The following table shows the proportion in which the “great” capitalist governments spend the outraged people’s substance for education and for militarism—in prize-fighter statesmanship:[[57]]
| Education. | Militarism. | |
|---|---|---|
| England | $1.00 | $4.25 |
| France | 1.00 | 4.80 |
| Germany | 1.00 | 2.57 |
| Austria | 1.00 | 4.50 |
| United States | 1.00 | 1.25 |
| Denmark | 1.00 | 3.66 |
| Greece | 1.00 | 5.00 |
| Sweden | 1.00 | 2.25 |
| Italy | 1.00 | 9.00 |
| Belgium | 1.00 | 2.00 |
| Switzerland | 1.00 | .54 |
| Russia | 1.00 | 12.00 |
An American educator has written thus of the civilized savagery to be seen in these worse than wasted treasures of the people:[[58]]
“The national debts of Europe represent a series of colossal crimes against the people. They were incurred in the prosecution of unnecessary wars, and for the support of unnecessary standing armies. With relation to these debts the people are divided into two classes—one class owns them and the other pays the interest on them. This relation comprehends the future generations in perpetuity. Every child born in Europe inherits either an estate in these debts or an obligation to pay interest upon them. Thus the fruits of a great crime have been transmitted into a vested right in one class of people, or a vested wrong in another class.
“If the European standing armies and navies had not been raised and kept up, and if the revenue devoted to their support had been expended for schools, there would not now be an uneducated person in Europe. If these standing armies and navies were now disbanded, and the revenue at present expended for their support diverted to the support of schools, and so applied for half a century, there would not be, at the end of that period, an illiterate person in Europe.”
The following paragraph by Helmuth v. Gerlach is worthy of the workingman’s special consideration:[[59]]
“Of all the German political parties one, viz., the Social Democratic [the Socialist] Party, has always been a consistent opponent of militarism. It looks upon militarism as the strongest support of the capitalistic régime, and therefore attacks it theoretically and actually with equal vigor. Its watchword is: ‘No men and no money.’”[[60]]
But everywhere these senseless burdens grow more vast. The end is not yet. The insanity of vanity and greed increases alarmingly—everywhere; but worst of all, the people are unwarned by the all-powerful capitalist press. Fortunately there are exceptions; for example, the New York World. Boldly and powerfully the World has recently warned the people. On July 20, 1908, the World said editorially:
“No more effective peace sermon could be preached than the estimate of General Blume, published by the German General Staff, as to the probable cost of a modern European war. Putting the number of troops that Germany could call to arms at 4,759,000, the cost to Germany, he says, of a war with another European power would be [direct expenses] $1,500,000,000 a year as long as the war lasted. On the basis of the war between Russia and Japan, in which the Japanese lost in killed and wounded 20 per cent. of their armies, Germany would lose in the same length of time approximately 900,000 men....
“The account in blood and money would be duplicated if Germany were engaged with only one power. If three or four or even more powers were involved, as seems probable in the light of existing alliances, Europe would be ‘bled white’ and plunged in lasting disaster.