THE PRICE OF NATIONAL AMBITION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 196, 5 January 1877, Page 8

THE PRICE OF NATIONAL AMBITION.

The penalty which Germany pnys even for national unity is a vast stuuding army. This she imposes on her neighbouring nations. Howcan a tuice which converts every citizen into a soldier, and every village into an nrmed camp, be called «i peace ? Europe is now an armed camp. This is mainly because of the battle of Sedan. Germany has 1,700,000 men under arms, including her army and navy. For these, although she is economical beyond any other nation in Europe, she pays $100,000,000 a year. England's soldiers and sailors comprise nearly half a million men, ut a yearly cost of 8124,000,000. Austria spends 854,000,000 a year for an army of 535,000 men, although she bus difliculty in paying her debts. We find even little countries like Belgium and Denmark with large armies, costing millions of dollars eveiy year. Spatn, whose credit is a mockeiy in the money markets of Europe, whose industry is paralyzed, and her commerce little more thau a name— Span, with every I impetus to economy and retrenchment and peace — must' have 270,000 men, for which she pays over $30,000,000. France; with her army and navy, has 1,700,000 men under arms, costing $133,000,000 per annum. Even Greece, who cannot suppress the brigands that i.ifest hir hills, must have 50,000 men. Italy, which would not send a commission to the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia for reasons of economy, can afford to keep several thousands of men under arms at a cost of ne.irly §50,000,000 per annum. While little Holland, one' of the most useful and harmless countries in Europe, finds 100,000 men necessary for her independence. Even Sweden, away, we should think, from the sweep of European ambition, and protected by her isolation, is compelled to keep 100,000 men under arms. Switzerland has 180,000, and Turkey is rapidly £oing to, the devil with an army of 30,000 men. , Altogether, therefore, Europe to-day has over 9,000,000 soldiers under arms, for which she spends nearly $700,000,000 per annum.