Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-07
Some Effects Of Possible Disarmament.

The echoes of Cars call for peace
and disarmament are growing fainter
and fainter. 1t seems as though the
spirit of Kipling's Truce of the Bear
would prevail in Europe. War may
not be imminent but certain it is that
preparations for war are increasing on
every hand. The Cars peace confer
ence of the nations may be held, but
when it meets ii. will find the armed
camps more extensive and more popu-
lous than when the call for it was
issued. Nevertheless, if only as bit
of academic reckoning, it may be Of
interest to consider what would be the
immediate effect of disarmament upon
the social and industrial state Of
Europe.
Take first, the standing armies, on a
peace footing, of the six great powers.
They number as follows: Russia, S70,-
900; Germany, $4,000; France, $4,000;
Great Britain, 361 900; Austria Hun
gary, $4,000, and Italy, $4,000. There
are 2,960,0 men who are now nom
productive and supported by the gov
ernments at public expense. Disband-
ment would relieve the nations of the
cost Of supporting them. 1t would
also send that vast army of men in the
very prime of young manhood into the
already crowded marts Of commerce
and workshops of industry. Such an
invasion would unquestionably have a
marked effect We may form some
idea of it by imagining a million or
more able bodied young men suddenly
added to the population of the United
there would be not 1.-THE of the room
for them that there would be here. The
increase of pressure and of competition
in the struggle for life' would be
enormous.
Let us now go a step further. The
war footing of the various armies is as
follows: France, 100000; Germany,
100000; Russia, 3,50O,0OO Austria
Hungary. 2,5OO,OOO; Italy, 100000, and
Great Britain, $4,000. The total is
16,s15,ooo. men. They, not to mention
millions of others now superannuated
poses, have been trained and dis
ciplined in the army and thus have
been made not only capable soldiers
but UNNECESSARILY more capable work.
ing men than they We're before or than
they ever would have been without
their army training. In a majority Of
cases the army takes somewhat
loutish youth and makes a skilful, COM
petent man of him. 1t is possible that,
as has been seriously estimated, the
increase thus effected in industrial pro-
ductive capacity fully counterbalances
the cost of maintaining the army.
Well, disarmament would mean the
stoppage of all that disciplining and
training and developing of mems abil-
tiles. That in few years would also
have marked effect upon social and
industrial affairs.
We do not for a moment doubt that
in time all conditions would be salts
factorily and beneficially readjusted
and that the new state of Europe would
be better than the old. Nevertheless,
the change would mean a social and
industrial revolution, lasting for sew
eral years and probably working great
hardships upon many while it was in
progress. That is not an argument
against disarmament. but it is an in
dication of some of the grave perplex-
tiles of the problem. The man who
caught wildcat cried for some one to
help him let tgo. The nations that have
assumed the elaborate burdens of
militaryism may we'll wish they might
have help to lay them down.