Evening star., 1928-12-23
BY ALBIN E. JOHNSON.


- HE big nations of the world are
spending more money preparing
for war today than ever before
in peace-time history.
Increasing by margins of more
than a billion gold francs yearly the
armament expenditures of the six ex-
allied powers-France, Great Britain,
Italy, Russia, Japan and the United
States-promise even more startling
gains during the next few years:
While talking peace nearly every gov
ernment in the world is preparing for
possible conflict and preparing with far
greater seriousness than they did before
1914.
And, paradoxically though it may ap-
pear, the two world powers which pub
licly deprecate militarism and call for
disarmament and outlawry of war in
the loudest voices-Russia and the
United States-are leading all the rest.
Smaller nations, to certain extent, are
putting their peace psychology into
practice, but chiefly because they real
ize that their strength lies in their
weakness.
Europe's Expenditures.
Europe in 1926, despite the League
covenant, the Locarno pacts and con-
Citation and arbitration treaties, spent
more than $3.50, SOC, 900 on armaments.
Adding the actual expenditures of India,
Japan and the United States, the
worlds Taxpayers during that year
paid over So, 180, 100000 This represents
an increase over 1913, when the pre-War
armament race was at its height, OF
more than quarter billion dollars, de-
spite the fact that GermanyS terrific
expenditures of 1913 had been reduced
by over rs per cent in 1925.
Statistics are usually dull and some
times misleading, but those compiled by
the ultra conservative experts OF the
Leagues disarmament, financial and
economic sections tell a sensational
story. Furthermore, for the sake of ac-
curate comparison, they have been CAL
culated on a gold basis with due con-
sideration being given to purchasing
power and fiuctuating costs.
Leaving out of consideration Ger
many, with her huge pre-war military
outlay of over / 1853 900, 900 gold francs
for that year, the combined expenditures
land, the United States, Japan, Russia
dIlu 1bdky-1IFC yColo OCAOAC UAAC wa A0
War C909) totaled SOIL 100000 gold
francs (five gold francs to the dollar)
Four years later on the morn of the
World War, their combined expendi-
lures were 10,160, 100000 gold francs.
Eight years after the armistice Tin 1926
the ante had been raised to 10,787, ,000,-
600, and year later another 20 per cent
to 1859 ,927, 500 gold francs. Their ex-
penditures for 1928-29, based upon
official budgets which are always lower
than actual expenditures in view of
supplementary estimates" will be more
than 13,205, ,000,0 900 gold francs.
What of the Future?
Where these terrific expenditures will
lead or when the peak will be reached
few hazard prediction. They prob
ably will mount until they become top
heavy and collapse in revolt or war,
unless saner counsels eventually pre-
vail
With the big navy" program ahead
the United States armament costs can
not but climb rapidly. France, upon
| the evacuation of the Rhineland, plans
elaborate defensive fortiflcations on the
! Franco-German frontier. Because OF
| lack of funds to finance these at the
! moment, the French government seeks
to de'"s' tho c"~tS'eta troop Withdrawal