Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-01-21
HEAVY COST Of WAR
Past Conflicts Were Big Drag on
H.. ;, Uncle Sans PURSE. :.
sixy' Pss Cent II Appropriations 10
ter Debts erevtns Out Of Past !;
Wars and for Maintenance Of
Army and Navy.
d EowAaDs1 CLARK.

authorized by congress and, to be- paid
out Of he purses 81, the people Is for
payments Of debts growing ,oouit. u past
wars and for tie payment ~~of bills
contracted for n the maintenance Of
military and naval forces FOL, defensive
or offensive purposes n wars Of. tho
future. II III. years ago tho nations
Of the world had laid down their arms
Tor ill time II. would cost the United
States government today only half the
sum which It II necessary to appIo-,
PIRATE % run the country. -. - %'
IN thS course OF, the present, fiscal
year 1s14-15, the United States. will,
spend for war purposes 500, 1s2.190.
Have the people . right to know Il
this enormous sum is being spent to
the best advantage? In other words,
have they ! right to know whether
our army and navy are At the highest
point Of efficiency possible to obtain
through proper expenditure of such Z
huge sum Of money?
When It IL said that more than q
half billion dollars 10 being spent this
year for war purposes 1t must be ex-
planned that q little more than two
hundred million dollars Of this sum IL
on account Of wars that are past. Tho
full amount. however. represents what
war has done to Uncle Sans purse
and what . possibility OF war IL still
doing to It. The expenditures are re-
garded by the lawmakers as neces.
sary. An inquiry; into Q military
preparedness probably would help to
answer tho ~que]tion.
The payments made necessary by
the wars Of the past are for pensions,
retired pay and support Of homes for
veterans and for other kindred pur.
poses. During the psesent year the
pensions, the payments to retired sol.
diers and tho support Of veteran
homes will cost the United States
ktS6.697.o 51. The interest on war
debts, the sinking fund provisions for
these debts. trust funds established by
var requirements and special funds
and accounts for war purposes amount
TO $4,000, o0o, 20 that We have I grand
total Of payments on account Of wars
that are past amounting to $245,00o,-
900. q. =, ,-.,., 4, -, ,, B.. g,~..~
This rear. We are spending for hnd
and sea defenses, q term which in.
cludes the support ofssoldiers. sailors
and ships, about l2e5,0Q0.ooo. 10 thts
must be- added m the expenses !of he
administration Of the war and navy
department Offices, including the once
Of insular affairs. The total reaches
into the millions. Y: ~ q"
The total, Is given TOR war purposes.
$5o3.1S2s1s0. does not include money
which must be spent Tor general ad-
ministrative purposes, the legislative,
executive and judiciary. The: fact
that we have IN army and navy neces.
States greater appropriations for
thee branches Of the government, be-
cause their functions and expenses
are increased BY the fact that we
have military and naval establish.
ments. So It ID that the money which
Is spent by TIE United States every
year because Of the necessities which
IRE the outgrowth Of war; OF. Of q
possibility Of war exceeds the amount
Of money spent for civil or for what
properly may be called peace .pur.,
poses. WA, ~. a
Men in Washington, who have made
. study Of the military problems Of
the government, ny that It ts = mis-.
take to think thai, preparedness bears
no relation to the burden Of expenses
which has been put upon this country
by the wars Of the; past. It .is urged
that II the United. States had been
prepared properly even for the small
war with Spain, that the present cost
Of that conflict would be nothing like
Z . great as it is.
Men. suffered In the campaigns Of
1898 who ought not to have suffered
1t ali. The suRerings produced last
Ing physical ailments for which they
ars drawing pensions today. Accord
lnk 70. tbs. students Of the situation no