The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1919-11-28
SOME COMPARATIVE FIGURES;
NEW YORK ON COST OF WAR
New York SUM.

New York SUM.
Congress has never before spent
as much money for war purposes as
has been spent during the Sixty
fifth congress, which came to a close
on March 4. No American war yer
led to any appropriations which can
begin to approach those made by this
congress.
Estimates of experts show that the
present congress will have spent ap-
proximately $57 900, 900 600 for war
purposes.
During the first session of the
Sixty-fifth congress appropriations
were comparatively modest, amount
ing to only $14,39O,7 30,940.46, a
sum which exceeds the entire appro-
priations Of three congresses during
the Civil war.
During the five years of the Civil
war there We're appropriations which
amounted only to S3,47S,220,0 600.
In the Spanish war the tifty-ffth
congress made total appropriations
which amounted only to $16S,501,-
951.20.
On July 8, 1918, President Will
son signed an appropriation bill
which provided for the support of the
army for the fiscal year ending July
/, 1919, and which carried a total of
$12, 600, 900, 600, a sum in excess Of
the total appropriations of the Civil
war, and the Spanish war combined.
This bill was the largest appropria-
ton ever made in the United States
or in any other country, and while it
was labelled an appropriation bill, it
carried with it more than 100 legisla-
tive riders. deemed necessary for the
conduct of the war.
More money was appropriated for
aircraft during the sessions of the
present congress than the entire cost
of the Spanish war. The initial ap-
preparation of $640, 900, 600 for air.
craft made by the Sixty-fifth con-
gress compares with $16S,5O1 ,951.20
appropriated by the Fifty-sixth CON
gress for the Spanish war.
The first appropriation bill passed
by the SiXty-fifth congress for the
military and naval establishments was
1921, 094.541.60, a sum which near
ly equalled the entire appropriations
of five years of the Civil war and
made the appropriations Of the Span
ish war i~nfinitcsimal. At the time of
the passage Of this bill it was the
largest bill of its kind ever known in
parliamentary history, but it's claim
to fame as such was not to last long,
because one year later a similar bill,
four times as large, was presented to
congress by the war department and
was passed and signed by the presi-
dent.
Early in the war the SiXty-fifth
congress made an appropriation of
S403, 600, 900 for an emergency ship
ping fund with which to begin the
construction Of the greatest merchant
marine fleet that the world has ever
known. This appropriation is larger
than the entire appropriations for the
navy during the Civil war, which
amounted to only $338,124,O 600. The
largest single appropriation for the
nav during the Civil war amounted
to S122,617, 900, a sum which is ap-
proximately a third of the amount APP
propriated by congress for a merchant
fleet.
While this great appropriation was
for the creation of a merchant ma
rine fleet it was necessary some
months later for the cons
mittee of the senate to conduct a
lengthy investigation TO determine
Wheeler or not the money appropri-
ated was being well spent.
The question is still debatable, but
the fact remains that despite the ap-
preparation of more than $400 ,000,-
600 the United States today does not
possess the greatest merchant fleet
in the world, although it is promised.
During the Civil and Spanish wars
search fails to show that there were
ever any appropriations made to pro-
vide for controlling the food and fuel
situations. However, in the first ses-
sion of the present congress an APP
preparation was made Of $162, $780,
900 to provide for "the national Sc
curly and defense by encouraging
the production, conserving the sup
ply and controlling the distribution
of food products and fuel" The sum
nearly equals the $168, sol, 951.20 ap-
p~ropriated during the Fifty-ffth con-
gress to cover all the costs of the
Spanish a