The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. MONDAY, MARCH 25, 1912. GERMANY'S DEFENCE BILLS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 73, 25 March 1912, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 1912. GERMANY'S DEFENCE BILLS.

/lor the enmte tUt Htct* uairtOfe**, For the io*o*g that need* rtnitta %cc, For the fnturc in the dittomoe, Ind the good that we cen do.

We have, yd lo learn what sort o!

reception thu (jtrman people have given to the Arniy and Navy estimateit for the year, fiut it is clear from the figures published in our cable columns to-day that the ticrman (Jovcrnmcnt is prepared to take serious political risks to maintain the line of policy that, tht Kaiser ami his ministers have followed for the last decade. Within the next five years it is proposed to spend an ad ditional eight millions on the nary, an 1

more than twice that amount on th» army -withia the next throe ycar3. So

far as the army i-* concerned, it m only natural that Germany should feel utctl of constantly her national defences on th!a side. With Itiusia on one Hank and France on tho other, Germany's only hope of safet" lies in her conslant prepareJnes.3 arain j « attack. Russia has now largely rejov-c-ri-il frura disastrous shock that she BU»taiin.'d a few years ajro in the Far East, and from the .subsequent abortive

revolutionary ruins*, and i» once more a military factor to bo reckoned with in Kuropcan complications. Am to France, all competent military authorities that her military strength has increas--J

cnonnousiv in recent years. The terrible lf«Bons of 1370-1 have never been forgotten; and to-day, with a peace establishment at least equal to Germany's, ajiJ a total war strength of at least 4.000,030 trained mem, probably as well equipped and efficient as tlie German troops, France misht well look forward with confidence to a hand-to-hand conflict with Germany, even if she had to fight alone. If is certain that the criticism to whirh the German army has been esposed 5n rerent rears, and the charges oi lark oi initiative and re3ourvcfulne>>« levelled against it by French a"d English rsperte, lias produced some apprehension in Germany, and it will not be difficult to work up a strong mho iv public or In the hnichstag for increasing the military estimates at once.

With the navai ectinisies the case is

eroiowiiat different. For. in the first place, It ii generally reoogtii.-od in German v that the extensive and costly naval

programme* of recent years have heen directed a«.iin*t England; and th'Aigh the Navy I.engue and the Pen-German still exercise great social ami political influence, there H no doub: that the

mm of the nation are beginning to question the wisdom of obstinately challonging England to a contest for naval anpremacy. More especially ba3 this feeling gained ground since England hs& given such convincing proof of her do termination not to be left behind in the race for so*-power. And though the Germans still naturally hesitate to admit publicly and formally that they lire prepared to concede to England the control of the spas, the suggestions that our First Lonl of the Admiralty b:is just made for a mutual agreement between tl'c Powers to reduce naval expenditure ha* certainly produced a favourable impreesion in Germany. Cut p n rhaps the strongest reason for believing that thLi heavy and expenditure on warlike preparations is distasteful to the majority of the German people is to be found in the startling victory secured by the Social Democrats at the recent elections. For though the .Socialists are patriotic so far ac the necessity for r>elfdefence is concerned they object to an aggressive foreign policy, and they resent more particularly the constant increase in the burden of taxation, that has to be borne chiefly by the poorer classes, to support this enormous annual outlay on fleets and armies. It » believed that the Kaiser and his Ministers hope to be able to pair off the rival parties in the new Reichstag in such a way as still to secure a working majority in favour of the new naval and military extension. Cut this is at least doubtful, more particularly when the Social Democrats and the German people come to realize that the additional cost is to be thrown, not upon the wealthier classes, but once more upon the rank and file of the middle classes and the poor.

"It may not be generally realised,"

says an instructive article in a recent 'twit of "T.P.s Magazine," "that the German people arc by no means all in favour of the ambitioiu policy which directs the huge recent growth of expenditure on the Army and Navy in the Fatherland." Indeed, as the writer, a lending German Socialist, goes on to explain, "a large proportion of the commercial classes in Germany have realised for some years past that in this reckless outlay on war preparations lies the germ of national bankraptcy." A few weeks ago Herr- Bebel, the Socialist loader, warned the people that a great increase in naval and military expenditure was already contemplated. "The order would go forth: 'Ann on land and seal . Doubtless a great Xavy Bill would come before the Reichstag, and with it, in order to cover the cost, a great Taxation Bill. As a result, miilions of German subjects would no longer be able to satisfy thejr hunger, owing to the frightful rise in the prices of food." Herr Bebel's prediction has been speedily verified; and

Hc-rr Bernstein, in the article from! which ive have quoted, shows clearly' v.bat the consequences must be. When' this German Empire wa3 founded, after the triumph over France in' lsroi, H ■β-as fondly hoped that the expenditure on naval and military purposes would be reduced. But between 1875 and 1802 the annual outlay on thesi! purposes increased by 100 per cent, and between 1892 and 1910 it rose by another 100 per cent. It i 3 true! that the wealth of the nation has also increased enormously during this period. I Bu;; though "the income of the mtion ! in money is now: two and a-quarter times I the amount it was at the birth of the Empire," this increase is considerably lese than the increase in the annual expenditure on Army and Navy. And the ' worst of the matter is that the greater part of the increase is borne by the • poorer classes, who pay henvy indirect ; taxi's on the noecssaries of life. The Imperial indirect taxation rose from fight million pounds in 1572 to over ■ 72 million pound.) in 1910—which means ; per head of population a ri?e from four marks in 1972 to nearly twenty-four '■ marks in 1010. It is this taxation of, food and other necessaries that presses I most heavily upon the German nation, ; and in Hcrr Bernstein's opinion, Vh°. di3eor.tent anil distress engendered by those oppressive imposts will eventually breakout to violently as to compel the Im- ; peria.i fJovernment to stay its hand j throujrh its inability to pay it: way, ' and fall a halt in the mad race for po'.vrr on land and sea.