The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1900-06-22
MONEY AND WARFARE
NATIONS STRENGTH MEAS
URED ~ THE FORMER.


Struggles Have Imposed On the Ma
lions Of the Earth our own Hertz
age. o
Money Ii an essential TO the CON
duct OF war. Before government
ran go to war. soldiers must be en-
gagged and trained. fed and clothed.
armed and transported to the scene
OF action. Men must be paid TO enroll
and drill the troops; butchers. bakers
and grocers. tailors. shoemakers and
hatmakcrs. gunmakors and the manu-
facturers Of shot and she'll must all
be paid for the work they do. or the
goods they furnish; laborcrs must be
hired TO handle stores and supplies.
wagons and drivers to transport them.
railroad and steamship companies do
not work for nothing. and thus at
every point. government that would
go to war IL compelled TO spend
money In enormous amounts. for
whatever Is needed must be had at
once. and The government Is often
forced to pay oxorbitant prices for the
advantage taken Of its necessity by
those who have something TO SELL
The debt Of France. for instance.
last year amounted to s64i6, 7ea29s.
the most stupcnlous national obllga-
tion In the history OF finance, This
sum, inconcelvablc In ia magnitude.
n mountain load which will burden
the French people for generations 20
come. was incurred by one short war.
The Franco-P russian conflict lasted
only few short months. and Il not
only decided the place Of France In
the family OF Europe. but II saddlod
the nation with a debt which In all
probability viii never be paid. No
such indemnity as that demanded by
Germany from France was ever asked
by any nation; the fact that II was
paid with marvellous promptncss II
the strongest tribute that can be Of
fercd. not only TO the commercial and
industrial prosperity. but TO tho pa
triotic zeal OF tho French.
The debt OF Russia Ia mostly IN,
result OF the giant military establish.
ment by which the Iron Empire Il
maintained in its integrity. DurinT
the past few years considerable add
tions to the Russian debt have been
caused by the extension Of the en-
pire's railroad systcms along th'
southern and western frontiers, bul
more especially In Siberia. Tho rail
road debt OF Russia. however. Is bu
trine compared with the army debt
Russian army on a peace footing mum
bers over 500. 900 mon. no surpris
need be felt at tho statement that IN
Russian debt In over three and n hal
billions
While France. Russia and Grea
Britain have the heaviest burdens o
debt and taxation, there are other ma
lions afflicted with obligations not 81
large In amount, but even heayie
when compared with the natlona
ability 10 pay. The debt OF Italy 70
Instance, is s2,32i 1926. 800. and that o
Austria ,2,sGG. $50 $3.50. but in each cas-
the resources OF the country are NOR
severely taxed 90 meet this smalle
Obligation than are those OF the thre'
larger states which have n mucl
heavier debt. and in each case IN,
! Obligation was incurred either by wa
or by preparations for waTllke con
, tingoncles that might arise. Leavinl
out OF tho calculation the sccond-ratl
powers. the people Of the leadinI
states Of Europe are now paying in
tercst on the stupendous sum OF t22.
, 1856. 100000. the greater portion o
. which was expended either In war o.
) on armies and nayles.
|. We ourselves have had an expert
ence OF the cost OF war Our debt n
present ia a little more than tw'
billions. n mere trine whom compared
, with the wealth and resources OF thl
, great country, but the dobt itself. lik
that OF every other nation. rs. in tn
i main. the heritage OF war, Our ma
tional obligations were heavy imme
diately after the close OF the reyolu
ton, but were rapidly undergoing
liquidation when the second war witt
Great Britain came on. The variou
Indian wars. the war with Mexico
the civil war, and tho recent confilo
with Spain are all accurately note
d, eho tuovap,ant ~ tho nuhtis daht