Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-09
w.
The Fear of
the Dreadnoueht.
By
FREDERIC ]. HASKIN


on what are. after all. preparations to
kill each other. al
Surely the extent 20 which this ex-
pendfture has grown really becomes
satire and a reflection upon civilization.
Not In our generation, perhaps: but IL n
goes on at the rate at. which II has re-
Gently increased. sooner or later. / be-
heve. II Will submerge that civilization.
The burden already shows itself in the
national credit. Sooner or later II must
lead to national bankruptcy
While thus deploring the ruinous COM
petition of the nations Sir Edward Grey
goes on TO state the
Britain British position:
Nv.& n. a. IF We alone. among
the great powers.
gave up the competition ana sank into a
position Of inferiority what good should
we do? None whatever: no good to our
selves. because We cannot realize great
ideals OF social reform at home when We
are holding our existence at the mercy,
At the caprice. IL you will. OF another ma
ton. That il not feasible.
IF We fall into a position OF inferiority
into a state OF apathy: we should cease to
count for anything among the nations Of
Europe, and we should be fortunate II
our liberty were left and We did not be-
come the conscript appendase OF some
stronger power.
That Is a brutal way of stating the
case, but II IL the truth
This was spoken, be II remembered by
the chief diplomatic offlcer OF the British
empire. q man belonging to the peace
party. q man never ranked with the jir-
goes. a man who strongly opposed in
parliament the proposals of the extreme
naval party. The leaders of the other
party, the conservatives. are a hundred
times more pessimistic, and emphatic IN
their statements, except that they do
no say 50 much about the burden Of taxa
ton.
Great Britain is expanding nearly $780,
49, and the United
$500, 900 600 Cost States come next
IN britain With approximately
$l25 Ooo,O each
The British army costs $40 ZOO. 600 and
the Germany army costs 500. 600, COO
The American army costs a little over
500. 900 600.
In Great Britain and Germany these
immense sums of money are raised LARGE
ly by direct taxation. the burden Of which
IL felt by every person. In the United
States the principle OF direct taxation for
feoerai purposes il only on the threshold
Of possibilities.
The American republic Is so much
richer. 50 much more populous and 30
much more extravagant by nature that
its people do not 50 keenly feel the bur.
den OF this taxation.
In he olNor Euro~,oap c.r.&rs>.
entirely different. An Englishman must
pay per cent OF his
UlQ World gross income In in
vi, n come tax, and the in
Eeeis burden. ouisitive collectors al
low no man to escape. The German 10
quite heavily taxed, and the payments
must be made quarterly.
Even an American citizen who stays
more than three months in Germany.
even as tourist or visitor. must pay
the income tax. In England every re-
ceipt. every check, every business docu-
ment Of whatever nature must pay .
stamp DUTY.
taxed that they are regarded as Injuries.
The taxation is SO heavy and so widely
distributed that every man Is forced to
meet ii directly. face to face. every day
1
This means that the masses of the peo-
pie are impatient under the burden. They
cannot consent to an indefinite expansion
OF these huge expenditures. The end
must be reached and that soon.
II the question of the strength OF the
British and German navies shall be set
tied In battle. even the expense OF yar
would be more economical than q CON-
tinuation of present conditions. II is this
fact that makes war more probable.
II there 10 no war, and IL the navy
building goes on then England must face
a great internal upheaval. involving the
impairment Of the national credit and the
suicide Of imperial supremacy. The
starving millions in England are patri-
otto. but there comes a time when even
an English empty stomach forgets its
loyalty.
Already Germany faces political revo-
luton. Protests against the taxes are
shouted into the very windows OF the
When the British admirait approved
the plans OF H. M. S. Dreadnought they
fondly believed that they had assured.
for all time. the supremacy OF their arms.
They forgot that other nations also could
build ships.
But never did they imagine then what
havoc their gray steel monster would
create; what woe it already has caused
In four short years: what misery il en-
tails for the future, And least OF ell
did they know that day that the Dread
nought vas to prove a weapon before
which even proud Britannia must quake
and quail in fear for her life.
Tom0rrow-THE BRITISH CRISIS.
v. The ShiDbuilders' Great Race.