GERMAN ARMY TAXES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1710, 29 March 1913, Page 5

GERMAN ARMY TAXES.

A HEAVY BURDEN. CROWN TO TAKE INTESTATE ESTATES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright ! ■ Berlin; March 27. Tho paper "Gcrmania" states that tlio now Army Taxation Bills include a war levy of 1,000,000,000 marks (about JCSO,000,000), and make tlio Kmpire heir to estates of intestate persons without any kin. The estates aro calculated to produce 37,000,000 ( marks (about il'85,000) "annually.

GERMANY'S MILITARY,'STRENGTH. AN EXPERT'S COMPARISONS .WITH PRANCE: Major E. Morant, the military correspondent of tho "Berlin Tageblatt," attafcks tho military agitators m Germany, who, in spite .of tho recent formation of two nefr army, corps, doinftnd' a' greater' increase of tlio army. •■ Among ■ other things, lie compares the nuittber 'of men wlioin. Germany and' France , maintain under arms, and arrives at tho'following : results: . 1. End of_ 1911: Germany's, estimated strength, 505,551 men, .actual""strength"' 001,029; Prance's estimated strength 5G4,910 men, actual strength about 530,000; Germany's preponderance about 70;000 men. 2. End of 1912: Germany's estimated strength 623,353 ■monj'. 1 actual' strength" 029,353; France's estimated strength i 555,900 men, actual strength alxrat 520,000 men; Germany's preponderance about 109,300 men.

3. End.of 1913: Germany's: estinitftbd' strength 635,285 men, actual strength, 042,285; Franco's, estimated .. strength 563,500 m«h,. actual strength 528,500 men; Germany's preponderance about' 113,700. Herr Mflralit does not deny, that tlio FroTich army lias mo do great ■ progress smcb 1871, and is well-organised,■ but as (he militarists ih'sist not so much on tho improvement o£ tho organisation' as upon' the numerical strength of tho army, ho • is at pains to point oiif'tWit lit'tliis-Very moment the German arnuv has a preponderance of G5 squadrons,' 77. foot artillery batteries, maiiy howitzer batteries, 11 engineering battalions; four railway, four telegraphj ahd fomv. l «eHal,.;,Kattalions.. France, it is has K'jircgdiHlerancc in officers, which amounted in 1911 ifco 29!)G ahd in 1912.t0 1723, but even in this respect Gei-mahy is rapidly overtaking her rivdl, 729 more officer? having, been selected fti Germany for liilS.o The; disparity, m tho huihber of the" reierves mutually oallbd odt for training is also fast di«ailpenritig. , In 1910 franco, had 555:258 men undergoing such. training, and Germany had in 1911 'only. 462,® jiibn, l>tit already for 1913 503>268 '"men liave boen provided. To this it must, be, added, that the number of reicctioiis in Ftancc (20:771 in 1911) is much higher than in Gerniariy. Also, .tho increase in tho-number of desertions (17*000 in 1911) is higher in Frahce than in ' Germany (510 'iri 1910)."