Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1915-11-12
IS THIS THE REASON?

The charge is being publicly made
that President Wilson's sudden con-
version to program of far-reaching
military and naval preparedness" il
inspired solely by the necessity of in
creasing the revenues of his admins
tration.
In spite of the income tax and the
so-called war tax, the federal treasury
is in deplorable condition an the re-
suit of Democratic fnanciering, and
the president realizes that the next
fiscal year willforce his administration
into bankruptcy unless other possible
sources of income are trapped.
Face to face, then, with the necessity
of levying new extraordinary taxes or
issuing bonds-either one an unpopu-
lar and politically injurious course, as
Mr.. Wilson we'll knows-he is charged
with raising the cry of national de-
Tense in order to becloud the real
situation.
If this is true. the president must at
least be credited with a great deal of
shrewdness, whatever one may think
of the ethics of his maneuvr.
In the first place, the prepared
ness' propaganda that is being further
ed by the administration leaders and
the administration press is calculated
to create the impression of favorable
public sentiment.
With this fictitious and manufacture
ed public sentiment as his justification,
the president can approach congress
and, in the name of the people, ask
that appropriations be made for his
great military and naval program.
But he can go further-and this
would be the first great objective of
the scheme-he can on the grounds of
these extraordinary expenditures just
ify demand for extraordinary means
of raising revenue to replenish the
treasury.
Then-and this would be the second
great objsctive-when the people be-
gin to protest against the added tax
burden or the party in opposition be-
president will be in position to clear
his administration by saying that the
people had demanded preparedness and
that the new taxes were levied or the
bonds issued because without them it
was impossible to fulfill the popular
will!
In other words, if the president sue
ceeds in raising enough wind on the
national defense question, he stands
an excellent chance to prevent the
bankruptcy of his administration and
to ''pass the buck" for the resulting
extraordinary revenue measures to
the people.
1t is pointed out that a man of Presi-
dent Wilson's age and temper, who
less than two years ago opposed even
reasonable Strengthening of the
country's defense, would scarcely be-
come convert TO extreme and extra
VACANT preparedness" at a time of
governmental poverty, unless he felt
it's necessity as practical political ex
pedient.
With that in mind, the explanation
now offered strikes one as extremely
plausible.
The American people, as whole, in
spite of what the jingoes and alarm
lists may say, are too sensible to desire
the nation sentrance into military and
naval competition with Europe; they
are too practical to desire the financial
burden of a tremendous war establish
ment.
That being so, will the American
people permit president to make of
our national defense a pawn and a
blind to restore the desperate finances
of his administration?
Will they permit him to befuddle
congress as to the actual condition of
public sentiment?
If they do not, it is high time that
American citizens began to talk to
their congressman Milwaukee Free
Press.