Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-04-07
AMERICA'S INDUSTRIAL So
PREMACY ASSURED.

Every war, even victorious war,
is national calamity" So writes the
Count Won Moltke, Germany's most
successful warrior And he might
have added. To be constantly preparing
for war is a national calamity but little
inferior to actual warfare Last year
Elrope expended for military and
naval purposes something near $780,
600, 600, and did no fighting. This
great burden was borne chiefly by
eight powers, as follows: Russia, Sl73,-
TAO, 900; Great Britain, Sl53, $40, 900 !;
France, 1928, $40, 900; Germany, $l0l,-
626, 900; Austro-Hungary, S53,074,-
600; Italy, S44,030,0 900; Spain, $685.
$50, 600; Turkey, S23. 100000
This profitless squandering of money
which the overtaxed producers have
to furnish-is unfortunately not the
whole of the blood tax upon Europe
in times of peace. The national debts
of Europe due almost entirely to past
wars and preparations for future con-
licts, amount to more than twenty
billions dollars. the interest of which
the producers have to meet About
eighteen billions of debt stand against
the eight powers above named
This is the tax paid in money. That
which comes from withdrawing able
bodied men from productive labor is
an item of scarcely less magnitude, for
the standing armies Of Europe foot up
something over eight millions. In a
late report by the Hungarian ministry,
designed to show the relative weak
ness of the Austro- Hungarian forces
the armies of the five chief States of
Europe We're enumerated as follows:
The military strength of Russia con-
sists of 3,046, 800 men, Of whom 600,-
900 belong to the reserve and 2.446,-
800 to the standing army. The reg
ular army Of France comprises 1859,
900 soldiers of all arms, the territorial
army, l,208,000, total, 2,2S9,000 to
be increased in 1892 by the addition of
| 300, 900 reserve men to :, 2,723, 900 The
German power of all classes is repre-
sented by 1904, 200 men, Of whom | :
O76, 200 belong to the standing army.
| 307, 200 70 the landwehr, and $50, 900
to the reserve. Italy has an army OF
COS, 900 and militia Of 10000. In
1892, when the reserve will number
l,0l6 200, her total strength will reach
1924, 200 Austro-Hungary possesses
a standing army of 100000, q land.
wehr of 299,3l and a reserve of 95,.
900 men; total, l,194,378 The grand
total Of all these forces amount to l6,.
47l,9lS, the standing arm es alone
numbering 1925, 900. To these figures
there should be added for the armies oi
Great Britain, Spain and Turkey, about
100000 regular soldiers and twice as
many reserves. Allowing that half oi
the men nominally in the European
armies are at home on furlough, and
able to take part in productive labor
there cannot be less than 1000, 00(
men in the prime of life permanently
withdrawn from productive industry
in the great States named Counting
the labor Of these men as worth nc
more than hundred dollars year
the burden of their idleness can be
measured only by hundreds of million:
of dollars annually. Adding the vaIu,
of the time lost by the millions of re
serves in drilling, and the losses Incl
dent to the spelling Of men for peaceful
industry by enforced soldering during
the years Of early manhood, a rougl
idea can be formed of the aggregat.
burden which governmental ambition
and mutual fear combine to lay upol
the shoulders of Eurupe's working
population.
Not the least disheartening feature
of this state Of things is it's tendenc.
70 grow steadily worse. As leading
English journal pertinently remarks
it is the special aggravation of thi
waste of human energies that it is in
! terminable. thatit settles not hing finally
tlat tl5 eJascYhl@ute bs war n no