You have seen how our millions have joined that greater stream of European billions to meet the rising tide of war cost.  How is this vast debt to be paid and what is the paying capacity of the nations involved?

In analysing the war debt and its costly hangover for posterity, you must remember that not all of it is in actual money.  The nations at war have not only taxed their economic reserve through the destruction of productive capacity in the loss of men and material—­as I have already pointed out—­but have made a costly and well-nigh permanent drain upon what might be called their nervous systems.

Look for a moment at the American Civil War whose cost was a mere flea bite as compared with the stupendous price of the European Conflagration.  At the end of that war only half of its reckoning was represented in the country’s bonded debt.  After fifty years we are still paying in some way for the other and larger outlay, the invisible strain on the country.

Strange as it may seem in the light of the present frightful ravage in Europe, no country has ever been completely ravaged by war.  When I returned from Europe more than a year ago, I was convinced that economic exhaustion would be the determining factor:  that victory would perch on the side of the biggest bank roll.  After a second trip to the warring lands I am convinced that I was wrong in my first impression.  Observation again in England and France leads me to believe that man power—­beef, not gold—­will win.  The extents to which financial credit can be extended in the countries at war seem to be almost without limit.

This leads to the final but all essential detail:  How will the European nations pay?

Since the Allies practically have a monopoly on the American money sent abroad for war purposes, let us briefly look at the equity behind the Thing known as National Honour.  Its first and foremost bulwark is Wealth.  Take England first.  The wealth of the United Kingdom is $90,000,000,000:  the annual income of the people $12,000,000,000.  To this you can add the wealth, resource and income of all her far-flung colonies and the immense amount of money due to her from foreign countries.  Unlike France and save for a few Zeppelin raids, the Empire is absolutely free from the ravage of war.  The principal assault has been upon her income, for her great Principal is still intact.

In examining the methods adopted by England and France to meet the cost of the war, you find a sharp difference of procedure which is characteristic of the countries.  Following the British tradition, England is trying to make the war “pay its way” with taxation.  Out of a total expenditure of $9,500,000,000 for the current year, no less than $2,500,000,000 was raised by taxation.  The rest was obtained by loans at home and abroad.

The income tax alone will serve to show the enormous increase in tribute.  From .04 per cent on small incomes to 13 per cent on large ones before the war it has risen to 1 per cent on small incomes to over 411/2 per cent on big ones.  Again, 60 per cent of all excess profits earned since the war are surrendered to the State.