The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-10-11
BEST REASON FOR
BUYING LIBERTY BONDS
OUR MEN MUST BE BETTER TAKEN CARE Of THAN
THOSE OF OTHER NAV|ES AND ARMIES

Washington, Oct. 11.-Why does it
cost the United States so much more
to make war than it costs any of its
co-belligereilts
What is being done with the tens
of billions being raised from liberty
bonds and taaxtion? One often hears
these questions.
The answer is not difficult.
1t is, simply, that it costs an Am
erican more to do anything than it
costs anyone else in the world. That
is the best reason why Americans
should buy liberty bonds.
The American army is composed of
workingmen. The American working
man demands higher standard of
everything than any other working
man in the world. When he becomes
a soldier he carries that standard
with him, and, comparatively, gets it.
Napoleon said, and everybody ever
since has repeated, that an army
travels on it's stomach. So naturally
the subsistence of the American sol
dier comes first in the long bill which
is rapidly running to S5O,00O,000 a
day.
The regular ration list of the Am
erican army calls for forty-nine diff
ferent items of food. 1t includes
many things which are luxuries to the
soldiers of the foreign armies. At
that, it only costs 80 cents a day to
feed soldier. The figure is low bs-4
cause the government has the ad-
vantage of dealing in billions and
tons where the individual deals in
dollars and pounds. Even SO, the
army has felt the increased cost of
living because it cost only 1921 cents
day to feed soldier during the
Spanish war.
Take into account the almost stag
gering sums the government has
spent for food alone since tie war be-
gan: $37, 100000 worth of flour; $14,-
100000 worth of sugar; 43,000.000
worth of bacon; $12,000.O00 worth of
beans; $9.OOO,00O worth of canned to-
matoes; $4,000 worth of rice. 1t
sounds almost like a food bill for
nation.
Without any disparagement what
eve rof the rationing system of the
co-belligerents it may be said that
while the food of the British soldier
compares favorably with that of his
American cousin, the French ration
rs less acceptable to the American
and that of the Italians would get
very cold reception.
The equipment of the American
soldier is no less up to standard than
his food. Since the beginning of the
war the government has spent $780,
100000 for shoes. Only recently a
contract was let which is intended to
keep every soldier with two pairs
one for marching and one for general
wear. The price in quantity of mill
ions was well over $5 pair Old sol
diers of the regular army can remem-
Der when the government issued
3brogans" far removed in quality
from the army shoe of today.
The American soldiers clothing so
far has cost a round $500, 1000 900.
For his blankets the government has
spent $15O,00O,OOO Every thing else
is in proportion for in every particu-
lar of his equipment the government
has supplied the soldier with the
same relative high standard he was
accustomed to at home in civil life.
The extra cost of maintaining an
army on foreign soil has entered into
the huge bill because it has been
found that it costs $423.27 to equip
a soldier year abroad as against
$327.78 at home Of this sum S251.85
goes for food The rationing expenses
at home is S189.8O.
The high standard has been car
ried to the soldiers pay For all prac-
tiral 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 month private
receives from the government is add
ed 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.
BUY LIBERTY BONDS -
Gerig is giving away two cakes of
Palm Olive Toilet Scan with a fifty-