The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-31
DISARMAMENT OF NATIONS
Essay Read by Miss Mary NJ. Barrett
Before the DunnellOn High
School


Fellow Students: Our subject for
discussion this afternoon is, @Resoly-
ed, That there should be a general
disarmament OF all the nations.
| certainly do think so; first, be-
cause the big standing armies and
big navies produce the most amazing
waste of both energy and money
known among men since the begin
ing of time, and should be stopped.
Second, every year there is money
enough wasted in this way TO feed,
clothe and educate every poor child
on the globe. Third, it is estimated
that since the beginning of authentic
history the aggregate loss OF life in
wars, and as their direct result, has
amounted to the enormous total of
fifteen billion men. This total is
more than nine times as large as the
population of the world at the pres
ent time. We naturally say that
history, when the world was largely
unciviliZed and the principal occu-
patton of man was war and murder.
But during the nineteenth century
fourteen million men either were
killed in battle or died as the result
thereof. Our own civil war contri-
buted approximately 100000 men to
this tragic census. And today, in an
era of absolute peace, the civilized
nations of the world are spending
two billion dollars and a half year
in preparing their armies and navies
so that they may be ready to kill
men and spread ruin and dvastation
throughout the world. get every
intellectual and moral influence is
today tending toward peace.) A po-
tent factor in the abatement of war
is the increasing attention of civil
lied nations to the pursuits CT indus
try and commerce. Those who are
engaged in such pursuits seek to
prevent war, just as sanitary science
guards against pestilence. With the
development of the human reason,
with the absorption of men in intel
lectual pursuits, with the increased
influence of moral forces, war seems
more and more appalling.
Apart from the moral and relig-
ious aspect of the movement for in
ternational peace, there is an even
greater and more practical feature,
which is becoming each day more and
| more important, namely: that under
| the present weight of armament the
| civilized nations of the world are
staggering toward bankruptcy. In
| a single year the nations of the civ
| ilized world spent approximately
| 800, 100000 on account of wars
past, present and prospective. In
1911, England expended $341, $780,
600 on her army and navy; France
1910, 5000; Germany, s31s,446,-
900, and Russia, $319,770, 0nO. Fol
the current fiscal year, ending June
80, 1914, the United States has ap-
propriated in round numbers $685.
900, 900 in preparation for prospect
i've wars and because of wars that
| have terminated. This figure in
cludes S94,266,145 for the army
S140 ,S00,643 for the navy, $780,.
100000 for provisions, and abou,
S22 100000 for interest charges on
our national debt The remainder
includes the charges for fortifica-
tions, the military academy. def
ciencies for the military and naval
establishments, military posts, ma
tional soldiers homes, for armine
and equipping our state militia. etc
This also includes the sixty millions
required each year to be set aside as
a sinking fund for our natioual debt
which is purely a war debt inherited
from the struggle of 1S61-65.
Exclusive Of the appropriations FOL
the postal service, which is prac
tically self-supporting. sixty per cen
of all the money appropriated by
Congress is today expended on &C
count of war. Sixty-seven cents on
of'every dollar expended by our ma
tional government goes to feed the
present-day mania for wars and arm
ament. The remaining thirty-eigh'
cents goes toward the payment O
civil accounts. Think of it, that in
the United States. a nation founded
Ito secure universal liberty and con
secrated to peaceful pursuits. two
thirds Of our money goes for warIike
purposes and one one-third Is dis
bursed for all other purposes. in
Guiding internal Improvements. the
erection Of public buildings. he i'm
provements OF our rivers and har
bors. the conservation Of our natura
resources, the maintenance and 81
largement Of our agricultural work
the salaries of our civil EMPLOYEES