Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-02-21
SOME STARTLING STATISTICS

No writer Of the dav has better
command Of statistics or knows better
how to arrange them than Harold
BolCc. He has lately been in Europe
Gathering materials for the brilliant
series of articles he is contributing to
Appletons Magazine. In the course of his
latest Article ne says:
"A few figures will illustrate this
dramatic fact The export trade OF all
nations combined amounts to less than
twelve billion dollars per annum Ex-
porters in various parts Of the world
have shown me that the profit on thar
commerce amounts to between ten and
twenty per cent II we accept twenty
per cent, the profit on the worlds eX-
port commerce in the latest year is
s.. 100 Co0OO0 The latest figures show
that the military budget OF the nations
was sl.975.162 900. To this must DE
| added 1920, 100000 for the interest on
the great war debts. Moreover. the
annual interest on ali national debts
| largely for expenses of war-war per-
mitted by statesmen in the fanciful
interests Of commercc-amounts to
81. A., 532,Ct0 Thus the hostile snde
! of commercial reciprocity has saddled
upon the combined nations an annual
burden of al least three billion dollars,
| and we have seen that the profit on
| International trade in year is $1,000
! 900, 900 Thus the foreign relationship
OF nations. despite the increasing
passing of cargoes, is In this civilized
day creating an annual deficit OF over
half million dollars.
"In June. 1906 John Burns. member
OF the British cabinet called attention
in a speech at Manchester to the fact
that In the past ten years England had
spent $500, 00O 600 in war. lie stated
by the way of contrast that II mad
taken $4,000 municipalities OF the
United Kingdom one hundred years 10
spend 50 500, 900, 900 on 1000 gasworKs
waterworks, markets. trnmwaYs, ana
electric light undertakings. IT Is easy
to convince Americans, accustomed |"
looking upon our country as peace
loving nation, that the military bud
gets abroad are draining the Old
World of its financial vitality. II will
astonish many citizens of the tnlteu
States to learn that in the table OIL
relative military and naval expenses
including the sums spent indineren'
for pensions, and all amounting rs
stated above. to nearly two billion dol
lars, exclusive OF interest ON hatlond
war debts America heads the column
The latest figures are S5s'~oon 70
the United States, s346,OO0'OOO fo'
Great Britain. s24l,Ooo,ooo for Russia
seas 100000 for Germany; and all this
, in tines of peace!
We find much jubilance in our lane
, over the 1906 record of exports %
manufactures from America to tn
nations. They amounted to s45s,O0OOO
; In value-only 100000 more tina
we paid for the army and navy and
patriotic company OF pensioners, II w
take twenty per cent of the value
, our export trade and manufactures 4
profit we have an annual net return
: from this fancied invasion of foreigl
markets of less than s92,00O,o0O
' year. Our entire export trade in lso'
including all our cargoes of raw ma
: tcrials. which make up the bulk OF on
i foreign trade. amounted to sl,1lLooo'
900. The profit on that was apoH
= Sag. 900. 900. or $l3.O00.00O less tina
n the cost OF our own military establish
lment. including pensions"