The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-11-25

w ~ A RE THREATENED FROM
NO QUARTER" the proposed Pre-
paredness" program at one bound
one year-INCREASES our already
immensely large naval appropria-
tions MORE THAN OUR TOTAL
INCREASE FOR THE LAST FOUR
TEEN YEARS; more than the IN
CREASE BY GERMANY T H E
WHOLE FIFTEEN YEARS PRE-
CEDING THE EUROPEAN WAR,
AND MORE THAN THE COMBIN-
ED INCREASE OF ALL THE MA
TIONS IN THE WORLD IN ANY
ONE YEAR IN THEIR HISTORY
Tin times of peaceD
The five year program IN
CREASES OUR NAVAL APPRO-
PRIATiON OVER FORTY TIMES
MORE THAN THE INCREASE BY
GERMANY IN FIVE YEARS PRE-
CEDING THE EUROPEAN WAR;
and $500. 900, 900 MORE THAN THE
COMBINED INCREASE OF ALL
! THE NATIONS IN THE WORLD
FOR THE FIVE YEARS PRECED-
ING THE EUROPEAN WAR; ard
F., OVER $50 900, 900 MORE THAN
THE COMBINED INCREASE OF
ALL THE NATIONS IN THE
WORLD FOR THE WHOLE PER-
IOD OF TEN YEARS IMMEDIATE
LY PRECEDING THE EUROPEAN
WAR;!
Add to this the fact that prior to
the beginning Of the European War
we were expending annually on our
Navy from $50, 900. 900 to S30.O0O,0
MORE THAN GERMANY OR ANY
OTHER NATION Except Great
Britain) was expending on its Navy.
FOR THE TEN YEARS PRE-
CEDING THE EUROPEAN WAR
WE HAD EXPENDED ON OUR
NAVY OVER $500, 100000 MORE
{ THAN G ER M ANY OR ANY
OTHER NATION (EXCEPT GREAT
BRITTANY HAD EXPENDED ON
ITS NAVY And yet the metro
politan press, th5 magazine writer's,
the patriotic Societies" and the jim
goes and war traffickers would
frighten the country into the
belief that We have a little, puny,
egg-shelI of a Navy!
The five~year naval program calls
for AN INCREASE Of $500, 900, 600
! S100. .000, 900 INCREASE year
which, including the inevitable Incl
dentai expenses Tor expanding the
whole naval establishment in order
to accommodate the program, will
reach $500, 100000 or over by he
time the five years expires!! This is
all EXTRA-tN ADDITION TO the
large appropriations we have been
annually making.
The Army four-year program de-
mands s450,OO0,O 900 INCREASE,
over S100, 100000 a year EXTRA,
being an INCREASE Of MORE
THAN 100 per cent OVER OUR an
EXTRA APPROPRIATE be it
remembered. EXTRA TAXES
MUST BE PAID BY THE PEOPLE,
BE IT REMEMBERED!
Before leaving the subject Of the
enormity Of the proposed program.
| desire to make a further observa-
ton:
At the expiration Of the fve-year
, period for the program this country
will then be EXTENDING ON ITS
NAVY AND ARMY MORE THAN
. ANY NATION IN THE WORLD in
TINES OF PEACE EVER EXPENl,-
ED ON ITS ARMY AND NAVY;
more than Eng land, with her naval
, ism, more than Russia or Germany,
with their huge militarisfn At the
beginning of the European War
Germany was expending for past
: wars and preparations for wars (on
: its Army and Navy 55 per cent. of
t the total amount of revenues col
| !ected, Japan as per cent; Great
Britain 81 per cent; France 35 per
cent; THE UNITED STATES OVER
60 PER CENT. With the proposed
, MILITARY AND NAVAL PRO-
: GRAM ENACTED into law the
: UNITED STATES WILL BE EX-
: PENDING OVER 70 per cent OF
! ITS TOTAL REVENUE5-that is,
) OUT OF EVERY $4,000 COLLECT
ED FROM THE PEOPLE OVER
$1,000 WILL GO INTO MILITAR-
: ISM AND NAVALISM, including
pensions leaving LESS THAN $50. 90
{ FOR ALL OTHER FUNoTIONS of
5 OUR GOVERN MENT and FOR
3 ALL OTHER BENEFITS OF THE
PEOPLE.
t 3. As TO the condition OF
$ our Treasury and its reve-
nues and extra taxation re-
quired.
: The condition Of our Treasury and
t our revenue and the necessities OF
: the Government are less able now
! TO permit increased appropriations
: than ever before. The Treasury has
e felt most heavily the burden OF the
present war Our general surplus
r fund of over $3.50, 900 is monthly
s disappearing; our deficits are annual
: and monthly; our revenues have dl
: rninished; we have strained the nerves
r OF the Government to get sufficient
i revenue to meet its ordinary eX
y penses; we have been forced to levy
; an emergency tax; our deficits still
: exist; our revenues still insufficient
: After the expiration of the present
A emergency tax December 81. 1915
we will be faced with deficits for The
e coming gear Of at least Silt, 100000
e This is upon the assumption that no
Y dollar of increased appropriation
v will be made for any purpos'
It over the last years appropriation
It yet I understand that there will b.
: from $50, 900 to SAC, ,OO0,O IN
oatoH