7 JUNE 1919, Page 13

MILITARY EXPENDITURE.

(To Tan EDITOR OF TOE " SPECTATOR."I

Sie,—In your issue of Saturday last Sou say that Germany "will no longer have to endure the burden of lingo arum- meats," obviously a reference to Article 12 in the Allies' reply to the German Note on the economic effect of the Pears Treaty. I hope Mr. Churchill and the other magnates who are stampeding the country into reckless war expenditure in these days of peace have had time to rend the Article iu question, viz.:—

" The German reply also ignores the immense relief that will he caused to her people in the struggle for recovery by the enforced reduction of her military armaments. In future hundreds of thousands of her inhabitants, who 111176 hitherto been engaged either in training for armies or in producing

instruments of destroetion, will henceforward:be available for avocations, and for inoreaeing the industrial, pro- ductiveness of the nation- No- result should. be more satis- factory to the German people."

I trust that these wise, words have not escaped the attention of the few Members of Parliament who are standing out against a continuance of the- wanton extravagance, which, unless stopped, will make a return to pre-war proeparity impossible. There must be a- lamentable lack of a sense of humour in people who can felicitate Germany- on the "en- forced reduction of her military armaments." while piling up;