Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-04-11
FIRST YEAR OF WAR
COSTS 8 BILLIONS
More Than Half Of This Amount
Has Gone in Loans to
Our Allies
THIRD SPENT FOR ARMY
.'r..'.' D.
One Sixth Of Cost Has, Deen Rnised By
txAation and Other Ordinary
=, Sources Of Revenue

Washington, April Anime billion dol
lars h. the approximate cost to the UNI
ted States of one year of war
More than one-half has gone In loans
to the allies and will be. repaid eventually;
over third has been spent for the
army and military establishment: one
tenth Tor the navy. and one-fifteenth for
shipbuilding. ~. u :.
raised by taxation.' and other ordinary
sources of revenue, and the balance has
come from sale of Liberty bonds and GER
tificates Of Indebtedness,
Enormous as these war expenditures
may seem to a country whose govern
ment in peace times cos. between 500. =
100000 and $500, 100000. they are less than
Great Britain's and are only about two
thirds of estimates made by officials less
than year ago. Slow progress OF the
shipbuilding program and the retarding
Of the outpouring of war supplies are re-
garded by officials as the chief reasons
why expenses did not equal estimates.
| Government expenses now are running
about a billion dollars a month, with
somewhat less than half going to the
allies, who spend the greater part OF their
loans for war supplies in this country.
Since the declaration Of war; April o.
4,
have been more than $500, 1000, but
about $500 900, 900 of this sum would have
been spent for normal activities even
II the United States had not entered the
war.
Ordinary expenditures. under which the
treasury Classics all OUTLAWS for opera
ton of the governmental machinery and
war enterprises, since the declaration OF
war, have been approximately $5.64,
100000 Actual payments to allies
amounted to about $4,743.OOO.0o
Income from internal revenue. most OF
which is represented by war taxes. and
from customs and miscellaneous sources
was run up to about s1,535, 0OO,0 900 and the
two Liberty Loans have brought to the
treasury little less than $500. 000,0 900
Small collections from war savings and
thrift stamps in the last four months
amount to sl4o000,000.
There are a number of other minor
receipts and expenditures, but they dc
not materially affect the condition Of the
public Golfer OUTLAWS for redemption
Of certificates of indebtedness. although
appearing large on paper, actually NEAR
little to the government In the long run
since certificates represent short time
loans-public borrowings which are re-
paid within three months.
About 5000, OOO, 900 Of certificates of in.
/ debtedness are now outstanding and will
| be redeemed at various times within thu
/ next few months. This means that thu
I treasury has received this amount to covel
/ running expenses, but will have to repa,
1 It soon out of receipts from taxes due II
June and from the third Liberty Loan.
Etnancial experts of the government
ca1oGlate that this war has cost in dol
lars even more thanrth f6kmal treasur
] figures show, on account Of increased ex
, penditures of many State and local gov
ernments under war conditions They d
! not venture to estimate the aggregat
Of these expenses, however. On the othe
. hand, the war has resulted in innumer
able economics, pubic. private and per
! sonal enforced partly by rising costs an,
/ partly by organized economy movements