Daily camera., 1901-06-24
BOER WAR EXPENSES
Great Increase In British Public
Debt Has Been Caused.
Ea6rno1s Ostlay Made Necessary b,
Continuation Of Hostilifies In
South Africa anA No Daa
IN Sight,

In the speech of Sir Michael Hicks
Beach, chancellor OF the exchequer, in
the house of commons on the occasion
Of the introduction Of the new budget
there was not very much that bore
directly on the cost of the war in
South Africa. The tale was told, how
ever, In one clause of one sentence.
The expenditures for the year, he
said had been G1S3 500, ,O00,, "of which
G65 ,000, 600 was on account OF the war
in South Africa" AT the same time he
proposed loan Of E6 100000 900, made
necessary by the war.
This loan, which is now being sub
scribed, is in addition to the war loan
of G30.0OO,OOO issued in 1900. That
loan represented less than half Of the
increase Of the British public debt last
year due to the conquest Of the Boer
republics. Its total was very near the
E7i,00O, 900 mark, says the New York
Sun.
Since the latter part of the seven
teenth century Great Britain has never
been out Of debt. The debt began with
a trifling $4,000, 900, the result Of the
revolution which brought the Dutch
King William to the English throne.
From that time it grew and nearly al
ways on account Of war.
At the accession of Queen Anne in
1902 the debt was fl6.4oO,OOO, and
when the first George became king IL
years later the debt iad been nearly
quadrupled. He paid of a paltry cou-
pie OF millions. but George III. saw it
grow to nearly Gl40.0O0,OOO.
BY the beginning of the American
war il had been reduced some 10. .OOO,-
900, but that war sent it climbing to
what at that time was the terrifying
figure of E250, 900 900. For few years
there were successful efforts at re-
er fl0,0O0,0OO was recorded for the
decade.
Then began the disastrously expen-
sive French war. which with slight
intermission called peace continued
until the downfall of Napoleon in 1918.
During those % years the debt grew
tremendously, the loans averaging
about f20,O0o.00O a year. In 1916 the
British debt had climbed to the colos-
sal figure Of c 200. .436. .0Oo. The debt
of no other country, except France,
has reached such proportions.
After the peace Of Paris the British
debt took n new course and began to
decrease. This course was followed
steadily with but two slight Interrupt
tions until the outbreak OF the war
with the Beers. In 1888 the abolition
of slavery caused a slight increase.
and the Crimean war added about
100000 900, so that In 1857 the debt
stood at about s39. 600 900. IN the 43
years that followed, up TO the out
break of the present war. the debt was
reduced on the average { 100000 a
year. In 1899. when the war began, il
had decreased to f635 900, 900.
The war expenses had taken il back
well over f70O. .0O0, 200. or more than
three times the net debt of the United
States. and there /. as yet no sign that
the war expenses are about to cease or
even to show any material diminu,ion.
Great Britain is now spending approx.
imasely a million dollars day on the
war with an army in the field OF only
$50. 900 men.
In the civil war, when the federal
armies numbered nearly million. the
expense was only approximately dou-
bic what Great Britain is now spend
ing for one-fourth Of that strength.