New-York tribune., 1917-07-30
Militarism Mortally
Wounded by War,
Painleve Declares

Paris, July 29.-Militarism. the great
enemy of progress. actually has been
! mortally wounded hy war itself. This
summarizes the progress of the last
three years, according to Paul Pain
leve, the Minister of War, in reviewing
the war to date. Minister Painleve's
summary follows:
"Three years Of war! Imagination at
first conjures up mourning and demon
stration. However, we dare 20 say that
humanity has progressed during these
three years. The great enemy OF all
progress, militarism, actually has been
wounded mortally by war itself. The
ideal of the nations of peace expresses
itself very precisely against the brutal
ity of nations of conquest and gains
little by little throughout the entire
world. Despite the vicissitudes, this
ideal will triumph.
"While the curve of German force
has sunk, the curve of the strength of
the Allies has risen year by year, and
the entrance of the United States into
the war has given it sudden and for
midable impetus. Germany's fate is
determined.
"Henceforth France, particularly, can
show with elation its balance of the
last three years. Bleeding, still in
vaded, she is not only greater and more
glorious, but she is stronger militarily
| and politically than on August 2, 1914.
| If Germany, stripped of its hegemony,
/ ruined in its commerce and reduced to
an alliance with several groups Of ad-
: venturers, to-day compares itself TO
/ France, it will show what three years
! of war have cost it,"
"On the third anniversary of it's
/ entry into the war" said Joseph
| Thierry, Minister of Finance, "France
! has the right to assert that il has main
| tanned, and is maintaining, its financial
| situation in shape that no one would
in advance have considered possible had
! one been able TO foresee the duration
/ and development of the conflict. In ad-
! dtion to maintaining a military effort
without precedent in history and with
! out analogy in present times; in addi-
tion 10 the mobilization Of its active
| population in larger proportion than
J any other people; in addition to having
submitted and submitting still to the
! invasion of parts of it's territory, it has
/ raised its fiscal receipts to a point
which at present constantly exceed its
| peace time product.
"The regular and easy flow Of taxes
bears to the elasticity OF the contribu-
tive faculties of the country and its
aptitude for supporting new taxes,
! which, in its patriotism and its firm
resolution TO conclude real trials with
! honor. it does not hesitate TO accept in
! dependently of subscriptions to two big
long-term loans, the success of which
/ il has assured.
French economy is daily furnishing
the Treasury, in the form of short
term bonds, a continued and growing
contribution of resources, which per
mits reduction from month to month
Of that portion of advances required by
the banks of emission. The very diff
cult and very considerable efforts which
have been imposed on France have been
the regulation Of enormous purchases
which the situation of the belligerents
and the invaded country has obliged il
to make abroad. There again il has
met with reward. It's traditional habit
~ saving its reserves in gold and its
. foreign holdings, which have been
placed literally at the disposition Of
the state, have served in large meas
ure to compensate for the rupture OF
tho equilibrium of commercial balance
But throughout France has bene-
fited from stable credit. which she had
acquired from the world from sym
Tathies which since the beginning OF
I hostilities have recognized the justice
Of her cause. From this community Of
sentiments and interests, which has
reunited TO a closer solidarity the
I Western nations, the union Of the
United States with the Entente Allies
hac constituted the same order Of
things financially as in military, po-
lItical and moral wsy.