The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1919-11-28

propriated s5O,OOO,OOO for the hous-
ing of employees of the emergency
fleet corporation, an amount equal
to the initial appropriation for the
conduct of the Spanish war.
Early in the Spanish war congress
gave $500, 034 to send an expedition
airy force to Cuba. This sum is small
in comparison of $100,000,000 made
by the present congress to provide
storage and shipping facilities for
the American expeditionary force in
Europe.
Review of the work of the Fifty
fifth congress and the Civil war con-
gress shows that there have never
been any appropriations previous to
this war which can approach the
sums used for propaganda and pub
licity. Early in the war the present
congress gave to President Wilson
the sum of 500, 100000 for such
uses as lie cared to put it. With this
sum in had the president created the
committee on public in formation,
with George Creel as its director. A
large part of the 500, 000, 600 was
used for the work of the Creel bu-
reau, which carried on an active
propaganda campaign both in this
country and Europe and was the Of
fetal publicity bureau of the gov
eminent.
Congress in the Civil war, records
show. never realized the value of
publicity, propaganda or advertising,
for it failed to make any appropria-
tons for such purposes. In the
Spanish war, however, congress OPP
emily made an appropriation of ST.
263.33 for miscellaneous advertis-
ing" This sum would hardly have
paid the expenses of the Creel bureau
for a day.
During the second session of the
SiXty-fifth congress an appropriation
of $2,S14,34S, 267.S5 was made for
Notifications. In the heat Of the
Spanish war, when members of con-
gress and people of the country con
iectured concerning a naval attack
upon our coast, the Ffty-fifth con-
gress provided $17,897,497.65 for
Notifications, and later went this a
little better by giving $1,210,2S7.S4
more for ordnance.
While the present congress was
liberal with it's money, it is to be not
ed that it was also liberal with men.
During the second session, when man
power appeared to be the greatest
hope of winning against German au-
tocracy, congress passed a new draft
bill which gave to the president
thority to increase the military es-
adjustment to the limit of the pow
ers to equip and train the men.
The congresses of the Civil war
authorized the recruiting of $2,772,-
40S men during the five years of the
war, which about equalled the forces
of the United States in Europe when
the present var came to a close. The
Fifty-ffth congress authorized the in
crease of the military establishment
during the Spanish war to $4,000 for
service in Cuba and 10000 for the
Philippine instruction.
During the Civil war there were
SOiuc wal COSCS WHICH WcIS uOC III
cluded in the war costs of the pres
ent congress, but they were few. Most
notable among these were the appro-
priations made for prize money, the
largest of which was $1,281, 542.25.
The Sixty-tifth congress has not
made any appropriations for the per-
sonal honor of any war hero. The
Fifty-ffth congress-, however, pro
vided $4,000 for a sword for Ad-
miral Dewey.
While experts of the appropria-
tons committee of the senate now
place the probable appropriations of
the present congress at about $751;
000, DOC 600 it is interesting to note
that George Bernhard has estimated
the entire cost of the war to Ger
many will be approximately $40, $780,
600.
The following table shows the
comparative appropriations during the
three latest American wars:
Civil War.
Army ,041 900 |
Navy 338, 124 900