The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-02-02
EIGHTEEN MILLION SOLDIERS.

An official report to the French cham
Der of deputies shows that France has
spent since the Franco Prussian war
nearly 1905, o00, 900 in creating and
maintaining her army. That is the price
OF the present French army in time OF
peace. The country has paid this
amount not for fighting. but in order to
be ready to fight. In addition to this
expenditure OF about $3.50, 900 900 a year
on the average, France pays about $780,
O00, 900 annually as interest and amorti-
zation on the French public debt, while
the military establishment involves the
permanent maintenance Of 100000 men
and 100000 horses in 4 state Of absolute
uselessness, SO far as Industrial produc-
ton is concerned. Were France able to
dispense with this costly. instrument of
devastation and death she could save not
only $50, 000, 900 a year, but her wealth
would be annually increased by the in
dustry OF those idle men and horses to
an extent representing perhaps from
$3.50 ,000, 900 to $500, O00, 900. Meantime
both Germany and Austria are increas-
ing their military expenditure; Italy is
reluctant, even under pressure of finan-
cial distress, to reduce her disproportionate
military establishment, and Russia, not
withdrawing enormous losses OF revenue
and extraordinary expenses attending the
recent famine, finds money enough to
support her immense standing armies.
1t Is estimated that the nations OF Europe
spend considerably more than 81 ,0O0,-
000, 900 every twelve months in keeping
ready to fight each other.
1t is not unreasonable, therefore, that
friends of peace view the European stu
alton with increasing alarm. The ques-
ton Of peace or war occupies the first
place among European questions Of the
time. One thing at least is certain, and
that is the entire failure OF European
statesmen to secure peace. During an
armed truce of twenty years duration
the governments there have always made
their demands for increased ornaments
on the ground that they would insure
peace. But they have done nothing of
the kind, because the new call for fresh
sacrifices can mean only that there is as
little safety from war now as there was
at the beginning. Thus in 1880 the mum.
Der OF men trained for war in Europe was
$4,000 600, and in 1890 it had grown to
100000. But il in 1898 that increase
is found still insufficient, OF what use
were the preceding additions to armament
and expenditure in the interest of peace?
The conclusion is obvious that there is
a race between certain European states
as to which shall ruin the other first. If
it had not been so they would long ago
have agreed to proportional and simulta-
neous disarmament. The fact is these
armies are not maintained for the purpose
OF defense. They are maintained and
periodically increased, because certain
states have unsatisfied claims upon other
states and are determined to obtain salts
faction, either by wearing out their oppo-
nents or by trial OF strength on the bat
tlefeld. The present danger to Europe
is that sooner or later some of the gov
ernments will feel that it is less ruinous
to trust to the fortune Of war than longer
to endure burden that threatens to be-
come uncomfortable.