Evening journal., 1915-02-06
Why We Are Afraid of
the Ship Purchase Bill
CFrom the New York SUM.

German navy. The Sun has taken !
the trouble to compile the naval ap-
preparations of the United States and
Germany for the last sixteen years.
IL finds that the total appropriations
for the American navy during that
time aggregate $1,645, 600, 1856. The to-
tai appropriation for the German navy
curing these sixteen years was only
Sl.237 ,915, 800 Since the Spanish
American war the American people
have spent S4000OO,000 more on their
navy than the Germans have spent.
and now we are told by naval eX-
perts that our navy is inferior in all
respects to the German navy
II is plain that the American people
have not had dollars worth of navy
Tor a dollars worth of expenditure"
We have given considerable space
tn these remarks by our neighbOr. for
they have an important bearing on
the merits of its advocacy Of the ship
purchase bill.
DO we understand our noighbor 20
argue the probable economy and ef-
ficiency of a Government owned mer-
Grant marine from what it knows Of
the economy and efficiency of Gov
ornmcnt management of the navy?
Is it the foregoing opinion of the
management of navy that costs
$4,000 900 year which suggests
the Worlds favorable forecast of
Government management of mer-
camille marine to cost al the outset
OF the enterprise $40,000,000?
If that is really our neighbOr's
view OF the folly and extravaganza of
Government administration of ships
OF war, what special reason has it TO
expect economy and wisdom in Gov
ornmcnt management Of ships of
! peace: even if so disintorCsted a pa
/ triot and resourccful "a inancier as
! Secretary McAdoo should have a hand
! I'm the management?
] These seem to us to be fair Ques-
! tions do they not seem fair to our
] esteemed contemporary?
We are willing to tell the World
! what there is TO fear; what, i'm our
! humble judgment, is terrifying" in
the prospect Of the Governments in
vasion of another great field belong
/ ing to private capital and enterprise
The socialist bogy.' so chcerfully
dismissed by our neighbor. is not a
wrath or a thing OF mist or imagin-
ation We arc afraid of every fur
ther step toward the we'll known ideal
which. if realized. would centre in
the Government the multiform ac-
tivities proper to individual initiative
and effort: the banking the COM
morce the trade. the transportation,
tho industrial production. We DO
rot believe that the World would
look with any more JOY than The
Sun upon the imminent prospect of
such a concentration yet here is our
neighbor doing its utmost TO urge and
promote an immense stride in that
direction Let us continue its own
line of reasoning.
If the Government can buy and
operate merchant ships TO carry cot
ton and grain to the consumer it car
buy and own cotton and wheat ant
corn lands and grow the crops there
on. regulating production and prices
according to its own notions Of de-
mand. 70 can build and operate tn,
) mills TO make the Government whea
: into -four and the Government cot
/ ton into cloth. II can establish
/ throughout the land the warehouse
{ where Government made goods >
every description are kept. and Gov
( ernment department stores and small
shops where the Government ware
arc sold. It can superintcnd tn
s birth. the marriage and the minutes
= detail of the lives of the Government
. managed producers of the Govern
b ment wares. II can doctor the peO
pic with Government drugs and bur!
them in Government collins. Their
is no end TO the extension of Govern
mont functions once the day of in
- dvidualism is over
The Sun does not expect to see al
} this but we are not ashamed to sa
E that we are afraid of any notable an
p significant advance toward il.