COST OF WORLD’S NAVIES?

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 3, 28 December 1912, Page 8

COST OF WORLD’S NAVIES?

ASTOUNDING FIGURES. The appalling growth of the expenditure ot the principal Powers on nazal equipment during a period of just over ten years is shown by a White Paper issued recently. Tables are given in which is shown the naval expenditure of Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hun-gary, the United States, and Japan, from the year 1901 to the year 19121913. Though the increases are very great indqod in every case, it is signi.ican(t that only three Powers —Japan. Germany, and Austria-Hungary—have in this period actually more than doubled the amounts spent by tiiem respectively. It must be remembered that the figures given as “expenditure” are in some cases estimates, for which, however, sanction ha* been given. Ihe amounts actually expended arc not in all cases available. • For the most part the expenditure of the Powers has been regularly progressive, though in some cases then have been sudden increases. In the case of Great Britain the expenditure in 1903 and the two years following was 35 millions, 36 millions and 33 millions respectively, hut in the three years after 1906 the sums never rose above 32 millions. In the case ot France the expenditure until 1908 was, roughly, stationary at a little over I’miluons. Since then it has jumped up over a million a year. There was a great increase amounting to six millions in the Russian estimates between 1911 and 1912.

Whereas until 1908 Germany’s csJ mates had risen a more or less normal two millions, after that date there it an increase of four millions. From 1908 to 1912 German expenditure rose from 12 millions to 22 millions. The following table shows the expenditure, actual and estimated. 01 the Powers at the beginning, middle, and end of the period covered by the return Great Britain—- £ 1901-2 ... 30,981,315 1907-8 ... 31,251,156 1912-13 ... 45,075,400 France—--1901-2 ... 13,802,266 1907-8 ... 12,483.793 1912-13 ... .18,090,758 Russia--1901-2 ... 9,J0‘J,766 1907-8 ’ ... 8,850 2*B 1912-13 ... 17,681,207 Germany—--1901-2 ... 9,530,000 1907-8 ... 14.225,000 1912-13 ... 22,609,040 , Italy—--1901-2 ... 4,912,661 1907-8 ... 5,661.822 1912-13 ... b,566, >5 An st ri a-Hun ga ry—--1901-2 ... - 1,821.284 1907-8 ... 2,713510 1912-13 ... 5,8 IL.OBO United States—--1901-2 16 012,438 1907-8 V 6 .;'. .21,260,732, ' 1912-l# u ... 26,540,010 Japan— vr $ ■ » 1901-2 , ... 1907-8 7,377.77/ 1912-13 ,9,461,817