Evening star., 1919-04-06

In the same manner. Always there
were full explanations az to the use OF
the money and in every instance the
SSotstowing StatsS IN. nation gave the United
mand note. At all events. 1t was a
certificate Of debt granting the United
states the option of requiring pay
ment In cash on demand or of asking.
tion making the loan. The rate Of in
terest In all cases was per cent.
AS we stand today" Mr.. Lefing-
well said, referring to the nine bill
lion dollars lent to foreign nations,
we can do whatever we wish; we can
technically. we can demand the cash"
Although the fighting is over. the
Treasury holds that a state Of war
Will continue until peace, by treaty,
is restored. Loans, therefore, when
urgently required. are being granted.
the Treasury. with the approval of
President Wilson. to loan, up to the
original limit of ten billions, for a
period OF eighteen months after the
war such funds as may be required
by the allies for the purchase Of prop
erty owned directly or indirectly by
the United States and located within
the territory of the allies. This prop
erty includes buildings, docks. loco
motives. machinery and so on hereto
lore uSeu py the Unlteu states Tor It's
military operations in Europe.
Also wheat may be purchased at
the price guaranteed to the farmers
of this country by their own govern
ment AS the guaranteed price will
be about double the real selling price.
bought by Great Britain. France, Italy
or any other country in the Ameri-
can market.
Business Is business. in the eye Of
Europe. and the British will not bor-
row money in the United States at s
per cent interest with which 10 buy
wheat at. say. $2.25 bushel when 1t
can be obtained from Australia or
Argentina for about half that price.
Nor will France or Italy do anything
so utterly foolish.
The price guaranteed by Congress
to the farmers of the country. as has
been stated in this article, was for
the purpose of speeding up the lro-
duction Of wheat-of increasing its
acreage wherever it could be grown
that the allies. their inhabitants and
their soldiers, might have bread.
This altruistic and military measure
will cost the government of the
United States about a billion dollars.
SO in counting up the cost of war
TO the American people and In meas
uring their sacrifices this billion must
be included.
In every human crisis prophets and
philosophers appear with ready warm
ings and remedies. Commonly, their
speciality is finances. One extem-
poraneous genius. a college profes: or,
suggests that the owners of liberty
bonds in every city and village repair
to the public square on set day
and at fixed hour and. having built
a fire, burn their bonds TO the glory
Of themselves and the relief of their
government.
There are no race lines in the SOL
emn and distressing matter of fool
ishness. And so in France there are
those who think that the cost of the
war. from August, 1914, to the sign
ing of peace, should be counted up
and then apportioned as to payment
among all the nations engaged. ac
cording to their wealth and popula-
ton.
The United States began lighting In
April, 1917, and not an hour before.
IL WITH have a new debt OF twenty bill
lions probably as result of the war.
Besides, II will have lent ten billions
to the nations Associated" with IT, to
use favorite verb of President Will
son. in the war. Moreover. infants I'm
arms today viii be paying taxes cre-
ated by this war when they are mid
die aged men.
Before April. 1917. the yearly cost of
the sovern!nepi u ihe y pIttd states
O.. ~, s.+tss IT. -.