New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-08
STANDING ARMIES.
FOURTH LETTER OF EXTRAORDINARY
MCCCLLOCH.


TIE DEpT or FRANCE AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY
ITS INCREASE UNDER EVERY FORM or GOVERN.
MyyT. AND IN PEACE As WELL As wAR-AS
ENORMOUS DEBT TnG NATURAL PRODUCT 0vA
STANDING ARNY-A MORAL FROM AMyRlCAS
POLICY.
To IA gdffor Of rhe 7rtbuns.
SIN: In q previous letter spoke OF tho debt
OF France ~ being larger than that OF any
other nation II has been stated by high
authority that tho exact amount OF tho debt
of France is unknown. II il very certain that
no intelligbo statement has been published
giving the precise character and extent OF her
indebtedness. II is currently reported that not long
ago a high official in the French Ministry of Finance
remarked that There was not single man in Franco
who could tell the exact state OF the National debt
Enough is known, however, to Justify the statement
that it is not only In its charge upon the State By tho
higher interest it bears, but also in nominal amount
considerably larger than the debt Of Great Britain:
and it is interesting to notice with what rapidity
and under what circumstances it has grown to its
present ma gnitude Omtting all reference TO its in
crease and fluctuations in earlier years We find that
at the close Of the First Empire-as Napoleon made
heavy acquisitions upon the States which he had
vanqnished-it amounted only TO Y3J00OO,OOO.
While tho restored Bourbons were in power il w@
doubled. During the Orleans reign il was consider
ably increased and in 1913 ut the commencement
Of the Second Republic it had risen TO 5000 900 900.
The Republic added $300.00O,000 TO it, and ths
Second Empire somo $l,50O,O00,000 more. AT tho
outbreak of the FrancO-Gcrmsn it amounted 10
about So zoo, 900 900 and by the expenses of that
and the payment of the indemnity it raised.
including all classes Of indebtedness, to an amount
more than equal to twice the present debt OF tho
United States.
1t will I've noticed that largo part of this inoreass
was during the existence Of the Second Empire,
when France was engaged in very expensive
wars and when the country in condition Of
unexampled prosperity. Even in years of profound
peace, when the national income was increasing with
amazing rapidity. tho national debt was increasing
with almost equal rapidity. Deficits constantly
occurring at times when the Treasury receipts ought
to have been largely in of the public expend
tures. To an American who thoroughly approves
tho American policy il seems utterly astounding that
France, whose finances in OTHER respects have been
managed with singular ability, should have
permitted her debt to grow "a IL has
grown, when uncomfortable causes for
extraordinary expenses existed and whom tho gem
eral condition of the country unusually pros
porous. The explanation only be found in the
fact that France, when not engaged in war. has
been, she is now, preparing for war; and that all
her previous existing Governments, whether mo.
narchical, imperial, republican. have lacked tho
nerve to raise by taxation the revenues which have
been required to cover necessary and unnecessary
expenditures. The present Government has made
good start in the right direction; whether OF not it
has the stamina to stand up against the unpopu-
lariy which high taxes sure to produce remains
to be seen.
The standing army has been at tho bottom Of al
tho financial troubles in France. aud 1t Is her stand
ing army and the standing armies of other conn
tries that the peace of Europe. II ia an alb
surd supposition that these large aud steadily
increasing armies are necessary to preserve the
peace. Nations subject to the same influence ms
are the individuals that compose them Everybody
knows that it is the armed man who il tho dangerous
and aggressive man, and that in all communities in
which arms are carried. the law Is constantly vio
lated, if, indeed. violence does not become superior
to law. 1t il the increasing armies of the leading
military powers of Europe which make the pub
lie mind here and elsewhere sensitive and
apprehensive. These armies are not created
for tho preservation of the peace; they
are the preparations for war; they mean
war. and nothing else. Germany, tho great
military power of Europe, not only maintains E.
very largo and thoroughly drilled regular army
but she has enrolled all her sblebodied men, of all
classes and conditions, in what may be called we'll
trained militia France is attempting the Same
thing; and is it to be supposed that Germany will
wait until France considers herself strong enough to
assume the offensive before she strikes again at her
old encmyY Is France arming without tho inten.
ton of Attempting the recovery of the provinces sho
has recently lost Are Russia and Austria increas-
ing their armies simply to protect their own terri
tories from invasiOnf The largo and increasing
armies of Continental nations not only menacing
the peace Of Europe, but they are depressing tbs
people with taxes and checking the growth Of
nations by Withdrawing millions of men from pro-
ductiyo industry. Were the armies which
are now in preparation for war dis
banded, there would be no breaches of the peace
between nations, and there would speedily be no
national debts. A period of peace is especially
needed by France and she would have that peace il
she disbandod her army The Empire is peace"
was the remark of the Third Napoleon. What .
blessing it would be to France, and to civilization
everywhere, if she would now say. The Republic il
poace," and verify the saying by following the eX-
ample set by tho United States at tho close of tho
late civil war; If she should do she would shame
every European nation into doing the same. France
is rich country. but there is limit to her wealtn.
She has high financial credit, but there must b.
eventually an end of her ability to borrow. United
Germany, unless her strength should be distracted
by ecclesiastical questions which is not probable
for when tho test Is applied 1T will be found
that Catholic Germans are more German than
Catholic-Unitod Germany, with her freedom from
debt, and her full military chest; her larger popula-
ton and tho greater submission to discipline of her
citizen soldiers, will always be more than match
for France in wal. France, indeed. has everything
to lose and nothing to gain by another contest with
Germany As military nation she is not equal TO
Germany but she is superior to Germany in the ex-
celencc of her soil, the variety of its productions.
and in the TASTE tho skill, and refinement of hor
people. The aim of France shOnld bo TO excel all