Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-01-28


WsY ~ many, startled the
-:=-----:--.-=-==== -=--:=====--======-: world with the
'''~ NeFeo'fST statement that the
lowest cost Of maintaining the arm
ed establishments Of the world to,
day is between seven and eight bill
lion gold dollars
DR.. Dernburg had a reason for
making bis estimate as high as pos
slble, which it Is not necessary ta
go into for the purposes of this arti-
Gle.
Making generous allowance for
this, the facts seem to warrant the
statement that the Dernburg average
estimate of seven and half billion
dollars is as near, if not nearer, the
right figure than the low estimate of
five billion dollars.
These figures gtagger the magma
tin, even IN these days when tbs
poorest Of us haR8-aaasan. aeeustosla=,
ed to speaking glibly of billions.
To The Very Heart.
They go to tile very heart of the
most vital of all the questions that
the people and statesmen of the
world are facing and must solve be-
fore we can enter new era Of tinan-
cial and industrial stability. That is
the question of easing the burden Of
taxation.
When first read the Dernburg
statement it seemed incredible that
the a2tua! picture of the worlds arm
amont activities could be as gloomy
as the one he had PAINTED.
Surely it could not be possible that
two years after the greatest war in
hietory-with the Germany military
menace eliminated and with many of
the nations on the verge of bank
ruptcy, if not actually bankrupt
several times as much money was be
ing spent for armies, and navies, as
was spent before the war.
For that is what the Dernburg fig
urc5 or anything approXimating them
mean.
| have been at considerable pains
to get the most accurate figures OBJ
tainable as to current and proposed
future expenditures by the great
nations for armies and navies. 1t Is
not possible to get exact figures as
for purposes of their own, some Of
the nations camouhage these cXpcn-
ditures. But for all practical pur-
poses they will serve.
Outlay On Armies.
The army cost for the five great
powers, America, Great Britain;
France, Italy and Japan, is more than
three billion dollars, divided as fol
lows;
America -..L..---..-.-$ 460,000;000
Great Britain .-... 900.000,000
France .-.....-.-..-..-.. ,200, 100000
italy ........--......--.. 380,000,000
Japan ..-.....-...-----. 100000
In the case OF Great Britain,
France, Italy and Japan, have
tran lated their money into terms of
dollars at The normal rate Of eX-
change. This may be said to be un-
fais to those nations whose money at
the moment is at q great discount
when compared with dollars. But /
do not think so, tor IN GfeaI britain /
pound is still a pound and in
France franc is still a frame, and
50 on down the list 50 much then
for the armies. Now for the navies.
Outlay On Nsvies.
The, navy cost for the same five
powers is upwards of one billion,
three hundred million dollars, divided
us follows;
America ..--............$ $3.50, 100000
Great Britain ..--... 4l0,000,000
France ------.-.,.------- fI5, 5,00p,o0V
Italy -----------,.------4- 4-------- tC'oo"'
.rapan ..........-..... 250,000,000
In each case, excepting Japan, the
figures are for the current fiscal wear.
In the case Of Japan the figures rep
resent the estimated expenditure for
the fiscal year 1921-1922, based upon
the known building program Of the
japanese navy for That year.
In case of America, if the build
ing program for the fiscal year 1921
1922 is carried out, there will be an