Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-11
PREP ARR no
PAY FOR WAR
ENORMOUS Sums Asked for Make
Past Expenditures Seem 1nsig-
nificant-Will Congress
Consent?

WASHINGTON, April III.
vTyHEN Sherman said war Is hell" he
w was referring chiefly to physical condi-
| tions. to the brutalizing of humankind, TO
the ruthless destruction Of property, to the
distress of the people, to the loss Of life
and the manning of the body. Throughout
the whole Of the European war we have had
It from a thousand authorities that Sherman
was right In his diagnosis of the situation
But apart from the physical conditions. the
stress Of mind and heart and the bloodier
aspects of war, the financial conditions in
cident to war are entitled to representation
at the council tables of the place to which
Sherman so abruptly referred. WAR is
helr' financially, as the belligerent nations
of Europe are learning to their sorrow. War
is easily provoked. but not so easily paid
for. 1t costs money to conduct war. and
as war. scientifically organized, depends
upon vast resources, tremendous expense Is
| inevitable Great Britain is said to be
spending approximately s30,0oO,O0O every
day the war In Europe continues This
daily expenditure over there would be
sufficient here to build all the new public
buildings authorized in the public build
ings bill of the last session, providing, as 1t
did, for new structures in all parts of the
| country where the people have been waiting
years for Improvements. This bill was re.
jected In the last session on the ground of
economy, and 1t will have hard shedding this
session, even though 1t carries total appro.
priation below the daily cost of war to one
Of the European belligerents only.
What Americans Must Face
The familiar cry of pork" recently
applied with telling effect to rivers and
| harbors and public buildings bills, carry
Ing less for several years for all the States
OF the Union than the one days cost to a
single belligerent in Europe, will pale
| ANONYMOUSLY in contrast with the probable
daily cost of war as now being arranged
by the department heads in Washington.
Before the German outrages had brought
the Administration to serious notion of
war. direct taxes ir various forms had been
| authorized by Congress to the tune of SUBJ
stantially $3.50 for every man, woman and
child.
The Secretary of the Treasury and the
| President himself had been suggesting to
Congress new methods of taxation made
necessary, partly by war and partly by
economic conditions. They followed up the
income tax with stamp taxes, and the
President on one occasion suggested to Con-
gress that gasoline and stationary engines
should be included among the new things
to be taxed. Since the declaration of war
with Germany. however, all these seemingly
important suggestions have been dwarfed
by the positive estimates submitted by the
Secretary of the Treasury. Even the Con-
| gressmen who have tried to keep in touch
with affairs have been startled by the ex-
| tent of the administrative war policy as
| revealed by the amount of money required
Tremendous Appropriations REQUIRED
Mr.. McAdoo, acting for the President and
| the various departments. has been putting
the hnancial problem promptly and squarely
| up to Congress The total asked for thus
| far has mounted up to more than $780,
100000. On the per capita basis that alone
is $35 for every man, woman and child in
the United States, or for every husband
wife and child S105, or for every father
and mother with two children $140. And
| this, Congress is told, is only a beginning
| The principal item from any of the de-
| partments is the War Department request
for s2,9S2.5S7,9S3. In his fve-line note to
the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives Secretary McAdoo states that this is
| "a special estimate Of appropriations for
| national defense" to "be Immediately avail
| able and to remain available until ex-
| pended" In a single paragraph. placing
| this estimate in form for consideration by
| the House committee, it is provided that
| this sum Is to be expended under such
| regulations as the President may prescribe" !"
| There are no details. Congress is thus eX-
pected to appropriate a lump sum. equal to
| more than half the cost of the Civil War,
| in one item to be used "at the discretion
of the President" 1t is not sure that Con-
| gress will so pass this item or that it will
not be subject to revision amendment.
| The "to remain available until expended"
| provision is Willingly or otherwise a chal-
.lenge to the authority Of Congress. since
| the Constitution provides that while Con-
gress shall have power ito raise and sup
| port armies" mo appropriation OF money
| to that use shall be for a longer term than
| two wears" Congress will undoubtedly
| proyide the money necessary to prosecute
| the war but before the money is appro-
| priated consideration must necessarily be
| given to details, even to limitations Of ex-
| penditure.
Taxes Will Be High
| How will these enormous initial expenses
/ ha mat? The President suggests direct
| taxes because the present generation should
nav the bill. In the Treasury Department
and elsewhere they are discussing bond
issues, which future generations will have
| to nav. Rates of interest and the style of
bonds are already under discussion. "The
financial interests" proposition is believed
to favor an immediate issue of $l'o0OOo0,-
900 of bonds at rate OF interest not dis-
| closed but SO adjusted as to insure the sale
of the bonds without figuring on subsequent
issues at a higher rate of interest Thus
far, bonds authorized to the extent Of $674.'
OOO, 900 provide per cent rate. Con.
Cress is not disposed to increase that rate
But the issue Of bonds Is vying with d.
rect taxes as suggested py tne fresioent