The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-09-22
Army and Navy Demands
More and More Money.
SOCIALIST PRESS IN ALARM
Increase at Remarkable Rate in Last
Few Years May Force Other Ma
tiOnS 10 Expend More on Arma-
ment-NayaI Expenditure Growing
Faster than for Army.

Z
tention TO what is termed in its columns
German Byzantism In Military Expen-
ditures-" 1t is pointed out IN these ar
ticles that the increase OF German arm
aments has been relatively greater than
/ that OF any other power except Japan
Germany's geographical position obliges
her to face two frontiers, but il cannot
be overlooked that at the present time
her army is the strongest in the world,
and far exceeds IN numbers the armies
OF her Western and Eastern neighbors.
II, 1t is argued. Germany, in addition
to this mighty army, persists IN develop
/ ing her feet, it is only reasonable to
expect that other nations will begin 70
entertain a feeling Of discomfort and IN
easiness, and 70 ask themselves where
will all this lead, and with what OBJ
ject in view is Germany arming so rapid
ly and 50 powerfully. For Germans
themselves, the question has already
arisen whether this development can con-
unue any longer without lnjuring other
important national interests, and whether
a point has not already been geached be-
yond which it would be mwise 10 90.
In taking up the question Of expendi-
lures the socialists give elaborate fig
ures. They show that in 1874 the Ger
man Army Budget was 100000 marks,
that Of the fleet 100000 making a total
for both services OF 100000 In lSSS,
when the Emperor began his reign, the
Army Budget had risen 10 64.O9 60.
while that OF the navy was only 520o0,010
or a total Of 6j5e0g0. This makes an
average annual increase IN the military
expenditure OF the Empire Of 1750D000 up
10 this time. According 10 the Budget
/ for 1906 the army viii cost this year &c.
10000. and the navy 2SS.0l0 90. a total for
both services Of ,2I60 00.600 In this total,
il should be mentioned the military ex-
penditure for the colonies IS not included.
neither are the African nor Asiatic expe-
diuOns included. nor the interest on I'M
perial loans for military purposes. Were
all this added the total would be some
thing Ike 10000. 900 Since ISIS, there
fore, the annual increase works out at
$4,000 against 17500.G11 In the earlier
period. II the last FIVE years alone are
considered the annual increase is 4. $50
90 Against this ever-increasing Increase
the French Budget shows a comparative
hIity. for this year il IS estimated at
So 5000 OF Zl90UODl lower than that Of
Germany.
BY aid Of further fgu-es il is shown
that the German taxpayer is far more
; heavily buTdened than either the French
OF English one. and he comes 20 the con-
clusiOn that Germany has arrived az a
point beyond which IL is dangerous 70 60
German shipbuiIding last year shows
another distinct advance: Seven hundred
and sixty vessels, with a gross tonnage
Of 3ss 90, left German yards In 1876,
against e4s vessels, with one Of $4,000.
/ in 1850. These figures. Of course COM
pare very unfavOrably with the magnff-
cent totals Of British yards. but what
German builders are proud OF is the fact
that their trade is increasing by leaps
and bounds. and that they nave moro
orders than they can execute. or the
total tonnage Of the year, 59.SSl tons be-
/ loaged TO the navy.
Il is worth noting that foreign yards.
especially British builders. have built
more ships 70 German orders than in any
previous year. The tonnage built abroad
for Germany was over I200o0. The Post,
from which these particulars are taken.
complains that German orders for YES
sells 10 foreign shipbuilders last year were
five times as large as orders Of foreign
ers for ships built IN Germany.
According 10 Tokyo dispatches, the atti-
tude Of China toward Japan Is gradually
becoming more and more unconciliatory.
and is now verging or an ant-Japanese
crusade. Indignation IS felt in Tokyo at
I
situation al Pedn is attracting the at
tention Of public thinkers Il is felt that
for the sake Of tranquility in the far
East the present condition Of things
should not be maintained.
II is believed in some quarters that Il is
absolutely necessary to impress upon
China the unreasoBableness Of her pres
ent position. and for this purpose 10 send
one Of the foremost statesmen in the
country to represent Japan In China. The
name Of Count Okuma IS suggested for
this office. He has already done much
for China The Marquis Ito might bs
asked TO 20 after the settlement OF az
fairs in Korea, which is expected in the
near future.
The DjibOuu correspondent OF the Paris
Temps is inclined to attribute dangerous
intrigues 70 Machecha. whose mission has
for the oStensihle object the establishing OF
commercial relations between Abyssinia
and Germany. The promoters Of the mis-
sion seek TO induce the Emperor Menellk
20 turn to Germany for a safeguard.
Look at Morocco" they say: without
the German EmpeTor's action II would
now be French. The Emperor MenelIk,
however. IS cautious. and averse 10 a poll
icy OF adventure Nevertheless. Machecha
may succeed IN inducing Berlin TO take
his intrigues 10 be the EmperOrs desires,
and therein lies the danger.
a remarkable increase in the ConSump.
ton OF vodky throughout Russia is shown
In the statistics just published for the
first five months Of the current year The
consumption during the whole Of 1866. in
Guiding the Baltic provinces. Siberia, and
Poland. amounted to some 100000 vc-
dros Up to June / last the consumption
OF 1907 had already reached the enormous
figure Of nearly 33,cOOOOO vedros. The in
crease is fairly equally distributed over
all portions of the Russian Empire. "a
vedro is equal 70 23-4 gallons.)
DemOcracy's Natural Issue.
From the New Orleans State.
The sentiment favoring the regulation
OF corporation abuses and the curbing OF
monopolles IN trade is just as strong IN
one party as it Is IN the other, and in
view Of this fact IL cannot he made n