THE HANDICAPPED NATIONS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 16, 19 January 1878, Page 3

THE HANDICAPPED NATIONS.

A writl'P. in an English magazine contends that the whole business world for the twenty years preceding 1873, was squandering money under influences of flush times, and has now become poor, and must he many years in recovering real prosperity. One gTeat difficulty which weighs heavily upon the European nations, and which will make their recuperation slower than that of the United Statos, is the burden of their immense warlike establishments in the time of peace. The followidg table shows the state of things at a glance:— l'opuia- Amry tiun. in Peace. Great Britain ... 34,000,000 132,884 France 37,000,000 430,703 Germany 43,000,000 419,650 Austro-Hungary 80,000,000 278,470 Italy 27.000,000 214,007 Belgium 3,500,000 40,000 United States... 38,000,000 25,000 This is very satisfactory to our nation, so far as it goes, and it probably will count largely in our favor. Still, it must be admitted that we are about the most extravagant and reckless people on the face of the earth, and unless we have learned some-thin;; from the experiences of the hard times, and have become more economical, individually, socially, and municipally, we may yet bo distanced in the race for prosperity by such nations as France and Belgium.—" Weekly Alta California."