Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-12-13

of their trained capacity to the tasks
that supplied the sinews of the whole
great undertaking! The patriotism,
the unselfishness, the thoroughgoing
devotion and distinguished capacity
that marked their toilsome labors, day
after day, month after month, have
made them fit mates and comrades OF
the men in the trenches and on the
sea. And not the men here in Wash
ington only. They have but directed
the vast achievement.
Plan to Steady Business.
For the steadying and facilitation OF
our own domestic business rea1just-
ments nothing is more important than
the immediate determination Of the
taxes that are to be levied for 1918,
1919 and 1920. AS much as the burden
OF taxation must be lifted from busi-
ness as sound methods Of financing the
government will permit, and those who
conduct the great essential industries
of the country must be told as exactly
as possible what obligations to the gov
ernment they wfll be expected to meet
in the years Immediately ahead of
them.
1t will be Of serious consequence to
the country to delay removing all un.
certainties in this matter a single day
longer than the right processes Of de
bate justify. 1t is idle to talk of sue
cessful and confident business recon
struction before those uncertainties arr
resolved.
Troops Must Stay in Europe.
If the war had continued it would
have been necessary to raise at least
$S,O00,0 100000 by taxation. payable in
the year 1919, but the war has ended
and agree with the secretary of the
treasury that it will be safe to reduce
the amount to $4,000, 100000. An i'm
mediate 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 liqui.
dation will make heavy drains on the
treasury for the months just ahead Of
us.
The maintenance of our forces on
the other side of the sea is still neces-
sary. A considerable proportion Of
these 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 the obligations of
| the government which represent it.
But these demands, will, of course.
fall much below what continuation
of military operations would have en-
tailed, and $60O0,0O0,000 should suf-
fee to supply a sound foundation for
the financial operations of the year
entirely concur with the secretary
Of the treasury in recommending that
the $2.000,O00000 needed in addition
to the: S4,OOO,000,O00 provided by ex-
listing law be obtained from the profits
which have accrued and shall accrue
from war contracts and distinctively
war business, but that these taxes be
confined to the war profits accruing in
1918, or in 1919, from business origf'
mating in war contracts.
Asks Aid for Belgium.
May 1 not say a special word about
the needs of Belgium and northern
France? No sums of money paid by
i way Of indemnity will serve of them
selves to save them from hopeless.
disadvantage for years to come. Some
thing more must be done than merely
find the money. If they had none!
and raw materials in abundance to
morrow they could not resume thei
place in the industry of the world to
morrow-the very important plac
they held before the flame OF wa
swept across them. Many of thei
factories are razed to the ground
Much of their machinery is destroyet
or has been taken away. Thei
people are scattered and many O
. their markets will be taken by others
if they are not in some special wa
assisted to rebuild their factories an,
replace their lost instruments of man
ufacture. They should not be left t
the vicissitudes of the sharp compt
tition for materials and for industrial
facilities which is now to set in.
hope, therefore, that the congress vii
not be unwilling, if it should. becom
. necessary, to grant to some sue
, agency as the war trade board tn
right to establish priorities of ..,xpor
and supply for the benefit of theS
, people whom we have been so napp
, to assist in saving from the sGerma
terror and whom we must not nov
, thoughtlessly leave to shift for then
selves in a pitiless competitive marke
; Forces Needed Abroad.
The maintenance of our forces ol
+ the other side of the sea is still ne,
essary. A considerable proportion {
J these forces must remain in Europ
! during the period Of occupation, an
t those which are brought home will b
j transported and demobilized at heav
: expense for months to come.
t The interest on our war debt mus
, of course, be paid. and provision mad
, for the retirement Of the obligation
! Of the government which represent 1
r But these demands will, of cours,
|. fall much below what continuatio
e Of military operations would have ef
] tailed, and six billions should suflc
: to supply sound foundation for th
? | financial ODeratiOnS of the wear =
: about $S2 per acre, and the ministe