The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-08-15
COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS
!. :.


Switzerland has had enough of Com
munist plotting. Long noted as one
of the most free and most democratic
nations of the world, Switzerland has
finally come to the conclusion that
movements which would speedily sup
press all opposition if they came to
power can no longer be allowed a
free hand by a government which
wishes to preserve the liberties of its
citizens.
So the Swiss Federal Council has
prohibited Communist, Trotsky-ist and
anarchist activity and decreed three
year prison terms and heavy fines
for all violations of the decree.
Certain cantons had already barred
the left extremists but the Federal
Councils action was the first move at
Isuppressing them throughout the ma
ton.
Informed sources close to the gov
ernment declared there had been ''an
increase Of Communist propaganda
carried on by methods which more and
more approach those Of conspirators." "
x X X
Mars is placing his hand with in
creasing weight on the incomes Of in
dividuals throughout the world.
Marked alterations in the fiscal pro-
files of most of the great nations have
been caused by the present war, an
analysis by the Federal Tax Admins
traitors showed. While the effect has
been most pronounced in the nations
engaged in war, the United States
budget also has been effected by rap
idly increasing defense preparations.
Great Britain, the Federation says,
plans to spend about four times as
much in the current fiscal year-April
|, 1910, to April /, 1941-as it did in
the comparatively normal fiscal period
of 193G-37. Canadian expenditures will
be about two and half times the
1936-37 level, while in the United
States the latest supplementary budget
proposals would bring expenditures up
to more than one and half times the
amount spent in 1936-37.
Great Britain's expenditures during
the present fiscal year will be about
1854 per capita, compared with a
normal per capita national income of
.$5l4, according to the budget pre-
sented July % by the Chancellor of
the Exchequer. Canada's prospective
expenditures of Silt compare with the
1861 per capita national income of
1892. The experimentation in
come figures for the United States
viii be about $104 as against $557.
X X x
Although much less has been made
public about statistics of public fl
nance in Germany, the federation said,
about 47 per cent Of the national in
come was being absorbed by taxes in
1938-39 as a result Of the long war
preparations, according to estimates
available in the United States. In
August, 1899, Germany's debt was
estimated at 5O,OOO,0OO,0OO marks-or
about 1882 per capita. At present,
.Germany's governmental expenditures
are estimated at $4,000, 100000 an
nually, with taxes producing about
.%9 0O,OO0,00O, or $121 per capita. The
federation said these figures include
various forms of social security pay
ments and other contributions to gov
'ernmental activities such as winter
relief.
The fiscal year 1867 was used for
comparison by the federation because
it was the year preceding augmented
defense preparations in Europe, and a
comparatively normal business year
for the United States. Budget esti-
mates for the 19I0-41 were used be-
cause they reflect the result Of full
years engagement in the war by Can
ada and the United Kingdom, and al
most a full year Of emergency defense
preparations in the United States. The
1940-4l estimates may, of course, be
revised before the end Of the year.