EUROPEAN CRISIS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 52, 29 August 1914, Page 3

EUROPEAN CRISIS

SOME OF ITS PHASES LECTURES AT THE TOWN HALL WAR AND CAPITALISM. HUGE SUMS SPENT ON ARMAMENTS.

Three exceptionally interesting lectures on the economic aspects of the war, PanGermanism, and the work of the medical corps on the battlefield were delivered in the Concert Chamber in the Town Hall last evening, in aid of the Mayor's patriotic fund. There was a fair attendance, over which His Excellency the Governor (Lord Liverpool) presided. ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE WAR. In dealing with the economic aspects of the war, Mr. E. P. Wilson, M.A., of Victoria College, declared that economic causes were at the bottom of the present struggle. Looking up the figures the other day he was struck by the enormous expenditure 'by European powers upon armaments. Great Britain spent 35 per cent, of her revenue in this direction, France 40 per cent., Russia 30 per cent., the German Empire 50 per cent, of the Imperial revenue, and Austria-Hungary 10 per cent, of her total revenue. Germany alone during 1913 spent over £100,000,000 in armaments, while the total for the whole of Europe foi the same period was something over £500,000,000. The total was staggering. He pointed out what this expenditure meant and how the money could be much better employed. The speaker then dwelt upon the effect of wars and rumours of war upon the money market, and instanced how in the present Instance stocks had fallen, representing a shrinkage in wealth, and the London Stock Exchange had been, closed down for the first time in history. Another economic aspect of the war was that bank notes had been made legal tender for the first time in England and also in New Zealand, and were now circulating with the utmost freedom. He ridiculed tho notion that wars were promoted by capitalists, showing that capitalists had so much to gain by peace and so much to lose by war. It might be true that some capitalists might profit by war, but the fact was that by far . the greater majority stood to lose far more than the few gainers. That could bo seen if they looked at Germany's foreign trade. Her overseas trade totalled something like £440,000,000 annually, which with her overland • trade to France, Russia, etc., brought her foreign trade up to over £1,000,000.000. That practically had been cut off at on© blow,, and now Franco and Great Britain,, whose overseas trade was at present quire uninterrupted, were now cutting into her markets. German capitalists might have helped to bring about the war, but he fancied if Germany lost, Germany would rue the day she resorted to arms. All sudden econo mic changes brought about hardship to somebody. If the war lasted over next spring, there would probably be'a shortage of harvest in burope, and the present situation would be accentuated. The war, in addition, would decrease tho purchasing power of Europe. Concluding, he said £hat war was inevitable, and he did not think it would ever be abolished while human nature remained as it was. "BIGGEST PLOT EVER HATCHED." Mr. H. EL: Cornish, „M.A'.;..0f t , Banks College, speaking on "Pan-Geimanism," declared that Pan-Germanism was the biggest plot ever hatched, and was the biggest thing in modem history. It aimed at the domination of 'the world by the German race involving the smashing up and partition of 'the British Empire and the domination and ruination of France. Germany's object was to provide for the keeping of Germans under the German flag and to obtain exclusive markets for German goods. The German, reckoned that he had everything to gain by war. Pan- Germanism, he said, had been the greatest thing in the history of the world during the past 40 years. It had, however, been nothing more or less than a record of failures. They were seeing now the last great failure of a big movement. (Applause.) MEDICAL CORPS ON BATTLEFIELD. Surgeon-Capt. Shand, M.8., M.R.C.S., spoke upon the work of the medical corps on the battlefield. He explained the present medical organisation at length, and said the work which would be performed during the present conflict would undoubtedly be the greatest and finest in history. He paid a tribute to the part being played by women in acting as nurses in the field hospitals. Between the lectures patriotic songs were rendered by Mrs. H. S. Claughton and Messrs. S. Allwright and G. Waidemar Eiby, and Fullers' choir also sang " Sons of New' Zealand," and the National Anthems of Franco, Russia, and Great Britain. s