The Weber Literary Journal dulgence in these very things. It is the hard-headed business men of America who have looked at the portentously mounting expense of our Government and find that war-making is the cause of it. The cry of warning is coming from the militarist himself, who says, as was voiced by General Bliss: "Our present form of civilization cannot stand the great strain of military preparations much longer." III. Let us pause for a moment and consider the self-convincing facts concerning military armament. Nothing new could be said about the utter wastefulness and needless expenditures as the result of War, but the repetition of a few figures might aid in focusing our attention to this phase of the situation. In the year 1913, which was just previous to the beginning of the World War, the military and naval expenditures of the Great Powers amounted in round numbers to two billion three hundred million dollars. The loss ensued by those powers in the four years following 1913 was far more enormous than power of common conception, but one statistician has explained that if all armament were to cease immediately, the interest on the unpaid debts would amount to over nine billions of dollars. Now let us look at conditions in America alone. The simple truth stands out, that according to an official publication, more than 92 per cent of the governmental expenditures for the fiscal year ending July 1st, 1920, went for the army and navy. Secretary of War, Baker, has asked Congress to grant the War Department 615 million dollars in excess to the existing appropriation for the coming fiscal year. The navy program adopted in 1916 provided for the construction of 157 fighting ships. These were not all built, and there still remains a program for the construction of some sixteen battleships at the approximate value of forty million dollars each. From these facts we can plainly see that America has expended vast sums of money on an armament program, and that if her present plans are not changed she will continue to do so. Fortunately, however, the sound, sober sense of America is 6 The Weber Literary Journal IV. beginning to manifest itself. Thinking men, having the vision of future America before them, tell us that our country cannot proceed with a competitive armament program and endure. In the first place, America must adopt a plan of limited armament or face ultimate bankruptcy. Congressman Mondell declares but one acts upon the theory, "In time of peace prepare for war" and buys a gun. Hearing this the other promptly prepares. This causes suspicion and distrust, and the two prepared men have only to meet by chance, when a word, a gesture misinterpreted, results in strife. Exactly so with nations. The causes of war both between nations and men are generally of trifling moment. Therefore, much depends upon their attitude towards each other, if they be friendly, no dispute but can be peacably settled; if they be unfriendly, no trifle but can create war. Armament and friendship are incompatible. Even nations in close alliance against other nations feel that sometime that alliance may change and even become hostile. If nations are armed to the limit against each other and each knows that the armament of the other is probably meant for her, we can all see that when one approaches its limit and believes the other capable of expansion, war will ensue. It is this alone which enabled many men to predict the war of 1914. The pent-up dynamic forces of nations reach a point of tension at which resistance ceases, and then comes an explosion which rocks the world. A little spark, a slight shock is all that is required. The killing of a man and woman in a mountain town of Bosnia brought on the Great War, but it was only a pretext for it. The cause was armament. But the so-called military experts argue, "Armament is only for our own protection and should be no menace to other nations. So say all the armed nations; and it is true, that each nation regards and proclaims its armament as instruments of peace only, but just as naturally every nation regards the other nation's armament as implements of war because they may be used against her clearly, increasing armaments is no remedy since they multiply the dangers of war. 7