The sun., 1919-03-13

When we are told that the Govern
ment expenditures in February were
down some three.quarters of billion
of dollars from January we trust
that If we offer an explanation of
how 1t chiefly happened superheated
propagandsts will not charge us with
merely seeking to cut the throat of Mr..
WILSON'S infant League of Nations in
its cradle.
Government expenditures are Off
cially recorded by Treasury dlsburse-
ments. Perhaps 1t is no news to this
experienced old world that often roll
licking squanderers go on spending
after they have quit paying.
The war bills which, though checked
up and passed as due for payment
still remain unpaid are counted not
by the millions but by the billions
of dollars.
The contracts which are not yet be-
yond the stage Of slow bureaucratic
adjustment are counted by other bill
ions of dollars.
1t is n sorry fact that even soldiers
who hOnored themselves and saved
us with their valorous work on the
battlefield understand they are on the
army payrolls but know they are not
getting the pay.
Meanwhile this Government in the
fifth month Of peace goes on running
up new bills every day rs no other
American Government over ran them
up weekly or even monthly in the
very thick Of war.
This paper does not know either the
numbers of bills that already are
knocking for payment at the Treasury
door or for how many billions of dol
lars they are. We don't think any
| body knows either the numbers Of
claims that are yet to come knocking
| for payment at the Treasury door or
fdf how many billions of dollars more
they will he. But 1t is everybody'S
secret that, whether the Governments
creditors to the tune of billions Of
dollars are right there pounding on
the door or are only on the way, the
| Treasury hasn't the funds with which
to pay them.
When the profits and income taxes
begin TO come in next Saturday they
will not give the Government new
! financial resources, because those
moneys are already spent. They were
spent long ago. When the proceeds
of the Victory Loan begin to come in
next month neither will they give the
Government new financial resources,
because those moneys also were spent
long ago.
| But on goes the Government with
It's rOllicliing quandcr-hundreds of
millions into ships, hundreds Of mill
ions into wheat, hundreds of millions
into railroads, hundreds of millions
into foreign loans, hundreds of mill
ions into this, that and the other thing
and into all of them billions.
A few days before the German army
cracked and the Hlndenburg line
vanished the American people voted
the Democratic Congress not only out
of the revenue raising and the ap-
propriating power but out Of all legis.
lative power of the United States
Government. President WILSON he
sought the American voters not to do
= this. He made personal issue of It,.
He even went so far as to declare
that If they did 1t they would en-
danger the successful prosecution of
THE war. But, convinced that the
Democratic Congress for which Mr..
WILSON pleaded was incompetent to
do the nations. work. and resolved
that the Democratic Congress for
which Mr.. WILSON pleaded should be
entrusted with their affairs no longer
than the date when the new Congress
could legally come into Office, the