The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1918-10-03
HEDATEIS TODAY

ner of series of letters to be sent
every little while by the National Wo-
mans Liberty Loan Committee.
These will tell you something of how
the vast sums Of money appropriated
for the prosecution of the war are
being spent by the government.
The money we pay out and what
we get for it is a fair statement of
our war program and Of our national
achievement so far, and indicates de-
finitely the magnitude of our under
taking, the giant scale of preparation
and the standard we have set for our
selves in this grim struggle to pre-
serve our national life and the civili-
cation Of the world. What we have
done so far points to what is before
us-What we must do week by week
and month by month till the war is
won.
In normal times-in peace times-it
costs about billion dollars year to
run the government. For the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1918, congress ap-
propriated in round numbers, includ-
ing deficiencies, $18,882, 100000. For
1919 Congress has appropriated in
round numbers at the present session,
including deficiencies and appropria-
tioa> bills pending, $24,33O, O00, 900. -
The mind is often confused over
appropriations" and expenditures"
Congressional appropriations fix the
limit Of what may be used. Then the
governmental departments and bu-
reaus spend what is necessary, and at
the end Of the year the appropriation
lapses. Official figures show that for
the fiscal year 1918 the government
spent SIP 1896, 702, ALTA, and in addi-
ton during the war months of 1917
disbursed $885,000,0OO for loans to
allies.
| Up to the very day we entered the
war Germany believed that victory
for the Central powers lay just ahead.
A strong fcator in this calculation
was their belief that the Entente
powers were financially exhausted.
Germany had spent fifth years pre-
pairing for war of conquest. She
knew that from it's very start she
must wage it from within the circle
composed of herself and her allies,
that she must produce from within
this circle her raw stuffs and manu.
featured material, and by doing this,
though the war has continued far be-
yond the eighteen months that Ger
many set for it's winning-if there was
to be a winning-she has kept her
money at home, used it over and over
again, as the same water often turns
the wheels of many mills.
! Our Allies, on the other hand, ow-
ing chiefly to their lack of prepara-
ton, had to come into the markets Of
the United States for most of their
war necessities, and in the years of
our neutrality their account with us
totaled approximately $9,453, 524, SAT.
A nation and an individual are alike
when they want to buy anything
they must have money or credit, which
is based on money. Our allies were
short of both and we supplied their
needs. We advanced them money and
credit, and we called the transaction
loan. In the fiscal years 1917 and
1918 we loaned them $5,623 900, 900.
Their securities and governmental I'M
dertakings to repay lie in the vaults
of the treasury Of the United States.
!; What our Allies did with that credit
or money is of vast Importance to us.
They looked to use to supply them
with wheat and corn and cotton from
our fields, coal and ore from our mnies
and finished products from our factor
les and foundries, otherwise they
could not remain at war, 50 they
bought thit credit that we had lent
them into our markets and spent it
over our counters.
! During the fiscal year 1918 our ex-
ports amounted to $4,000, 100000. Six
billion is six thousand million! Most
of these went to our allies, and was
turned Immediately and eagerly into
fighting stuff for winning their war
our war.
! You will be interested in knowing
some Of the things our allies really
did with the sums we lent them. First
they used over $3.50, 900, 900 for relief
in Belgium and Servia. The people in
Belgium called it blessed money"
Besides the enormous expenditures
embrased in the term munitions of
war;" they have spent $500, O00, 900 for
cereals, $500, O00, 900 for meat and 9TH
err foods, and $6OO,0OO,O0O for cotton.
The letters Immediately following
this will tell the cost of turning a cit
liens into soldier, of the draft, the
soldiers life and training in the can
tonments, his life overseas and the