The Detroit times., 1916-05-01
Intelligence, Believe Me.
~ On. eRANk CRANE
(Copyright. 1915. BY Frank Crans)

! The cost Of the war, according 20 -
cent estimates by experts, .is about y
hundred million dollars day or thirty.
six thousand million dollars year. vari.
Gus other estimates are given, but this
| is near enough.
This has been incurred by what ars
supposed to be the most civilized and h
telligent nations Of the earth.
Thirty-six billion dollars . year foe
slaughtering the sturdiest members of
the race and destroying ships, factories.
and the artistic monuments Of mankind
and not soul can state clearly what Il
Is all about Believe me. a. the high
school boy would say, some intelligence.
Suppose the rulers Of men had bean q
sensible and as kind a the executive
committee Of any one Of q thousand
boards Of trade in America; and suppose
they had got together and decided that
they could and would raise thirty-dx hil
lion dollars year for few years; how
might they have expended that sum?
Thirty-six billion dollars would have
provided schools and teachers for every
child on earth today who b now beinx
neglected and growing up to be an enemy
Of society.
Thirty-six billion dollars would cure
the ills Of Mexico by the only means they
will ever be cured, by system Of gsn-
eral education.
Thirty-six billion dollars would stamp
out tuberculosis. typhoid, smallpox. and
similar pests from all the world.
Thirty-six billion dollars would take
every child from labor and put him IN
training for useful citizenship.
Thirty-six billion dollars would secure
rigid food inspection the world over.
Thirty-six billion dollars, applied to
the wages Of workmen, instead Of hGtng
applied to their murder and impoverish-
ment would reduce the death rate, In
sure longer and more efficient wosk-
ing life. and provide for the burdens Of
sickness and accident by social insur-
ance or otherwise.
Thirty-six billion dollars would rebuild
all the unsanitary tenements, clean up
the disease-breeding alleys, cutters, and
cesspools of all creation.
Thirty-six billion dollars would extend
railways and steamship lines into every
dark corner of earth and eliminate saw
agery.
Thirty-six billion dollars would finance
a successful campaign against CONNER
cialized vice and alcoholism.
Thirty-six billion dollars would rebuild
our cities on rational, sanitary. and ar
tistic plans.
Thirty-six billion dollars would relieve
scientists from economic struggle and
endow them to devote their entire efforts
to improving manufactured products,
making agriculture more profitable.
fighting disease, and furthering useful
inventions of all kinds.
Thirty-six billion dollars would recon-
struct every vile prison and penitentiary
on modern, humane principles.
Thirty-six billion dollars would endow
every mother. take her from stunting
labor, and enable her to devote her LIE
to her children.
Thirty-six billion dollars would psn-
sion of all the kings, hereditary mobiles,
and other endowed idlers and trouble
makers, and give the common people .
chance.
| Thirty-six billion dollars would free
every slave in the world, mother every
orphan, care for every invalid and aged
person, and feed every starving human
being.
Thirty-six billion dollars, intelligently
spent for the common good by wise gov
ernment, would render all charitable COM
tribution Unnecessary.
Thirty-six billion dollars would equip
an international court and police 70 "hoM
the fretful earth In awe" and make the
lhorrinc waste of war impossible forever
and ever.
/ And vet the combined fntelli1encA AZ