The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-12-28
WHAT HAVE
THEY DONE
WITH MONEY?

Washington, D. q, Dcc. 2S.lf The
garmy aud navy are wiz II unplepated
for war, what have the heads of these
departments been doing with the more
than two hundred million dollars fur
flshed them each year By congress
for the express purpose Of keeping
this nation in state or military
preparedness?
This is question for Secretary Of
War Dickinson particularly, to ans.
wer inasmuch al: he admits not cnly
that the Unite Estates is unprepared
for war, but that his army is not even
in condition to "repel invasion II
attempted on our coast by any first
class power
The anonnt spent on the army since
lssf ~ $loiLiOLlSS Tbs Il more
nan twice as much lian bas been
spent IN ihe same peirod f1f fho toe
faral delivery rigcu n0d 1arbors aud
public buildings and ground cJmD.n-
ed
Despite this awful military cost Char
man Hull Of the house committee Oh
military affairs, states in larguid
tone of voice that III war should come
our supply Of ammunition for the field
artillery wiuli be exhausted in one
engagement.
The navy uiler Republican admu-
lslrat0n has cost flle people even
more han the army Congress has
appropriated Sit2dglO.l39 for tha
na, siHce 1884,
II The army and navy are in a state
OF unpreparedness, u Is not due TO a
lack OF money voted by congress, but
to military nismanageinen and stup
ednes5 extravaganza aral wasteihl-
mess. at least this is the conclusion
long ago reached by army and navy
officers who are fully eognizant OF
the uabas,nesslke methods used in
both the army aiI navy. These off
clals, however, dare not tell what they
knew II they were 10 90 So they
would be liable TO court martial. "a
The men who are directing the WI
penditures Of the millions of dollftg
naturally do not wish to have the
true state Of army and navy cOndi-
tlons made public. Their excuse for
secrecy IS that publicity would en-.
tighten foreigners as to our unfori-
fled co 1stion 1t is literally true
however, that tbs country has no army
or naval secrets, except from the
peop.e of the United States Army
and navy journals have so stated
tune and again.
Foreign navy journals are pointing
% the practice Of our government IT.
placing lawyers aal bankers at the
heal OF our army and navy as be-
ing something akin to a joke. Cne
journal calls attention to the fact that
four of the last five naval secretaries
We're lawyers, and that not one Of
them remained in office long enough
tc get well acquainted with the heads
of the department Secretary OF the
Navy Meyer, former banker, was
put in charge OF our billion dol ar
navy after having BEEN graduated
from the pcs.offlcc department. He
knew nothing whatever about naval
matters when given the political berth
Of naval secretary Mr.. Dickinson was
a railroad attorney when placed at
the head Of the army
Where the Money Goes.
The navy department spends $780,
G00o00 annually What becomes of
this vast sum? only about twesty
millions ~ to building new SLIPS
Only about four millions, according
TO Senator Hale, 80 to enlarging the
dry docks and equipping the yards
where ship repairs are made 1t does
not require l06 millions for coal and
ammunlticr, nor even for the salar-
les and food OF the men and officers.
A large sum goes to navy yards
that are almost useless. yards located
on water so shallow that the big first
class vessels, Of which the navy is
now composed can not reach them
The chief beneficiaries of these polt-
ical navy yards are not the navy nor
the American public, but the coGstit-
uents Of Senators Hale. Galllnger and
! Perkins, et al
Pay Inspector Mudd not long since
l1sde a report in which be showed at
least where a part Of the money goes
z oecale to the pay inspector to
mahe some comparisons between the
cust Of articles manufactured at the
different yards.
A l6 foot dingey cost s10i17 at one
yard and Sl96.34 at another. Awning
stanchions were $i50 at one yard
and $3.50 at another. Rudders were
So at one yard ana sic at another. A
liller was 81 at one yard and 81 at
another
George kibby Turner declared in
AcClure's magazine that of the $780,
100000 the navy Is costing the nation,
/ sle ,000.lU0 is wastel because OF 81
! IN min .ncnnnrtGnnN