INTRODUCTION. XXV 



Germany has a military force, when mobilised, of 3,093,500 men, 

 and her Navy is steadily increasing. 



The National Debt of the Empire is ;^38s,667,9S9, its Annual 

 Expenditure ;^r 55,349)9 16, the interest of its National Debt 

 ;^26,93o,2so, and her Army and Navy Expenditure .^^39,675,764, 

 and, including the interest of her National Debt, a total of 

 ;^66,6o6,oi4 voted annually for War. 



France has an Army, when mobilised, of 4,190,000 men, with a 

 Navy, equal, if not superior, to any European Power. Her National 

 Debt, including the Unfunded Debt, amounts to the enormous total 

 of^i,265,748,8o4, her National Annual Expenditure ;^i5i,943,3i8, 

 the Army and Navy Expenditure ^^36,41 2,409, and the interest of 

 her huge National Debt ;^S2,o22,767, making a total Annual 

 Expenditure for War of ;^88,43S,i76. 



Austro-Hungary has an Army, when mobilised, of 1,813,414 men, 

 and it is stated that in case of war. she could increase that number 

 by the addition of the Landsturm, to a total of 4,000,000 of trained 

 soldiers. Her National Debt, which includes the whole Empire,- 

 amounts to ;^545,3i3,95o; her Annual Expenditure is ;^9i, 530,757, 

 of which sum ^^26,332,288 is devoted to the interest of the 

 National Debt, and ^^12,863,481 for the Army and Navy, making a 

 total Expenditure for War of ;^39,i9S,769 per annum. 



Italy has an Army, including its Reserves, of 2,852,323 men; 

 her National Debt amounts to ;^449,262,66o; her Annual 

 Expenditure is ;^74,885,33i, which includes the Army and Navy 

 Expenditure of ;^i6,i55,485, and -the interest of the National Debt 

 ;^2 3, 159,393, total ;^39,3i4,878 annually voted for War. 



In the face of these astounding facts and figures, the question 

 ■naturally arises, What is the remedy that the wit of man can devise, 

 and the courage of statesmen can adopt, to remove this great 

 scandal to civilisation, this huge barrier to the peace and prosperity 

 of Europe ? 



Proposals have been brought forward from time to time, in the 

 Parliaments of England and Germany, Austria and France, by men 

 distinguished in those several countries for their devotion and 

 services to the cause of peace, in favour of a mutual reduction of 

 Armaments, as the first practical step towards international peace ; 

 but on every occasion, notwithstanding a powerful advocacy, 

 strengthened by an unchallenged array of facts and figures, their 

 proposjtiops for disarmament have. been resisted, and even ridiculed 



