Evening journal., 1917-05-16

war are Willingly OF unWlltmbiy enc
mics Of the public good. They increase
the hazards of war for their country
by bringing about some diminution
in II of the really effective means OF
carrying on the war. In so far as their
arguments are effective with the popu-
latiOn at large, their country will have
less materials of war, less ships, less
cannon, less equipment for troops,
less food and other supplies for its
military and naval forces; as against
these, It will have more comforts and
Injuries, more articles intended to
satisfy the usual easy desires Of those
who stay at home Il is not by these
means, however. that victories are
won or the great ends and aims OF a
national struggle against a menacing
enemy are achieved Hence the sever
er students and analysts OF the con-
ditions precedent to national success
in war have no hesitation in asserting
that such measures OF state should be
formulated at the very beginning OF
war as will irresistibly and promptly
bring about the partial or, in many
cases, the complete abandonment in
the community of all economic and
social activities which make for eX-
travagance and waste. or serve as OBJ
stacles to the sharpest economy
throughout all classes of citizens. BY
taxation ito the bone" and by every
other practicable expedient for COM
polling the general population TO
adopt the practice of economy. wheth.
or It will or not, these cool and dis.
interested thinkers would divert all
the energies OF the members OF soci
ETY. 10 the achievement OF the one
great purpose OF the nation This
point of view-the only defensibie one
may perhaps be illustrated by a
paragraph from an article by a well
known economist. Professor o. w. M
Sprague. OF Harvard University, who
said recently, inter ALA, in "The New
Republic:
1T boots nothing, therefore. to di
late upon the equity and remote ad
vantages of taxation over borrowing
(as the chief means Of financing a
war;, unless it can be shown that by
some other method the productive
forces OF "A country can be at least
as speedily transferred and as effec
lively exerted in the production oil
the large and varied supplies of ma
terial required in the conduct of a
modern war But It is here precisely
that the overwhelming military ad
vantage of the taxation policy be
comes manifest. BY checking un
necessary consumption at the Outset
of hostilities. adequate supplies OF the
articles required for military purpose.
can be more readily prov ded. Take
coal. for example: much coal I'm the
warning countries would have beer
saved IL passenger traffic had beer
reduced to a minimum, to say moth
ing OF its consumption in the prOduc
ton and transportation Of unneces
sary articles Of individual consump
ton. Similarly in the case Of blankets
and uniforms. A nearly complete cess
alton Of civilian purchases OF clothes
would unquestionably have made
available much labor for the produc
ton of adequate supplies of military
clothing. Thanks to the curtailment
OF individual consumption enforced by
taxation, the industrial forces of a
country can be far more speedily and
eHecllNely utilized Tor war purposes
than is possible under the borrowing
policy Of war finance"
We ourselves happen not to agre,
with all of Professor Sprague's co
tentions with respect to the use o.
taxation TO the bone" as the means
Of financing the war most conducive
of all to the welfare Of the body poll
tic. With regard to the property o.
the particular object mentioned II
the quotation just given. however
there can be no difference of opinion
whatever among those who know the
economic realities of war. Success IN
such war as that upon which We
have entered unquestiOnably implie.
the transference at the earliest posi-
bic moment Of the largest possible
proportion Of the productive forces o.
a country to the production Of those