Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-26
UNCLE SANS EXPENSIVE ARMY
Every Soldier Costs $1,000 YearMany Millions Could Saved
by Abolishing Posts Originally Established to
Protect Settlers From Indians
By PAUL R. wENDT

BY PAUL
NEXT to the smallness Of our army, the
| IN most notable thing is the bigness Of the
| cost of maintaining 1t. Uncle Sam, not sat-
isfied with the distinction OF having the
littlest fighting force by many thousands OF
any Of the nations Of considerable size and
Importance in the world, has to outdo them
all in his lavishness OF expenditure. 1t is q
distinction, to be sure, but not a desirable
one.
While we have been blowing ourselves"
on the appropriations to our army, Europe
has employed herself scientifically in curtail-
ing in every possible manner the expense OF
maintaining her vast military machines. And
If she had not done so her armies could not
have been SO vast as they were before the
war began.
In our regular army there are less than
100000 officers and men, and on these we lavish
in the neighborhood Of 800 100000 annually.
Figure It out, and you find each one of our
soldiers costs us $1,000 year, from two to
FIVE times more than is the case with any
other nation.
In 1905, when Mr.. Taft was Secretary OF
War, our regular military establishment cost
us 100000. France, he asserted recently in
an article on the national defense, spent in
that same year only S139, 100000 to support
her fighting force of $4,000 men. Germany
maintained $4,000 soldiers by an expenditure
OF Sl400OO.OO0 So, Mr. Taft found, France
kept an army nine times the size of our own
meagre one at less than twice the sum we
spent, and Germany maintained q ten times
larger army than ours at just twice our ex-
penditure.
Conditions have not changed perceptbly
since then, and with an increasingly insstent
demand from the people for more adequate
means Of national defense, 1t behooves us to
inquire into the relative merits of all the
items in our military expenditures. frown
upon any evidences of prohigacy. do some
bookkeeping and stop up the hole in our
pocket.
Professional Soldiers in America
But before putting our expenditure to the
acid test so that, IN our sudden zeal for effi-
cheney and economy. we may not expect too
sweeping results from applying the cutting
down process to the running expenses OF our
army let us reconcile ourselves to the truth
that just as II costs moro to pay, feed and
equip our boys in blue than It does other ma
tions to provide similarly for their soldiers
80 will Uncle Sans military expenditures
proportionately exceed those OF any other
nation. Ours is not a compulsory citizen
army, but a professional fighting force so
that while Russia pays her soldiers the un-
thinkable wage OF - a year, we are glad to
engage our regular army men at a liberal
wage of $3.50 at the minimum Here is an
item we would not think OF skimplnk nor,
would we think OF cutting down the reason-
able cost OF substantial food and serviceable
clothing. We win tolerate no policy OF
stinginess where the comfort OF our soldiers
is concerned; we want It known We are
grateful to them as the guardians OF our
safety and honor. How, then, shall Uncle
Sam practice economy without any robbine
Of Peter to pay Paul2
First OF ALL there Is our curious army post
Ask any American why Is an army post
and he no doubt will answer candidly he
doesn't know; that they 'just are" Then 20
to any Congressman or Senator whose dis
triot Is blessed with one OF these luxurious
patches of green sward ana put the same
question to him. The chances are many times
to one he win get hot under the collar, and
then, like the citizen. enlighten you that
they've just sot to be. II ne doesn't, it's a
safe bet either he is not going TO be a cam
didate for reelection or else he Is a pretty
smooth one, and you had better look out for
him,
Obsolete Army Posts
The fact is the army post doesn't exist
nowadays for any great and good reason.
Once upon time army posts were needed
to protect the white settlers as they pushed
the frontier westward. There was justihca-
ton then for these strongholds: but now the
army post offers no Logical reason Tor using
up good American money.
The army post belongs to the navy-yard-
graft species Of the porx-barrel genus Uncle
Sam squanders $500, 900 annually so that the
politicians win not be constrained 70 go back
homs and explain to their constituents why
These extensive military parks had 10 bs
abandoned. = IS a case q you Yets Tor my