The sun., 1918-12-03


trusted to the Department OF the
Interior. 1t is possible In dealing
with our unused land to effect a
great rural and agricultural devel-
opment which will afford the best
sortof opportunity to men who want
10 help themselves, and the Secre-
tary OF the Interior has thought the
possible methods out In n way which
is worthy OF your most friendly at
tention.
Ala for France ana Belgium.
have spoken of the control
which must yet for a. while, perhaps
Tor a long while, he exercised over
shipping because of the priority OF
service to which our forces overseas
are entitled and which should also
be accorded the shipments which
are TO save recently liberated peo-
pies from starvation and many
deVasteu regions from permanent
ruin. May l not say a special word
about the needs Of Belgium and
northern France? No sums of
money paid by way of indemnity
them from hopeless disadvantage
TOT years to come. Something more
must be done than merely find the
money. If they had money and raw
materials in abundance tomorrow
they could not resume their place in
the industry of the world to-mop-
row-the very important place they
held before the flame of war swept
across them. Many OF their factories
are> RACED to tho ground. Much OF
tneir machinery is destroyed OF has
oeen taken away. Their people are
scattered and many of their best
Workmen are dead. Their markets
VIII be taken by others, IL they are
not in some special way assisted to
rebuild their factories and replace
their lost instruments of manufac-
ture. They should not be left to the
viclssitudes OF the sharp competition
LOT materials and for industrial IA
cinties winch is now to set in. l
nope, therefore, that the Congress
viii not be unwilling, IL it should be-
come necessary, to grant to some
such agency as the War Trade
Board the right to establish prior
.ties of export and supply for the
oeneht OF these people whom we
nave been SO happy TO assist in saw
ing from the German terror and
whom We must not now thought
lessiy leave to shift for themselves
In pitiless competitive market.
Questions of Taxation.
For the steadying and facilltation
or our own domestic business read
Justments nothing is more important
that the immediate determination OF
the taxes that are to be levied for
1918. 1919 and 1890. As msch OF the
burden of taxation must be lifted
from business as sound methods of
financing the Government will per-
nit and those who conduct the great
essential Industries of the country
must be told as exactly as possible
what obligations to the Government
they Will be expected to meet In the
years immediately ahead of them.
II will be OF serious consequence to
the country to delay removing all
uncertainties in this matter q single
day longer than the right processes
or debate Justify. II is idle to talk
of successful and confident business
reconstruction before those unccr-
taintics are resolved
II the war had continued il would
have been necessary TO raise at least
eight billion dollars by taxation, pay
able in the year 1919; but the war
has ended, and am agreed with the
Secretary Of the Treasury that il
will be safe to reduce the amount to
six billions. An immediate rapid de-
cline in the expenses Of the Govern
ment is not to be looked for. Con-
tracts made for war supplies will. in
deed. be rapidly cancelled and liqui-
dated, but their immediate liquida-
ton 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 necessary. A considerable
proportion of those forces must re-
main 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 retire.
mcnt OF the obligations OF the Gov
ernmenr which represent it. But
these demands will of course fall
much below what continuation OF
military operations would have en-
tailed. and six billions should suf-
flee to supply a sound foundation
for the financial operations OF tho
year
U,.--..- - D.x.