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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 14

Tables

page 84

Tables

Showing the per cent, of Expenditure devotedly European Countries in 1881 to Interest of Debts, War Expenses, and Civil Government. Also the amount of debt, and of taxation per head, in the different States. The two last columns show the cost per man of land Armies, and proportion of Revenue for War, in 1868, for purposes of comparison.

States. 1881 Total Expenditure. % of for Int. of debt. % of for War Expdt. Rest for Civil, Jud., Works, &c. Govt. Grny Amt. of debt per head of populatn. Taxation (Expdt.) per head of populatn. Cost of land Army per head per ann. time of Peace. % for War in 1868. Remares. The grown male population of a State from 18 ending 54 years of age, will be found= half the male population = quarter the total population. Hence the debt of the effective male population will be

The two last columns are taken from the "Oesteritsche Zellschrift, herausgegeben von N. R. Strenpfler" for 1868.

Cost of Russo-Turkish War. War Expenditure of Russia.
1876 51 millions of roubles.
1877 429 millions of roubles.
1878 401 millions of roubles.
1879 128 millions of roubles.
1880 59 millions of roubles.
=1,075,000,000 of roubles.
=£153,571,431 English.

According to official returns published in 1881, the total War Expenditure incurred by Russia daring the lour years 1876-80 amounted to

  • 1,076,896,653 roubles.
  • =£163,628,093 English.
While, at the same time, her Ordinary Expenditure has gone on increasing from 76 to 109 million roubles, an increase of 44 % from 1875 to 1881:—
  • 1875 ex. 75,578,632 roubles.
  • 1876 ex. 76.386,446 roubles.
  • 1877 ex. 76,825,153 roubles.
  • 1878 ex. 85,644,373 roubles.
  • 1879 ex. 91,703,565 roubles.
  • 1880 ex. 99,215,041 roubles.
  • 1881 ex. 108,913,405 roubles.

And the debt of Russia, 1st September, 1878, including £30,000,000 internal loan in 1877 after the war, and a second in August, 1878, = £42,857,142, was then estimated at £350,000,000. On the 1st January, 1880, the total debt had increased to

  • 4,480,812,699 roubles.
  • =£640,116,925 English.

Also a forced currency of paper roubles, circulation estimated at 1.500 million roubles = 210 million £, outstanding in January, 1880!

Debt in 1878 = £350,000,000
Debt in 1880 = 640,116,925
Increase £290,116,925

without including 210 mill, of forced paper currency, which, if added, would show an increase of 500 million £ English! to feed the levies of monstrous War.

Cost of Franco-German War. War expenditure of France.
WarExp.extra. 1870 1,173,016,000
WarExp.extra. 1871 700,222,000
Frgn. Oocuptn. 1871-3 38,807,000
Provisioning Paris 169,518,000
Grants to families of soldiers 50,000,000
Interest on sums due to Germany 302,065,000
Maintenance of German troops 248,625,000
Repayment of fines, &c., levied by Germany 61,708,000
Disbursements on a/c variou8,1870-72 631,168,000
Loss from non-payment of taxes, 1870-71 364,189,000
Miscell. Expenditure 548,564,000
War Indemnity to Germany 5,000,000,000
Total Francs 9,287,882,000
=at 25f. to £ Eng. £371,515,280
But as in Russia, so in France the after-effect of the Expenditure multiplies itself and perpetuates the ruin:
In 1871 the Debt of France was £485.310,748
In 1881 937,615,280
Increase £452,204,632
Int. of Debt, '71 £25,577,000
Int. of Debt, '81 49,413,583
Increase £23.836,583*
Revenue, 1871 £81,192,000
Revenue, 1881 128,581,389
£47,389,389
Cost of American War. Revenue, Expenditure, and Debt, of the United States of America before and during the War. Nine years, 1858-66.
Loans. Total Revenue & Loans. Expenditure. Public Debt.
£ £ £ £
1858 4,941,104 14,660,971 17,096,289 2,035,639
1859 5,893,229 17,036,242 17,433,050 3,614,840
1860 4,330,885 16,010,711 16,053,151 3,551,043
1861 8,728,195 17,362,566 17,789,023 18,930,797
Peace 4 yrs. £23,893,113 65,070,490 68,371,513 18,930,797 in 1861
Avr. yr 5,973,278 16,267,622 17,092,878
1862 110,352,595 120,978,413 118,925,354 107427,369 1862
1863 161,808,825 185,287,426 186,624,298 228,915,246 1863
1864 233,569,134 288,699,711 270,128,354 362,643,852 1864
1865 306,713,489 375,373,464 395,318,797 558,873,846 1865
1866 148,510,740 265,408,378 237,723,472 556,310,075 1866
War 5 yrs. 960,954,783 1,235,747,392 1,208,720,275 556,310,0751 in 1866
Avrge. yr. 192,190,956 247,149,480 241,744,055

Add to these 1,208 millions expenditure of the Northern States an American writer's estimate (say 800 millions) of the loss of the South, and we should find the cost of that war was 2,000 millions. But the American War did not—as do European dynastic wars—bequeath a legacy of armed hosts in millions, anxious and prepared, and perpetually trained for contest. American armies march from industry to war, but afterwards return again to their former industry. Russia arms as a menace to mankind; Germany, ostensibly, for the glory of the Empire, or perhaps as a menace to France. France arms, ostensibly, in self defence, and to repel aggression. But why should Britain join the mad rivalry of these unhappy nations?

Europe is at present at peace—Cannot its rulers learn wisdom, and find a way of some nobler arbitrament, when conflicts of interest arise, than that of War?