Middletown transcript., 1915-07-24
HIGH cOST OF WAR

PORTLAND, Ore, July 19.-The high
cost of warning, when the campaigns of
Washington are compared to the Euro
pean conflict, was emphasized in the
report of the registrar general of the
Sons of the American Revolution at the
first days session of the society's
twenty-sixth annual convention here.
Thomas Jefferson, he said, reviewing
the finances of the Revolution, estimated
the cost of the war at an average of
$175, 900 a year. That sum now is
scarcely more than Great Britain's war
cost for single day. The total cost of
the Revolution approximately $14O, 600
900 covering a period of eight years, is
less than the total cost of the European
war for month.
The committee on information of
aliens reported great activity during the
last year in promoting the education of
alien population to the advantages of
American citizenship. With various
societies and municipalities the society
has co-operated in establishing courses
in civil government and other subjects
tending to the enlightment of those of
foreign birta. The committee pointed
out that of the three million souls which
peopled the thirteen colonies, one.fifth
could not speak English, one-half was of
other than Anglo-Saxon descent, and
IN, IF ha OF hn
portion of foreign born is as great as
80 per cent.
Detailed efforts to educate aliens to
the allegiance and obligations of Ameri
can citizenship were described. Per-
sonal letters have been sent to more
than fifteen hundred judges of federal
and state courts having jurisdiction over
naturalization, urging that the cere-
mony of administering the oath of al
legiance be made solemn and impress
slve one 1t is suggested that on such
occasions the presiding judge or some
citizen of high standing in the com
munity address the prospective citizens
upon the Importance of the act of trans
ferring allegiance from one nation to an
other and the obligations which accom-
pany it. The committee expressly re-
commended the promotion of such meet
ing as that held in Philadelphia on May
| 10 last, when President Wilson ad
dressed several thousand recently nat.
uraized Americans and welcomed them
to the priviles of American institutions.
Much ignorance, the committee re-
ported, had been found among schoo
children, and even adults, regarding
the constitution of the United States
In many parts of the country it was
found that that fundamental document
was not for sale in ready form. The so
ciety recently has distributed one hun
dred thousand copies to night school:
and settlements of aliens.
While much of statistical nature
has been preserved and handed dow
relating to the Continental armies
the little Navy which carried tn
newest flag to the seven seas has no
Jared so well. A careful study ha
been conducted, however, for tn
committee on military and naval rec
ord S, by Rear Admiral Chester and hi
researches, reported by the committe
today, show there We're in the regula
Continental navy Ga vessels mountin
,232 guns, while the voluntee privat
armed fleet outnum lered it with 1,25
vessels and Is, 900 guns. British YES
sells to the number of 797 were captur
ed and with their cargoes, were value
= at $24, 200, 600. The American nav
mustered then about 10000 men, and
majority of the names of those heroe
were not left for posterity. The nav
won 70 per cent of its engagement!
: the army 40. Researches are now bein
prosecuted in state archives and colleC
' tions of historical societies as well a
2 private collections of manuscripts
t make as complete as practicable pull
lication by the government of the Coz
e tinental army and navy muster rol
: More than 10000 records nave bee
= found so far chiefly in Massachusett
= Virginia and North Carolina.
: nnArUCCnu ia VIII ann nAVTr