Omaha daily bee., 1918-10-20
SOME FIGURES
ON COST OF
GOING TO WAR
Millions of Dollars Expended
Daily by Uncle Sam in
Equipping and Main
tanning HIS Army.

90. Washington, Oct. ll.-"Why does
it cost the United States so much
more to make war than it costs any
OF its co-belligerents!"
What is being done with the tens
OF billions being raised from Liberty
bonds and taxation?"
One oftens hears these questions.
The answer is not difficult 1t is,
simply, that it costs an American
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 working men. The American
working man demands a higher
standard of everything than any
other working man in the world.
When he becomes soldier he car
ries that standard with him, and,
comparatively, gets it.
Army Travels on Stomach.
Napoleon said, and everybody ever
since has repeated, that an army
travels on its stomach. So naturally
the Subsistence of the American SOL
dier comes first in the long bill
which is rapidly running to $50000,-
600 day.
"a The regular ration list of the
American army calls for 49 different
81 items of food. 1t includes many
things which are Injuries to the SOL
diers OF the foreign armies. At that,
It only costs 81 cents day to feed
soldier. The figure is low, because
the government has the advantage
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
il cost only 1881 cents day to
feed soldier during the Spanish
war.
Runs Into Millions.
I Take into account the almost stag
gering sums the government has
spent for food alone since the war
began. For -four, $37,000,000 sugar,
$l4,000,0O0; bacon, $43,OOO,O00;
beans, $l2, 100000; tomatoes, s9,0OO,-
900; rice, $3,000,000, 1t sounds al
most like food bill for a nation:
Without any disparagement what
ever of the rationing system OF the
co-belliperents it may be said that
while the food Of the British soldier
compares favorably with that OF
his American cousin, the French ra-
ton is less acceptable to the Amer.
can and that of the Italians would
get very cold reception.
Requirements of Soldiers.
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
$l26.000,000 for shoes. Only recent
sly a contract was let which is in
tended to keep every soldier with
two pairs-one for marching and
one for general wear. The price, in
quantity of millions, was we'll over
SIS pair. Old soldiers of the regular
army can remember when the gov
eminent used "brogans" far remov-
ed in quality from the army shoe OF
today.
The American soldiers clothing
so far has cost a round $500, 900, 900.
For his blankets the government has
spent $l50,000000. Every thing else
is in proportion, for in every part.c-
ular of his equipment the govern
ment 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 $4232 to
equip and maintain a soldier year
abroad as against $327.78 at home.
OF this sum $2sl.S5 goes for food.
The rationing expense at home is
$f8o.80.
Pay OF Soldiers.
The high standard has been car
ried to the soldiers pay. For all
practical purposes of estimate the
American soldier is the highest paid
fighting man in the world. He ac-
tually gets more than the average
German officer. To the $50 month
a private receives from the g ,vern-
ment is added a sum for hl' de-
pendents, depending upon their COM
dition and number.
Canada and the other British COL
onies more nearly approximate
the pay of the American soldier than
any others of the co-belhgerents.
Taking into consideration all
these items it is not strange that