THOUGHTS FOR THE TIMES

Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1930, Page 4

THOUGHTS FOR THE TIMES

BRITAIN’S WAR BURDEN. Th facts and figures that Mr Snowden has just laid before the American public regarding Britain’s war debts are sufficiently impressive to stir the most sluggish imagination. Britain spent £10,000,000,000 on the Great \Var and she ended the war £7,000,000,000 in debt. To meet these obligations she has to pay £3-50,000,000 a year in interest and other charges. Mr Snowden points out that it would take “the whole-time labour of 2,000,000 British workers all the year” to produce this sum; and this “forced labour” must be maintained at the present rate of payment for 140 years! If we add to these intrest charges £115,000,000 still spent annually on the fighting services, and £56,000,000 on war pensions, we see that the British nation has been penalised by the war to the extent of £520,000,000 a year, which works out at about £IOOO a- minute! Entirely apart from' all moral considerations, these arguments should surely be strong enough to secure the world’s peace for the future. —“Auckland Star”