The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-04-09
4 SINFUL Waste.
WHAT MIGHT COME FROM THE
EXCESS ARMY-NAVY COST.

Would Easily Lift The Debt of The
Nation.
As an aid to the efforts now
making for universal peace among
nations. the New York Peace society
has issued and circulated $50, 900
pamphlets entitled. "war Expendi-
ture and Peace Expenditure: A Con-
trast"
The society takes as basis of
argument the excess cost of the army
and navy for eight years. and also
the S12.000.o00 which a single one
of the new mammoth battleships will
cost. The arguments are intended
10 show TO what better purpose this
money could be put than to invest 1t
In battleships and preparations for
war.
AT the very outset the pamphlet as
serts:
THE ever growing armaments of
civilized nations are leading toward
national BANKRUPTCY Colossal expen-
ditures on armies and navies never
can secure happiness and prosperity.
Armaments beget hatred, fear and
insecurity of trade"
Thus at the very beginning the
Peace Society asserts the uselessness
OF trying to obtain peace thru ex-
penditures for war.
ION the other hand" the argu-
by commerce. interruption of which
means ruin TO the workers, desolation
TO many homes and the degradation
of Christianity The true patriot
seeks the extension of the information
al friendship, remembering that the
nations are looking TO America to
lead them In the arrest of arma-
ments."
Then 1t Is pointed out that the
increase In the cost of maintaining
the United States army and navy for
the last eight years has reached the
great sum of s1.072.O0O. 900. The
average annual cost of the army and
navy for the eight years preceding the
Spanish war. from 1890 to 1898, Is
given as s51. 500. 900, while the aver
age cost Of this country for the eight
years since that event is placed at
sls5,40o,O00, thus creating an an
nual Increase as compared with the
former cost Of $134.O0O,O00.
This eight years increase" says
the Peace society, exceeds the nat
ional debt by s15S. .00O.O 900. and also
exceeds the entire. budget of the
United States for 1910.
''It Is twice as much as the highest
estimates of carrying out the deep
waterways projects.
ut is nearly three times the esti-
mated cost of replanting the 6,00O,-
600 acres of denuded forest lands in
the United States.
1t Is three times the estimated cost
OF the Panama canal, including pur-
chase price from the French COM
pany. .N
Interest on this sum at four per
cent would give an income of $1,000
year TO 42.S00 families. The in
terest for 19OS-O9 is only thirteen
millions less than all of the gifts to
charities. Libraries. educational in
stitutions and other public causes in
1909, which reached the vast total
OF s1S5.OOO. 900.
ut (the increase in eight years
mentioned) is three times the cost of
carrying out the whole irrigation pro-
gram contemplated within a gener-
alton.
IL is probably enough to Danish tu-
berculosis from the United States
within a reasonable time IL efficient
ly used 20 arouse and assist the peo-
pie in their fight against this dread
disease. More than $50, 900 are dying
yearly from this cause.
'It is $50 for every family in the
United Staes. IL lays a yearly tax Of
1 Ia per cent on the total wages
paid In the United States. on the sup
position that wages average 5000 to
the family; and we pay II in the
higher cost of our goods.
Less than twenty years Increase
at the presnt rate only. will absorb
the price of the Panama canal. the
complete system OF deep waterways,
OF national forests OF irrigation for
arid lands and enough money to pay
the national debt. We propose to IS
sue bonds TO carry on such OF these
projects as we feel able to under
take. while we pour treasure into
army and nayy