Gilpin observer., 1900-06-14
MONEY AND WARFARE
NATIONS STRENGTH MEAS
URED BY THE FORMER.
The Great Financial Burdens Past
Struggles Have Imposed on the Ma
tions of tho Earth-Our Own Hertz
! age. e


tions of the Earth-Our Own Hertz
age.
Money is an essential to the con-
dact of war. Before a government
can 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
aiatmakers, gunmakers and the manu-
facturers of shot and shell must all
be paid for the work they do, or the
goods they furnish laborers 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 a government that would
go to war is compelled to spend
money in enormous amounts, for
whatever is needed must be had at
once, and the government is often
forced to pay exorbitant 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 S6,446, ,793, ,39S,
the NEST stupendous national obliga-
tion in the history of finance. This
sum, inconceivable in its magnitude,
a mountain load which will burden
the French people for generations to
come, was incurred by one short war.
The Franco-Prussian conflict lasted
only a few short months, and it not
only decided the place Of France in
the family of Europe. but it saddled
the nation with a debt which in all
probability will never be paid. No
such indemnity as that demanded by
Germany from France was ever asked
by any nation; the fact that it was
paid with marvellous promptness is
the strongest tribute that can be Of
Tered, not only to the commercial and
Industrial prosperity. but to the pa
triotic zeal of the French
The debt of Russia is mostly the
result Of the giant military establish
ment by which the Iron Empire is
maintained in It's integrity. During
the past few years considerable addi-
lions to the Russian debt have been
caused by the extension of the en-
pire's railroad systems along the
southern and western frontiers, but
more especially in Siberia. The rail-
road debt of Russia, however, is but
a trifle compared with the army debt
and when it is remembered that the
Russian army on peace footing num-
bers over 100000 men, no surprise
need be felt at the statement that the
Russian debt is over three and half
billions.
While France, Russia and Great
Britain have the heaviest burdens of
debt and taxation, there are other ma
lions afflicted with obligations not SO
large in amount but even heavier
when compared with the national
ability to pay The debt of Italy, for
instance, is $2.324S26 ,329. and that OF
Austria s2,S66, 3S9 ,539, but in each case
the resources of the country are more
severely taxed to meet this smaller
obligation than are those of the three
larger states which have much
heavier debt, and in each case the
oDllSdCloh WuS lhNulitu ny wal
or by preparations for warlike con-
tingencies that might arise. Leaving
out of the calculation the second-rate
powers. the people Of the leading
states OF Europe are now paying in
terest on the stupendous sum of s22,-
lS5 900, 900, the greater portion OF
which was expended either in war or
on armies and navies.
We ourselves have had an expert
ence OF the cost of war Our debt al
present Is little more than two
billions, a mere trife when compared
with the wealth and resources of this
great country. but the debt itself. like
that of every other nation. is, in the
main. the heritage of war. Our ma.
tional obligations were heavy imme.
diately after the close of the revolu.
ton, but were rapidly undergoing
liquidation when the second war with
Great Britain came on. The various
Indian wars. the war with Mexico
the civil war, and the recent conflic
with Spain are all accurately noted
in the movement of the public debt.