Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-12-06

1 N--1e SARRaAC0 tAlC cA1C0S VI TIE 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 steudying and faeilitatlon of
our own domestic business readipsi-
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 burfen
of taxation must be lifted from bust
ness as sound methods of financing the
government viii permit, and those who
conduct the great essential industries
of the country must be told as exactly
as possible what obligations to the gov
eminent they will be expected to meet
in the years Immediately ahead OF
them.
1t will be of serious consequence TO
the country to delay removing all I'M
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 are
resolved.
Troops Must Stay in Europe.
If the war had continued 1t would
have been necessary to raise at least
$S,000000000 by taxation, payable in
the year 1919, but the war has ended
and agree with 6Ile secretary of the
treasury that II will be safe to reduce
the amount to $6,O00000,000. 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
Iiquidated, but their immediate liqui-
dalton 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 viii 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 1t.
But these demands, viii, OF course,
fall much below what continuation
of military operations would have en-
tailed, and S6O00,O00000 should suf-
flee TO supply a sound foundation for
the financial operations of the year.
l entirely concur with the secretary
of the treasury in recommending that
the S2,000.000000 needed in addition
TO the S4,O0O,OO0,000 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
1913, or In 1919 from business origi-
mating in war contracts.
Asks Aid for Belgium.
May not say special word about
the needs of Belgium and northern
France? No sums of money paid by
way OF indemnity will serve of them
selves 10 save them from hopeless
disadvantage for years 10 come. Some
thing more must be done than merely
find the money. If they had money
and raw materials in abundance to-
morrow they could not resume their
place in the industry of the world to-
morrow-the very important place
they held before the flame of war
swept across them. Many of their
factories are RACED to the ground.
Much Of their machinery is destroyed
or has been taken away. Their
people are scattered and many of
their markets will be taken by others,
] if they are not In some special way
assisted to rebuild their factories and
replace their lost instruments of man.
ufacture. They should not be left to
| the vicissitudes of the sharp compe-
| tition for materials and for industrial
| facilities which is now to set in. /
hope, therefore, that the congress viii
not be unwilling, If 1t should become
necessary, TO grant to some such
agency as the war trade board the
right to establish priorities of export
and supply for the benefit of these
| people whom we have been so happy
to assist in saving from the German
/ terror and whom we must not now
| thoughtleSsly leaye to shift for them
selves in a pitiless competitive market.
Forces Needed Abroad.
The maintenance of our forces on
| the other size of the sea is still nee
essars. 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 hea'y
expense for months to come,