War’s Mortgage on Civilization

International Religious Liberty Association · Chicago · Jun 21, 1900

FromThe American Sentinel, The Sentinel of Liberty, Vol. 15, No. 24.

War’s Mortgage on Civilization.

[New York World.]

The debts of the civilized nations now add up a total of over $32,000,000,000—most of it incurred in wars. To realize what 32 billions means a few comparative statements are necessary.

The highest total value of the entire cotton crop of the United States in any recent year was less than $300,000,000. If, therefore, the whole American cotton crop were sold for 100 years in succession, and the proceeds applied to the payment of the world’s indebtedness—mainly incurred for wars and war preparations—there would still remain an unpaid balance of nearly two billions.

Prof. H. C. Adams of Cornell, some time since calculated that the interest payments alone on these aggregated debts of the nations equal the value of the labor of 3,000,000 men working constantly at $1.50 per day per man.

Civilization is under a blanket mortgage to war.