THE WAR AND "RUIN"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 59, 9 August 1940, Page 2

THE WAR AND "RUIN"

HE "experts" are always making these two statements: (1) This is the most expensive war that has ever been waged; | (2) We shall all be ruined at the end of it. So far this war has proved most of the "experts" to be wrong. Ever since 1700 experts have been saying the same things about expense and ultimate ruin. The first has always been true, because each war has been fought by greatly increased armed forces and with more highly developed munitions of war; the second has always been false. Here are some figures: The Duke of Marlborough’s campaign cost £50 millions. Britain paid off £30 million and carried the remainder over to the national debt. The population of Britain was then six million people and the national revenue £6 millions. The Napoleonic Wars lasted for 21 years. They cost us £830 millions, of which £620 millions was added to the national debt, The Crimean War cost £70 millions and another £43 millions of that sum went to increase the national debt. The Boer War cost £200 millions, The Great War cost £9,000 millions, Britain now has a population of 41 millions and a national income of £942 millions. During the last 240 years Britain has had 170 years of peace and 70 years of war, Yet she has never been ruined. Her population has multiplied by eight times and her national revenue has increased 150 times. Both revenue and population have increased after every war. Taxes have never been so heavy that the peir!s. have been crushed, since the standard of living has increased by at least 500 per cent. since 1700. After the Great War, which was the ‘most ruinous of all wars, the male rate of wages increased by 200 per cent. and the female rate by 190 per cent.

WAR DIARY