Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-03
TRTUMPHS OF PEACE WORTH
SPENDING MONEY FOR

TT is truer now than ever before that
no man can make a mistake in being
bull" on America. Call II plunging
If you will. but by whatever name il may
be designated it is Of vital importance
that we begin now to get our minds
ready for the great work of the future
in which money must be spent with as
lavish hand for the victories of peace
as it is now being dealt out for the VIC
tories Of war.
The habit of doing big things in
big way, which the war has compelled
this country to form, is expected to have
acquired enough force when the soldiers
lay down their arms to carry its benefits
to the arts of peace.
We are spending hundreds of millions
in shipbuilding because the war cannot
be won without ships. We have spent
tens of millions in developing a port in
France where we have erected nine miles
Of piers, because place must be pro-
vided for the ships to land. We have
spent more tens Of millions in building
great supply depot in France, two hun
dred miles inland, that the armies may
have food and munitions near at hand.
Everything is being done on a stu
pendous scale in order to match the scale
on which the war is being fought.
We are thinking in millions where we
used to think in hundreds of thousands,
and we are thinking in billions where we
once were astounded at the magnitude
of enterprises the carrying out Of which
required millions, We used to say that
such and such thing could not be done
because it would cost too much We
admitted its Importance, but we were
financially timid.
Unless the peaceful arts Of the nation
are to be set back for a generation we
must think in billions when we begin to
prepare for the great industrial rehabili-
tation that must come after the war
Ports and waterways and railroads must
be expanded in order to accommodate
the trade of the nation and make it easy
for our surplus to be sent to the other
nations. We have port plans here which
we thought adequate few years ago.
But when we consider what the nation
has done in France to meet an emer-
gency they seem woefully inadequate
preparation for what must become a
permanent condition. 1t is not too early
now to begin to think in tens Of millions
about the development of the local
waterfront.
The Importance of connecting Ghesa-
peake Bay with the Delaware River has
been dwelt upon so many times that the
average reader skips every article on it
in the newspapers. He is weary of the
subject. But WEAKNESS never got any
further than the couch of indifferent
ease. The project is planned. Its value
is admitted. All that is needed to carry
it out is money and punch.
The same thing is true of the connec-
tion of the Delaware River by canal
with New York Bay. 1t has been pointed
out time after time that a waterway
over this route would reduce freight
rates and relieve congestion on the rail
roads, and that it would open up large
area in New Jersey for the establish
ment of manufacturing plants on the
banks of the canal. But the thing can
not be done without money. When
money has been mentioned every one
has said that it would take so much the
country would not stand for it.
The railroads are handicapped by lack
of rolling stock and by inadequate ter
minals. They have not kept pace with
the expansion Of business. Hundreds of
millions are needed to bring them up
with the procession. But the overcau-
tious have said that no dividends could
be earned on the money.
These are only a few of the great
enterprises on which money must be
spent. There are score more of the
less obvious which will occur to any one
who has given any thought to the mat
ter.