Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-27
War Appropriations.

country now at war which makes its
appropriations for military needs and
enterprises in detail in the open. Eng
land, Germany, France, Italy, all the
powers now making the great fight vote
their governments "war credits" in the
form of blanket appropriations. The
details of these credits, the specific pur-
poses for which they are intended, are
never disclosed, being guarded as care
fully as the most intimate and secret
military plans. The United States
should adopt the same system, which is
commanded by the first requirements of
military management.
| Under the present American system
if The Secretary of War wants an ap-
preparation for the development of a
particular line of artillery he must ask
for the funds by items, and the matter
is carried through committee and de-
bated on the floor in manner to give
the fullest information to the enemy
| of the purpose of this government. Our
appropriations for naval developments
are made specifically, for so many bat
tleships, so many submarines, so many
"chasers," etc. Even in times of peace
the great naval powers of Europe never
appropriated in this manner, but al
lotted money to carry on certain adopt
ed programs, the details of which were
not necessarily made public. Certainly
in time of war this government should
censor itself sufficiently to prevent from
being its own medium of disclosure to
the enemy of what it has undertaken
to do.
striking example of the manner in
which in our present system Of appro-
priations we are advertising our war
plans to the world is afforded by the
recent legislation for aviation service
1t was frankly stated that money to an
immense amount was needed for this
service. We gave Germany notice that
we intend to fight her in the air. We
gave her opportunity to prepare to meet
this attack. We could not have told the
enemy more plainly Of our plan of cam
paign if we had sent note to Berlin
setting forth the particulars of our de-
sign. This appropriation should have
been made merely "for war purpose"
with the details kept within the knowl-
edge of only those in charge of the war
work.
AS practical matter of legislation it
is entirely feasible to have a joint COM
mittee on war appropriations before
which the representatives of the differ
emit war activities of the administration,
Secretaries and chairmen of boards,
would go with their detailed plans, set
ting forth in specifications just what is
proposed for purchase or maintenance.
This joint committee should present a
blanket bill and declare it necessary to
the extent to which the acquisitions
meet with its approval. Such a bill
should be debated only in the most
for the House and Senate in time of
war to argue over whether the United
States should build battleships or de-
stroyers, airplanes or submarines, ma
chine guns or field pieces. IF the mem
bers of Congress cannot accept the judg
ment of those charged with the con-
e ~ - Al
to serve as committee in camera the
United States is indeed in bad way,
and no one has any reason to believe
that this is true.
We are at war and must wage this
war sensibly and practically, and one
of the most practical ways Of war-mak-
ing is to keep the enemy guessing. Sure
~ it is poor war work to tell him every
thing we plan to do, to take him into
our confidence as to our proposed pur-
chases and constructions But this is
exactly what we have been doing up
to this time, and the remedy for this
condition is a simple one. 1t needs only
concentration of responsibility and
knowledge on the part of few legis-
lators, and confidence in them by the
others. After the appropriations have
been made and the money has been ex-
pended. and the war work has been be-
gun the joint committee on war audit
can go into the details as much as it
pleases without injury to the national
welfare.
Let this plan, however great an limo
| walton, be regarded as one Of the first
essentials of practical censorship and
| the war work of those charged with the
national defense will be greatly sim
pliied.
| Middle age seems to have disappeared
from Germany, leaving first and second
| childhood N do tho fobtin1