The Times TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 1941. What Europe Pays For War

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 95, 22 April 1941, Page 4

The Times TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 1941. What Europe Pays For War

Most European nations are spending from one-third to onehalf and even more of their income for war. Even those not actually lighting devote some 30 to 40 per cent, for preparation for war and defence. At the moment Great Britain is spending over £10,000,000 a day, some eight millions of which go to the lighting forces. That amounts to about £4,000,000,000 a year, which is over 50 per cent, of the British national income. It is not easy to realise what these astronomical figures mean except by comparison. In the World War, when spending reached its peak, Great Britain raised £2,636,000,000 for the war effort in 1917-18. In 1941, British financial experts believe, England will have to import three times as much as in 1940, when her national debt was increasing at a rate of about £50,000,000 a week. The actual daily expenditures for warfare for Germany have been estimated at 100,000,000 marks (£10,000,000) ; for France at 600,000,000 francs (£3,250,000). That does not take into account the costs of the war for smaller nations who Were conquered within a few weeks, nor does it include the losses and costs of preventive rearmament for the so-called neutrals. '!'• get information on these figures would be still more difficult. They would add up to considerable amounts because of the large number of smaller States in Europe.

France has to pay 400,000,000 francs (£2,000,000) every day for the maintenance of the Nazi army that occupies the country and w ages war against England from French soil. Astronomical figures like these do not mean much to the average man, but they may be brought into relation with other figures. These 400,000,000 francs take care of the maintenance of the Nazi army only. France has to pay in addition for the upkeep of two million French prisoners still in the Reich and working there for the benefit of the Nazi Government. They work in and for Germany, but they have to be supported by their fellow-countrymen in France.

The funds that have to be raised for them have not been disclosed, neither have the reparations been fixed that France will have to pay. The decision will be made by the peace conference, the terms of which are being worked out at Wiesbaden. That goes to show that the 400,000,000 francs or 20,000,000 reichsmarks France lias to pay every day for the Nazi army are but a small portion of the full burden it will have to carry on orders from Berlin and Rome. But even these 20,000,000 marks a day add up to 7,300,000,000 marks annually. Compare this with the reparation payments Germany had to make under the Treaty of Versailles. These reparations were called ruinous for the Reich; they have been an inexhaustible.well of complaint and propaganda for the Nazis against the democracies. Figures of these payments differ from 8,000,000,000 marks to 17,000,000,000 marks. But according to semi-official German figures the values of the payments and the deliveries made by the republic Under the l)awes and Young plans, the Germau-Amcrican debt agreement, and the German-Belgian mark agreement made between August 31, 1924, and June 30, 1931, amounted to 10,096,000,000 marks. In other words, Germany paid during all these years after the World War, and to all its former enemies, Home 10,000,000,000 marks, of which France received 3,700,000,000 marks. France now has to pay 7,300,000,000 marks in one year and that is but a part of the total the Nazis will exact from their victim. Moreover, Italy will present her claims, too. During the World War £46,000,000,000 were spent on actual warfare and £100,000,000,000 were necessary for the repair of destruction caused by the war. That means about one-third of the costs for fighting and two-thirds for repair. Long before the first Nazi soldier crossed the Polish border experts warned that this war will be far more costly than the last, To-day a modern battleship costs two to three times as much os in the World War. To equip a division costs twice as much as in 1914. Modern bombers are incomparably more expensive than the more or less primitive aeroplanes of twenty-five years ago. Finally, destruction is far heavier than it was a generation ago. According to official Nazi reports, for example, it will take another six months yet to clear up the debris of Rotterdam and fifteen years to build 26,000 buildings that were destroyed. According to an official report of the Nazi-controlled Vieliy Government, goods and raw materials for one billion francs have been confiscated by the Germans in but one French city (Lyons). There is every indication that the bill for this war will by far surpass the fantastic bill of the World War. At least twice the enormous funds spent for destruction will have to be provided for reconstruction.