MILITARY EXPENDITURE IN EUROPE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1900, 27 March 1880, Page 2

MILITARY EXPENDITURE IN EUROPE.

The " Frankfort Gazette" publishes an interesting comparison of the budgets, national debts, and military expenditure of European States in 1865 and 1879. First of all, as regards Germany herself, her financial requirements in that interval have more than doubled. In 1865 Bhe rejoiced in the comparative innocence of making two ends meet with a budget of £31,000,000 sterling; but greatness has its expenses, and she now finds it no easy task to satisfy the public needs with £66,000,000 sterling. The heaviest budgets in Europe are at the present moment those of France and Russia —France Jwith an expenditure of some £119,000,000, and Russia with one of £107,000,000, the latter now ranking before England by some £22,000,000. In 186» Zußtia, like Germany.'required an income of less than half as much. Her budget then amounted to £51,000,000. There is not a European State but has increased its expenditure since 1865, the total for all Europe having risenfrom £398,000,000 to £585,000,000. As regards the national debts of the different European States, the same may be said of all except England and Holland, which alone show a certain diminution of their (debts. Russia [especially has managed to bring up hers from a modest £208,000,000 to the respectable figure of £600,000,000, and she has been closely followed by Spain and Italy, France now ranking first of all; while in 1865 England was by far the most heavily burdened, standing before France to the extent of £250,000,000. The total debts of the States of Europe have risen from £2,626,000,000 to £4.324,000,000. But the most interesting figures of all are those of the military expenditure, and they afford much food for reflection. Of a total expenditure for Europe of £585,000,000, £160,000.000 are devoted to maintaining armies. In |1865 of £398,000,000, £117,000,000 were devoted to this department. Here, too, nearly every State has increased its expenditure, Germany France, and Rusaia heading the list. Both :'« 1865 and 1879, however, Russia and England stand first. Russia spent last year £36,000,000, England £4,000,000 less; France, £27,000,000; and Germany, £21,000,000. In 1565 the German expenditure on war was estimated at £10,000,000 ; the Austro-Hungarian at £11,500,000; the French at £17,000,000; the British at £27,000,000 ; and the Russian at £22,000,000. Only Italy and AustriaHungary have since then reduced their army expenditure,