£102,000,000 ARMY VOTE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1725, 16 April 1913, Page 8

£102,000,000 ARMY VOTE.

COLOSSAL GERMAN INCREASE,

FRANCE'S REPLY: 160,000 MORE SOLDIERS. The duel in armaments between France and Germany has now reached-a. stupendous stage (savs tho London "Daily Mail"). Unless the Reichstag refuse to agree to the German Government's plans the expenditure voted for tho Kaiser's military establishment during 1013 will aggregate the gigantic total of ,£102,000,000 some part of which, however, may bo expended in future years. The amount will be made up of ;£50,00Q,0D0 for the initial cost of the forthcoming increase; .£10,000,000 for tho first instalment of the annual; fixed ■charges arising out of the increase; and .£•12,000,000 which tho Army at present requires. To meet the initial cost of the increase —which is two and a half times the sum France is about to spend for the same purpose—the Government announces that it proposes to resort to what is practically a war contribution in the form of a tax on the capital of fortune. The Fortune Tax. Well-informed newspapers have declared that the sacrifice demanded of the propertied classes will be "extraordinarily heavy" and will "impose serious burdens" on the nation. It is' said that it is not impossible that the "fortune tax," which is to be levied summarily and not to be a permanent tax. may amount to 10s. in the JCIOO. This would be ten times the amount of the so-called "supplementary tax" now levied on property 111 Prussia. Unofficial estimates place the total amount of the fortunes which will be subject to the tax at .£750,000,OUl). The fixed charges of maintaining the Army increase will amount to <£10,000,0(10 a year at the lowest estimate,, though ,£12,500,000 would not bo surprising. Tho Government also refrains from informing the country just how the new funds are to be disbursed. It is hardly.going too far to say that Germany is stunned by the project to spend .£50,000,000 at one blow on' the increase of the Army. Consternation 110 less profound has bean caused by the proposal to raise money, by levying the tax on private fortunes. This levy is everywhere described as a "war tax." The "Lokal Anzeiger" declares that theidea of it originated with the Kaiser. His Majesty, it is stated, discussed tho scheme with his brother German Sovereigns, and received their "joyful assent" both to this proposal and to tho suggestion that tho ruling Princes of tho Empire should 011 this occasion forgo their right of exemption from taxation. Apart from tho spokesmen of the military. and super-patriotic classes, the German Government's determination to plunge on a fresh armaments competition evokes nothing but groans. Journals representing the financial, commercial,,and propertied elements generally aro outspoken in their condemnation of what is regarded as tho Government's capitulation to the demands of tho war partv. .

A Safeguard for the Future. The new ,£50,000,000 increase is intended, it is declared, as a far-sighted precautionary measure for a coming crucial strngglo between the rival German and Slav forces. An official intimation to that effect is contained in a semi-official telegram from Berlin which has been published* in tho "Cologno Gazette." Tho text of this communique limy bo interpreted as tho main argumenlt which Dr. Von Betli-mann-Hollwcg, the Imperial Chancellor, will employ when ho introduces and defends tho Army Bill in the Reichstag. Tho communique in tho "Cologne Gazette" says:— "The new demands for ari increase in thi Army do not concern any mere duty of tho nwment. For the present German armaments arc quite strong: enough for any emergency whieh may confront the German nation. Tho project is a work' of the future, called forth by the fact that tho sudden growth in tho national and military power of tho Slav Balkan States (Bulgaria, Servia, and Montenegro) has caused a redistribution of tho bal-. anco of power in the Balkans in favour of the entire Slav world. "Tho fact that we are simply following the example of France and are exploiting our defensive power to the full entirely robs our measures of aggressive character." ! France's Reply. The great sacrifices which the French Government considers essential to the safety of the nation were laid before the Chamber in a new Bill on April li. -Tho chief provision of tho new 'measure incL'cases the period of military service from two years to tlmee years. This means that every young Frenchman in future must _ live in barracks for three years, receiving pay at the rate of one halfpenny per day. It means that tho young men now with the colours muslt remain in barracks for a year longer than they expected. ' / The preamble of tho Bill states that the Army will bo increased in peace by 160,000 men, thus raising tho force in Francs frorn 563,000 to 723,000. "The effort demanded of the country," it. announoas, "cannot bo delayed, and there can bo no vacillation either in principle or realisation." , Tho introduction of tho Three Years' Service Bill led to tho most violent scenes that have been witnessed for a long time in tho Chamber of Deputies. As soon as M. Etienne, Minister for War, mounted the tribune and began to speak his voice was drowned in a volley of interruptions.

Tho Minister had only got as far as "I have the honour to place before you" when the Socialists jumped to their feet shouting "A has la guerre" ("Down with war"). 21. Vaillant, the white-haired Socialist leader, in a voice trembling with passion, called out, "We protest with all our force " Before he could finish the sentence, M. Jaures, the stentorian Socialist orator, interpolated tho words, "Against this criminal folly." .They were answered by loud cheers for the Government and cries of "Down with the traitors."

Pandeniomium reigned, tho public and the Right and Centre shouting themselves hoarse in support of M. Etienne, and tho Socialists, led by M. Jaures, vociferating "Resign.!" and "Reaction!" in a monotonous chant. The tumult lasted half an hour before M. Etienne finally concluded his statement and left tho tribune amid an ovation from his supporters. What the Bill Does. M. Etienne's statement, which he entitles "A Bill for- Re-establishing i Iho Three Years' Service in Franco," began with the declaration that it was tho duty of Ihe Government to submit to tho Chamber the measures demanded by the military problem confronting France. In the present condition of Europe and in view of the action taken by other countries, the hour has come for France to brin|* her military institutions into conformity with the obligations of tho hour. He reminded the Chamber that the actual contingent of conscripts no longer provided the units with their full strength, which was already much below that of other great European armies. Their numerical weakness made it impossiblc- for them to draw from the lino regiments the men necessary to equip the spccial sections rendered imperative by the progress of science and tho experience of rcccnt wars. The cavalry was weakened not only by a lack of men, but also by » shortage of trained soldiers. Two years were not sufficient to mako a. cavalry man. After examining alt the solutions suggested as remedy for tha situation. the Government had been obliged lo come to the conclusion that tho only satisfactory one left was the simultaneous presence of three-yearly contingents with the colours. The Government, therefore, proposed three years' compulsory service for all classes. The only concession made is in the case of a conscript who is one of a family of five. He will bo releasqd at tho end of thirty months' service. If lie be one of a family of more than five ho may return home at the end of two years' service. In appealing to the Chamber for its support the Government, said the War Minister, was convinced that the Bill would lend not only In promote Ihe so''uvily of Fiance, but abo the peace vf Europo, ,