Evening star., 1914-10-25
WAR, FINANCE AND DIPLOMACY


Five great nations and two small
ones have since August 1 been On
gagged in a stupendous
Diplomacy's war. in which twelve
or fourteen million men
GaiiuAe. will take part. Other
nations are arming and preparing for
the possibility of their enforced par
ticipation and struggle for existence.
1t is doubtful if the war had taken
place--for it Is extremely difficult for
any one to find any reason, however
remote, for the war in view of the
palpable fact that under no conditions
will the end justify the means, leaving
out of the count the humanitarian
side-if diplomacy had made clear the
real situation of each nation. Diplo-
macy, which might have prevented a
causeless war, must bear the burden of
failure to accomplish its legitimate OBJ
ject, which primarily is the mainte-
nance of peace.
Russia, it was assumed by those who
wished for war. was certain in the
event of war to crumple up ana ne
come the scene of disorder and an,
d
trouble in Ireland: France was In
conflict with socialists, radical social
lists, anti-militarists and deluded pa
cifists; Germany possessed socialists
Hungary was confronted by the ques-
tion of the irreconcilable Slav, and
finally Italy was menaced by serious
revolution. All of these provisions
tated the cry of race dominated the
entire mass--in Russia, England,
France, Germany, Austria Hungary
there was unity and prompt. even
their respective colors. Diplomacy
thus received rude lesson which. as
we shall see. was not it's first deception.
A dispatch dated Paris. October II.
lieu. the distinguished economist. esti-
mates that each of the greater bellig-
erents is spending an average of $20O,-
10000 monthly.
Academy of Moral and Political Sci
ence, on the 18th instant. NJ. Paul Lee
roy-Beaulieu considered that the war
would continue seven months IRON
SIC, 200, ,000.0 900. Each of the smaller
states, including japan. would nave
| $500, ,OO0, 900 to $So0.000.o0o expenses
NJ. Leroy-Beaulieu says nothing about
the continuance of the war for twice or
thrice seven months. as
Length of predicted by Lord Kitch-
ener and other military
the WAL. experts. Doubtless the
Economist takes into his count the pos
| sibilities of the strain upon the peoples
and the drain upon exhausted treas
uries. factors beyond the ken OF the
military. -
The figures given by NJ. Leroy Beau
lieu do not take into account the losses
! of revenues during hostlntles. Wnicn
will be met, he says. first. by the fssu-
izYcee OF, notes, against the accumulated
7 gold in the governIneht t. bapks: second
nv fhe issuance of short~teFm treasury
bords..- to which all governments are
having recourse during the war. ano
third, by delaying payments luz MN
tary necessities"
And the economist concludes: THE
larger part of the savings OF the wofla
will be absorbed by the taking up OF
national loans, and economic progress
will be seriously checked. -,s.----.-,
| The populations taking part actuais
! i.s--the -.saE--on.. The .sIde~of the triple
entente are as follows:
Russia, according to census of 1912 Ill 0sa NOS
France according 10 census of l9l! ~ gnVa ~ ~.
| England according to census of 1911 4o3l0Os
Beisium according to census of 1910. 1928 ooo
Servfa with new territories N.Y. SSs}
Montenegro with new territories. oio'VVO
Total - : '-'~'' '''No
For the Teutonic alliance:
necSrinr~ s,ssfI ~ 4s ssnsGs &
Austria Hungary census of 1910...-.. 900
.sel
From the III millions of the empire
of the car there should be deducted
several million Asiatics which Will NOT
count in the war; while England also
may not furnish soldiers comparable
with her population.
::
We are reminded of the superior role
of finance in war by the familiar
maxim that -money
The SineWs makes war, yet money
also makes war pos
u WAL. sible. For example.
recent dispatches announced that Ger
MANY had sent a considerable sum OF
money to Turkey in reply to Turkeys
declaration that without money she
would be obliged to disband her army.
And again another dispatch from
Roumania which stated that "a Ger
man train composed of $50 trucks
laden with munitions and other war
material for Turkey had been stopped
by the Roumanian authorities on the
railroad between Bucharest and GiLs-
geve on the Danube"
France we know loaned to Turkey
only a few months ago large sum
(reported at -$500,0O0. .0o0). But 1t is
assumed that diplomacy granted such
a favor only upon extraordinary guar
antees, such for example as a guar
antee that the money would not be
employed in any way unfriendly or
in view of conditions which ex-
ist in Turkey that French diplomacy
would permit French finance to |, ad
it into such a doubtful operation. Be
sides Turkey is already indebted in
vast sums to France. Also Turkey
still owes to Russia the war indenl-
nifty growing out of the war between
Plevna GS7O.
A French writer recently criticised
the tendency in France to permit the
savings of the people to vitalize foreign
interests. and the writer empha sized
this assertion by declaring the neces-
sity that government should cause the
intimate relations that existed between
derstood and that government should
exercise a more stringent control over
these relations in the interest of gov
ernment without regard to personal
interest.
The series of Russian loans had been
made Nbe subject of acrimonious crit
icism Oh the part of certain political
journals principally devoted to radical
socialist centers. but the public paid no
confidence in Russias friendship. and.
of