The Washington herald., 1914-09-14
Modern Warfare.
ny ALEXANDER RLUME.


The nineteenth century received from its prede
cessors the horse and bequeathed to its successo
the locomotive and automobile it has replaced tn,
moving machine; the candle with the arc light; thu
fliptlock with automatic Maxim guns
No finer example of this progress exists than tn,
modern battleship which contains the most mar
veIous and intricate mechanical contrivances of it,
age To keep pace with the constantly changing
installations and inventions which relegate first
class battleshp to the junk heap in short decade
involves a tremendous expense.
The total cost of all the vessels of the United
States navy built and building under appropriations
for increase of the navy" to June 80, 1913, is
S477872o5225. The total expenditure for maintain
ing the navy since 1855 has been $2,ooooooooo The
appropriation for the present fiscal year is $780,
oo43336I
The cause for this great outlay is readily per-
ceived when it is shown that it costs about $4,000
to maintain in an efficient state single battleshp
for period of one year.
BIT Americas expenditure is completely over
shadowed by that of Great Britain the leading
naval power.
For the fiscal year I9I3-I4 Great Britain's naval
estimates amount to $235,2I3,4o8 of which sum the
cost for construction is $77!o62,I62 Germany's
naval budget is $IIzlo37,s76. France appropriated
about $Iooooo.ooo for naval purposes and Japan
proposes to expend $sooooooo Russia's naval esti-
mates for 1913 amount to SII8643Seo, an increase
over the preceding year of more than 30 per cent.
ltalys estimates amount to 100000; Austria
Hungary's $2Soso4I4. (Office of Naval Intelli-
gence)
There is no hint of cessation, even temporary,
in the naval programs of the great powers. The
entire world is carrying on an extensive building
program which means that in each successive budget
for future years there will be an increase 1t is
an arithmetical progression Thus, Great Britain
has unler construction IS major battle craft and Go
minor, torpedo boat destroyers and submarines :;
Germany, I3 major units and "a minor; United
States, battleships and ~ minor craft; France,
osttleshps \and % smaller craft; Japan, battle
ships a1d cruisers and minor vessels: Russia II
major units and 67 minor; Italy, 10 cruisers and Fl
minor units Austria, large craft and ,8 minor
The total cost for the naval establishments of
he eight leading world powers for the year 1913
ipproximsted 81 ,ooooooooo When il is taken into
consideration that there are at present building, or
authorized, 81 battleships II battle cruisers ~
ru,sers, I4o destroyers, 20 torpedo boats and ia
submarines, besides the necessary number of ten
les, colliers, provision ships transports and auxl-
aries. colossal fleet of 3S4 vessels, it will be
eadily realized under what a tremendous burden
# taxation the world is groaning. And this takes
10 account of the cost of the vast armies of the
world.
But there is an additional item; the funds for
ensions. The United States, which maintains the
mallest standing army of major nations. never
heless has expended more than $4ooooooooo on
ensions since the civil war. In 1912 the total
disbursement for pensions was SI52,oS643372 a
reater item than the total appropriation for the
avy
The theory that powerful army and navy are
he best guardians of peace has been utterly ex-
loded by European developments. There is rapidly
rowing hostility on the part of thinking men the
'orld over to the annual expenditure of these great
ums for the maintaining of force that is provo
alive of war instead of tending to preserve the
eace.