The Deadly Race

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 148, 18 March 1939, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Deadly Race

‘Total world expenditure on armaments was approximately £3,400,000.096 in 103,8. as compared with £2,800,000. 000 in 1937," says the Geneva eorre spondent of the “Scotsman.” “Such is the main conclusion of the fourteenth League of Nations Armaments Year Book.

“It should he added that these total figures represent only military, naval, and air expenditure proper, and do not include expenditure on semi-military objects such as roads, aerodromes, etc.

“The figures given in the year book tell their own tale. Taking 1932 (the year of the opening of the Disarmament Conference), as the point of departure, it can be seen that, whereas from 1927 to, 1931 average world expenditure was £1,500.000,000. from 1934 (the year of the avowed failure of the conference to 1938), it lias been £2,300,00(1.000.

“If the curve of world expenditure on armaments from 1925 to 1938 is plotted, it will be found that .it. rose from £1,100,000,000 in 1025 to - about £1,500.000,000 in 1930. From 1930 to 1932 the curve remained constant,'and then from 1933 to the present year it rose from about £1,600,000,000 to its present figure of £3,400,000,000.

“Of this total for 1938, the seven great Powers of the-• world—Britain, France, the Soviet Unidn, the'U.S.A., Germany, Italy, and Japan—were responsible for 78.7 per cent., whereas in 1928 their percentage was about 66 per cent.

“It is significant that in the last year (1938), the countries of Europe alone were responsible for 72,3 per cent, of the world’s annual military expenditure.” (