The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-19
AMERICAS WAR BILL.
Some Items Of the Cost of Maintain
ing Our Army.

Some Items of the Cost of Maintain
ing Our Army.
Washington, Oct. 15.-Why does it
cost the United States so much moro
to make war than it costs any Of its
co-belligerents?
What is being done with the tens
of billions being raised from Liberty
Bonds and taxation? One often hearS
these questions.
The answer is not difficult.
It is, simply, that it costs an Amer
lean more to do anything that it cost.
anyone else in the world. That i
the best reason why Americans should
buy Liberty Bonds.
The American army is composed o.
workingmen. The American working
man demands higher standard OF
everything than any other working
man in the world. When he become
a soldier he carries that standard
with him, and, comparatively, gets it
Napoleon said, and everybody eve4
since has repeated, that an army
travels on it's stomach. So naturally
the substance of the American soldier
comes first in the long bill which l.
rapidly running to 50,000,O0o day
The regular ration list Of ths
American army calls for forty-nine
different items of food. It include:
many things which are luxuries tt
the soldiers of the foreign armies. A
that, it only costs 80 cents day II
feed a soldier. The figure is low be
cause the government has the advan
tage Of dealing in billions and ton:
where the individual deals in dollar.
and pounds Even so, the army ha.
felt the increased cost Of living be-
cause it cost only 1881 cents a da!
to feed soldier during the Spanish
war.
Take into account the almost stag
gering sums the government has spen
for food alone since the war began
$4,000, 900 worth of -four; S14, ,O00.,
900 worth Of sugar; s43,00O,o0O wort:
of bacon; s12,O00,000 worth of beans
s9,000,0OO worth Of canned toma
toes; s3,00o,o0O worth Of rice. L
sounds almost like a food bill for {
nation.
Without any disparagenent what
ever of the rationing system OF the co
belligerents it may be said that while
the food of the British soldier com
pares favorably with that of hi:
American cousin, the French ratio:
is less acceptable to the American
and that of the Italians would get {
very cold reception.
The equipment of the America:
soldier is no less up to standard thar
his food. Since the beginning Of tbs
war the government has spent Sl26.
coo, 900 for shoes. Only recently 9
contsAA Auas let which is intended t.
keep every soldier with two pairs
tone for marching and one for genera
| wear. The price in quantity of mil
lions was we'll over SIS a pair. Olc
soldiers of the regular army can re-
member when the government issuec
'brogans' far removed in quality
from the army shoes of today.
The American soldiers clothing 81
| far has cost around s500,0O0,Q00
OF Ills Dle1HhSIS tiiC SO'SA AiAiSAAS AA~~-
spent s150,00O,00O Every thing elsE
is in proportion for in every particu-
lar of his equipment the govern
ment has supplied the soldier with
| the same relative high standard he
| was accustomed to at home in civi
life. The extra cost of maintaining ar
army on foreign soil has entered into
the huge bill because it has been
found that it costs S423.27 to equip
and maintain soldier year abroad
as against $327.7S at home. Of this
sum s25185 goes for food. The rat
joining expenses at home is $1S9.90.
The high standard has been car
ried to the soldiers pay. For all prac-
tical purposes Of estimate the Amer
lean soldier is the highest paid fight
ing man in the world. He actually
gets more than the average German
officer. To the s33 a month a private
receives from the government is add
ed a sum for his dependents, depend
ing upon their condition and number
Canada and the other British colonies
more nearly approximate the pay OF
the American soldier than any others
of the co-belligerents.
Taking into consideration all these
items it is not strange that Americas
war bill is greatest.