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"More Than Half The World At War. One Thousand Million People Involved.
"With the addition of Turkey to the ranks of the belligerents the area of hostilities has been extended to approximately 68 per cent of the land surface of the globe. About 56 per cent of the total population of the earth must be classed as technically belligerent.
"Out of a total habitable land surface of 51,500,000 square miles, 30,000,000 square miles is occupied by the 11 belligerent powers, and about 1,000,000,000 of the 1,800,000,000 human beings on this planet are directly involved in the great war.
"Apportioning the area and population between the two opposing groups, it will be found that there is a vast preponderance of both on the side of Britain and her Allies, who own 27,500,000 square miles, and have about 840,000,000 people under their rule.
"If the affected areas are analysed by continents, it will be found that in Europe 380,000,000 people out of 475,000,000 – or nearly 80 per cent – are at war.
"Curiously enough, Australasia and Oceania, although the most remote from the primary zone of hostilities, have the highest percentage of belligerents of any of the continental divisions.
"South America occupies the happiest position of all ... it has the distinction of being almost entirely at peace, while more than half the world is at war."
