Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1899-09-28
MILITARISM.

for the present, when we could
congratulate ourselves as a na-
ton that we are free from the
burden of an immense military
establishment such as the great
governments of Europe main
tain.
We need waste no more sym
pathy upon the masses of the
| people of those lands, out OF
whose hard earnings must be
contributed the millions which
are re quired to pay the expenses
Of militarism.
Even before we went to war
with Spain our military expendi-
lures were considerably larger
| than those of the governments of
Europe, with their huge stands
ing armies.
I be last fiscal year before the
war with Spain ended, June 30,
1897, in that year we spent for
the army $37, 131, ,918; navy, S34,-
972, 479; pensions, $141, o53, 1865;
total, S213, 157, 562. This enorm-
Gus unproductive military ex-
penditure is to be compared with
that of England, $195, 535, 972; of
Germany, $173, 800, 928; of
France, 1888, $50, 766; of Italy,
S73, 364, 526. For England the
figures here given refer to the
year ended March 81, 1898; for
Germany, to 1898-99; for France
and Italy, to 1699-years of in
creased expenditure.
Our war expenditures were far
ahead of those of any European
nation before we began our ad-
venturous career of expansion,
and now we have distanced the
nearest competitor in this line.
For the present year our war ap-
preparations aggregate $273,-
764. 118, and it is certain that we
will have a very large deficit on
this score.
But, it is argued, we have such
vast resources that this burden,
which would be crushing to other
nations, is a mere bagatelle to US.
Let US see about that.
We must bring the calculation
down to per capita basis. We
have been accustomed to consider
Italy as a country shamefully
overwhelmed for military pur-
poses. Italy spends this year on
the military account 50 80 for
every man, woman and child of
her population. This is heavy,
but how do we stand?
Our expenditure on the military
account this year as already pro-
vided for will be So. 81 for every
man, woman and child in the
United States, estimating our
population at Is, 900, 900.
Germany maintains a standing
army of 5s5, ,440 men and a navy
almost as large as ours, and yet
Germany is spending only $3,33
per capita against our 1921.
France has a navy surpassed
only by that of England, and a
standing army nearly as large as
Ger many's, She beats us little
on war expenditures, her per cap
ita being SAT-. but at the present
rate we will catch and pass her
before long. England. with more
territory even on this continent
than we own, with possessions in.
every part of the globe, with a
navy larger than ours and those
of any other two powers put toe
gether, and with a monarchical es-
tablishment whose "pin money"
amounts to more than the salaries
of our president, sH of the cabinet
and the supreme court of the
United States, spends TO hold her
vast possessions and to keep up
her mighty army and navy, to
which she has but recently appro-
priated $I25, 900. 900, only SIS. .13
per capita. We are often told that
the true American spirit will not
permit England to beat us at any
thing, and we may soon reach the
British standard of war expendi-
lures without having anything like
as much to show for them.
We are cutting gay figure in
deed.
Paris. Sept. -Dreyfus, par
don was published today Tt is ac-
companied officially with note
from Minister OF War Galifet
saying that, while it is the first
duty Of all to respect the judicial
decisions Of the government, we