The sun., 1908-04-14
THE COST or PEACE.
senator Hale Taken 10 TaSi1 FER Opposing
Necessary Appropriations.

TO THE Editor or TBE sUN-Sir; Less
than a week ago the chairman Of the Senate
| Naval Committee. Senator Hale OF Maine
considered II desirable after the Senate had
passed the army appropriation bill 10 state
on the floor Of the Senate with great apparent
| concern and solloltuds that more than 20
per cent. Of me total national revenues IA
being devoted 10 wars past and TO be-. and
then he invited his colleagues OF the Senate
10 cut the naval appropriation bill 10 pieces
when he, within the next few days, should
place It before them
This statement and invitation Of Senator
Hale offer an excellent example OF grossly
illogical deduction. In effect the Senator
says that because We had a meagre, non
effective army and navy In 1891 and therefore
fought long and most expensive war With
volunteer forces. and consequently must now
pay Slio, 100000 annually for pensions 10
volunteer soldiers, We must charge the war.
the sac, 900. 900 for pensions and the 200
for Interest on the public debt against our
present effective army and navy. We must
ceaseto support our present effective army and
navy and 90 back TO the condition Of military
helplessness that invited the civil war. made
Il protracted struggle involving tremendous
loss OF life enormous expenditures and a
huge pension roll forty-three yearo after the
last gun was fired. II the army and navy
had been on a footing rs effective In 1891 a.
they are to-day the civil war would not have
lasted year and would have been perhaps
altogether averted.
But aside from the quality OF the Senator's
logic he must be poor hand at mathematics.
The total appropriations for the last fiscal
year amounted to t92O 900 600. OF this amount
G9,OOOOOO was for the army, 500, 200. 900 for
the navy, S2.OO0,O 900 for the Military Acad-
emy, f,0OO,OOO for fortihcatlons, tlt0, ,OOO,o 900
for pensions Of the Volunteer army and t7i,-
900 900 for interest on the public debt, II We
add all these together and charge their total,
1857 900, 900, against the Regular army and
navy we find II amounts to less than 70 per
cent, Of the total annual appropriations ln-
stead Of more than 70 per cent. a. stated by
Senator Hale, Is his error due TO q lack OF
knowledge OF the elementary rules Of arith-
metic?
II would be much more logical and much
more In accordance with the facts TO con-
slider the ti4o o.OOO.OOO for pensions and the
s?t,0OO,OOO for Interest on the public debt as
a charge that has been incurred by reason
or our neglect previous to 1851 10 support
an effective army and navy.
To put the matter in concrete form. We
have the choice Of two systems: We can eI-
pend 500. 100000 q year In the maintenance
OF an effective army and navy and probably
avoid war. or we can expend 500 900 900 year
on an inadequate army and navy and invite
war involving great loss Of life, property and
national prestige, a huge public debt and
an annual pension roll OF $50 ,OOO
The people Of this country are fortunately
blessed with ample patriotism and good COM
mon sense, and they have 10 the national
platforms Of the two great parties emphati-
cally and wisely placed themselves on record
as desiring the first named system.
AMERICAN CITIZEN
Vnpw Anru