Chancellor considers it very difficult to believe that this amount will be realised, but, assuming that it is, it will make their total additional revenue L185 millions.  That, added to the pre-war revenue, gives a total of L335 millions, showing “a deficit at the end of this year, comparing the revenue with the expenditure, of L385 millions at least.”  The Chancellor added that if that were our position he would certainly think that bankruptcy was not far from the British Government.

Another point that the Chancellor was able to make effectively, in comparing our war revenue with Germany’s, was the fact that, with the exception of the war increment tax, scarcely any of the additional revenue has been obtained from the wealthier classes in Germany.  Taxation has been indirect and on commodities which are paid for by the masses of the people.  “The lesson to be drawn from these facts is not difficult to see.  The rulers of Germany, in spite of their hopes of indemnity, must realise that financial stability is one of the elements of national strength.  They have not added to their financial stability.”  The reason for this failure the Chancellor considers to be largely psychological.  It is, in the first place, because they do not care to add to discontent by increased taxation all over the country, but “it is still more due to this, that in Germany the classes which have any influence on or control of the Government are the wealthier classes, and the Government have been absolutely afraid to force taxation upon them.”

It is certainly very pleasant to be able to contemplate the financial blunders by which Germany is so greatly increasing the difficulties that it will have to face before the war is over.  On the other hand, we have to recognise that the Chancellor, with that incorrigible optimism of his, has committed the common but serious error of over-stating his case by leaving out factors which are in Germany’s favour, as, for instance, that Germany’s debt is to a larger extent than ours held at home.  Since the war began we have raised over L1000 millions by borrowing abroad.  Our public accounts show that the item of “Other Debt,” which is generally believed to refer to debt raised abroad, now amounts to L958 millions, while one of our loans in America, which is separately stated in the account because it was raised under a special Act, amounted to L51-1/2 millions.  It is also quite possible that fair amounts of our Treasury bills, perhaps also of our Temporary Advances and of our other war securities, have been taken up by foreigners; but quite apart from that the two items already referred to now amount to more than L1000 millions, though at the end of March last their amount was only L988 millions.  It is also well known that we have during the course of the war realised abroad the cream of our foreign investments, American Railroad Bonds, Municipal and Government holdings in Scandinavia, Argentina, and elsewhere, to an amount concerning