The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1918-05-24
WAR COSTS j. s.
BILLION DOLLARS
EVERY 50 DAYS
THE NcONcEIVASlE SUM or
$4,000. 100000 LASTS ONLY
TWO YEARS.
GUARANTEE WORLD FREEDOM
Third Liberty Loan, When Carried to
Successful Issue, Will Do
Much to Win War
Quickly.

The war for world freedom Is cost
ing the United States one billion dol
lars month. or more than s25, 0O0, 600
day. Appropriations already made
and bills now pending In Congress
make II certain that the first two
years of the war will cost America
thirty-three billion dollars. These fig
ures are conservative. Indications are
the expense will be many millions
more daily.
Few persons have grasped the mean
ing of this stupendous sum. What does
this huge sum mean to the people Of
the United States? Here are some of
the things it means:
That an obligation of $3.50 has been
piled up against every one of the lO0,-
100000 men, women and children in
the United States If it were neces-
sary to pay off the present war debt
at once, the head Of a family of four
would have to pay $500, more avail
able cash than the average family of
that size has.
Freedom comes high. Every "a
hours Uncle Sam must spend and is
spending more than $4,000, 900 at %
cents day for every man, woman
and child in the nation. The expenses
Of the government are 16 times as
much under war conditions as In
peace times. Not until 1910 did the
expenditures of the United States
reach a billion dollars in a year. This
year, the first in the war, Congress-
appropriated $1s.SO2. O27.5 sol. In. 1898,
the year of the Spanish-American wa.
the total appropriations were. less than
half billion dollars-$4S5. OO2. 044, or
about one thirty-sixth of the cost Of
the first year In the present war.
In addition TO voting more than s1S,-
600. 100000 cash for the first year OF
the war, Congress authorized the gov
eminent to enter into additional con-
tracts which aggregate SSH ,o0O, 900.
to be paid for at later dates as the
work progresses.
Where millions of dollars formerly
created interest in Congress, billions
of dollars scarcely arouse a moments
attention, because everybody al Wash
ington realizes that the best Way 10
win the war in the shortest time is to
throw the whole resources OF the ma
ton into the struggle and support the
brave men who are ''over there"
The war machinery for a year will
cost in. dollars and cents an amount
that staggers the imagination. Here
are some OF the estimates submitted
to Congress by the military branches.
Army, $3.50, 3.209; Notifications.
1882. 445,122; navy. s1.039. 500, 900;
sundry civil, s1.160.242.9 1898 The navy
has just asked for an additional ap-
of $500. 900 TO speed
up and increase the building OF war
ships necessary TO combat the sub |
marine menace.
The people should realize that he |
vast sums appropriated to conduct the |
war are absolutely necessary 10 win |
The battle against the ruthless Prus- |
sian Unless America spends now she |
will be enslaved later. Unless the |
people support the government 10 the |
limit Uncle Sam will be forced TO de- |
rive the money by taxation.
Uncle Sam hopes and believes tho |
people will voluntarily lend him the |
money necessary to conduct the war.
The Third Liberty Loan campaign,
which will be launched April 8. should
have the support OF every man. woman
and child In the nation. Invest In Lib |
erty bonds and make the victory not |
,nly sure but quick.