The Washington herald., 1911-02-01
The Increasing Napies of the World

Seventy battle ships and armored cruis-
ers, with a total tonnage Of a million and
half and valued at s.oooco.oS. now are
being built by the nations of the world.
England has on the builders stocks 80,
! 900 tons and 12SOO0 tonnage finishing Ger
| many has $4,000 tons in building and 125,-
| 90 fitting out. France is building 4t,oo
tons and fitting out 10000 tons. while the
| United States is building $1,000 and tit
ting out 1OOO0 tons.
Col. Gaedke, the noted German author
ity on military affairs. is not far from
wrong when he exclaims: ''The whole or
Europe appears to have sbeen converted
into a great armory, where all of the
material, intellectual. and moral forces
are being applied in the service OF one
single idea. that of destruction, that OF
the bloody struggle for existence
Within the comparatively limited space
of Europe alone more than three and
half million men are under arms day m
and day out. withdrawn from peacetui
labor and trained only for battle against
one another. II we include those who be-
long to the militia or to the reserves (who
yearly are called out for brief drilling), as
many as 6OO0,OOO-what a stupendous fig
ure-are engaged in warlike exercises in
the midst of what modern man calls
peace" More than one-siXth part OF
this number belongs to Germany and
France combined.
Let us consider only the eight great
military powers Of the world-Germany,
England, Russia, France, the United
States. Austria, Italy. and Japan. A
sum Of nearly 5000 100000 is expended
annually for army and navy. between
them. Now, as regards the navies. the
three Germanic nations surpass every
thing that the world ever has seen.
England-the oldest sea power-is far
and away in the lead of the Others. Ger
many and the United States claim the
second place with almost equal strength.
All of. the other states are far in the
rear. France-in this respect perhaps the
wisest of the great powers-long ago
learned to bring her expenditures for
armament in accord with her means. a
concession, by the way, which for the
first time opens the possibility Of prac-
tical' Limitation Of armaments.
The greatest danger to peace. no doubt,
is the excess of ornaments, which keeps
the thought of war awake, and. besides.
imposes a financial burden which the
people cannot bear for any. great length
Of time without injury. The only logical
conclusion. therefore. lies in the limita-
ton of ornaments. The time has come
when all mankind earnestly should con-
slider such limitation, for now we shall
hardly be able to alter the mutual rela-
tions between the three strongest ma
tions. At sAe first indication that the
political balance may be disturbed, the
nation that is threatened first In all
probability win endeavor to rid herself
Of such danger at any cost. even at
the cost Of bloody war.
Nothing but binding agreements be-
tween the nations can avert Gin a peace
fui manner) the dangers that are cease
lessly lying in walt for all Of m.
Treaties are renedies. which work grad
ually for an assured peace among civ.
ilised nations. Then, II forced to tahe mp
arms nevertheless. let II be not against
but for one another.
II ;seems easy 70 say Elimination Of
armauisutA The leading nations sxpect
- launph no fewer than thlrty-dye
DFe4dhoughtb during thip year. jnst
th1nk q & one 1IohGlef noA 1ghter ove1y
~ dayl. 4o-day teGo nrs sonlys