Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, "Manifesto on Disarmament," 1921. Swarthmore College Peace Collection, Jane Addams Papers, Series 1 (Jane Addams Papers Microfilm, reel 14, #243-244, #125).

The following resolution was passed at the third international meeting of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom:

Believing that universal total disarmament is the only sure guarantee of international peace, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom views with horror the great post-war increase of expenditure on armies and navies in the Allied countries, as shown by the figures below.

 
1913--1914

1920--21

United States

$316,000,000

$911,000,000

 

(nominally 63,000,000)

(nominally 162,000,000)

Britain

28,416,000

164,745,000

France

Frs. 913,750,000

Frs. 4,952,000,000

 

(nominally 37,000,000)

(nominally 198,000,000)

Japan

Yen 97,454,515

Yen 250,000,000

 

(approximately 10,000,000)

(approximately 23,000,000)

 

The delegates at Vienna saw in the projected Washington Conference an opportunity given to the three foremost naval powers to lead the way in lessening the wasteful and devastating expenditure on military force which is impoverishing the world and debasing international relations.

—Excerpt from Women's International League for Peace and Freedom,
"Manifesto on Disarmament," 1921

5. Did all the nations in the above chart increase their military spending from 1913-1914 to 1920-1921?

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6. By how much did the United States increase its military spending during this period?

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7. What did WILPF members believe would be the ultimate effect of the increased military spending of the Allied countries?

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