The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-02

department OF the interior. 1t is pos
s;ble in dealing with our unused land
tc effect a great rural and agrcul-
tural development which will afford
the best sort of opportunity to men
who want to help themselves; and
the secretary of the interior has
thought the possible methods out in
a way which is worthy Of your most
friendly attention.
I have spoken of the control which
must yet for awhile, perhaps for a
long while, be exercised over ship
ping because of priority of service
TO which our forces overseas are en-
titled. and which should also be ac-
corded the shipments which are to
save recently liberated peoples from
starvation and many devastated re-
gions from permanent ruin.
Needs Of Belgium.
May / not say a special word about
tn eneeds of Belgium and northern
France? No sums of money paid by
way of indemnity will serve of them
selves to save them from hopeless dis
advantage for years to come. Some
thing more must be done than merely
find the money. Ii they had money
morrow they could not resume their
place in the industry OF the world to-
morrow-the very important place
they held before the flame Of
war swept across them Many of their
factories are RACED to the ground.
Much of their machinery is destroyed
or has been taken away. Their people
are scattered and many of their best
workmen are dead. Their markets will
be taken by others if they are not in
some special way assisted to rebuild
their factories and replace their lost
instruments OF manufacture. They
should not be left to the vicissitudes
of the sharp competition for materials
and for Industrial facilities which has
now set in. hope, therefore, that the
congress will not be unwilling il It
should become necessary to grant to
some such agency as the war trade
BOARD the right to establish priorities
of export and supply for the benefit
of these people whom we have been so
happy to assist in saving from the Ger
man terror and whom we must not
now thoughtlessly leave to ship for
themselves In pitless competitive
market
For the steadying and facilitation
of our own domestic business read
justmentS nothing is more important
than the immediate determination OF
the taxes that are to be levied for
1918, 1919 and 1920. AS much of the
burden of the taxation must be lifted
from business as sound methods of
financing the government will permit
and those who conduct the greatest
industries of the country must be
told as exactly as possible what obi
cations to the government they will
be expected to meet in the years i'm
mediately ahead of them. 1t will ne
of serious consequences to the cOun-
try 20 delay removing all uncertain
ties in this matter single day longer
than the right processes of debate
Justify. 1t is idle to talk Of success
full and confident business reconstruc-
ton before those uncertainties are
resolved.
If the war had continued it would
have been necessary to raise at least
eight billion dollars by taxation pay
able in the year 1919; but the war
has ended and I agree with the Sec
rotary Of the trea sury that 1t will be
safe to reduce the amount to six bill
lions. An immediate rapid decline
in the expenses of the government Is
not to be looked for. Contracts made
for war supplies will. indeed. be
rapidly cancelled and liquidated. but
their immediate liquidation will make
heavy drains on the treasury for the
months just ahead of us. The main
tenance of our forces on the other
side of the sea is still necessary. A
considerable proportion of those
forces must remain in Europe during
the period of occupation and those
which are brought home will be
transported and demobilized at heavy
expense for months to come. The
interest on our war debt must of
course be paid and provision made
for the retirement of obligations OF
the government which represent it.
But these demands will of course fall
much below what continuation OF
rfiitary operations would have en-
ailed and six billions should suffice
to supply sound foundation for the
financial operations for the year.
entirely concur with the secretary
of the treasury in recommending that
the two billions needed in addition to
the four billions provided by existing
law BIZ obtained from the profits which
war contracts and distinctly war busi-
ness, but that these taxes be confined
to the war profits accruing in 1913, or
in 1919 from business originating in
war contracts.
rr1 vcUr acceptance of this recon-
mendation Tat provision be made now
4oU aus saGusnIy, th-,t the t.xes 10 Dc
paid in 1920 should be reduced from
six to four billions. Any arrange
ments less definite than these would
add elements OF doubt and confusion
to the critical period OF industrial re-
adjustment through which the country
must now pass and which no true
friend OF the nations essential bust
ness interest can afford to be respon-
sibie for creating or prolonging.
Clearly determined conditions, clear
ly and simply charted. are indispens-
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