The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-06
Our Only Chance to Escape Ma
tlOnal Bankruptcy.

tlOnai Bankruptcy.
There is one reason and only one
why those now in control of the Gov
eminent will not break the Treasury
and bury the taxpayers under noun
tains of debt. 1t Is that they are not
going to continue in control Of the
Government.
Nearly three months after the war
the Administration in Washington is
still on n debauch of spending and
Of making contracts to spend. The
tongues Of bureaucrats still wag wild
ly in terms of billions. The Govern
ment, in their hands, must still squan.
der, and IL must sluander in every
possible direction at rate which this
country could not stand for long Il 1t
had twice the population 1t has and II
1t were five times as rich as it is.
After we have come to an end OF
the period of showerlng out Liberty
and Victory bonds like confetti, where
does the Administration think It Is
the bills It is still running up and is
etill trying to oblignte the Govern
nlent to 60 on running up?
However any Government by any
party may try to stop waste and to
save, the nation will he compelled to
spend on account OF the war bill.
ions and billions of dollars anyhow.
There will be the interest and sinking
fund payments on the colossal ma
tonal debt amassed in less than two
years. There will he the prodigious
sums which must be paid for decades,
hs after the civil war, for the benefit
OF crippled soldiers, widows and chill
dren. There will be the maintenance
VI standing army which only two
years ago would have been called
vast. There will be the maintenance
also of a navy, which, at best, de-
YOURS treasure as the sea devours
shtpwrecks. There will be the thou
sand and one things which. after the
Government has multiplied its func-
tons and swelled its expenditures
enormously. never do come and never
ran come down TO normal basis or
to anything like It.
How. therefore. do those now in
control Of the Government think that
On top of those unacceptable billions
the Treasury IS going to be able to IN
vest billions OF dollars in shipping and
then to sink billions OF dollars more
In operating that shipping because 1t
Is not self-supporting?
How do they think the Treasury Is
going to be able to pay billions to our
farmers, our railroads, our telegraph
and telephone companies?
How do they think the Treasury is
going to be able to pay other billions
"f dollars in financing visionary
dreams Of making foreign nations, for.
elgn races, whole continents, comfort.
able and happy at our expense:
How do they think the Treasury Il
going to be able to play fairy godfather
10 the farmers, traders, the other mill.
Ions OF souls IN Europe, Asia and AZ
RIGA who arc getting us tied up IN
Iaris to boundless responsibilities and
to endless spendlngs?
In the prodigious volume those II
control of the Government are trying
TO throw away American money. a,
trying 10 commit the United States T.,
q continuous performance of throwi&g
away such money forever and ever
this nation would not have to wait a
generation for insolvency. II would
not have 10 wait decade. 1t could
count absolutely on being utterly and
eternally bankrupt, like an Austria
br Turkey, before We knew what
was happening.
But as the legislative squanderers
will be put out of the Government or
March 4, by vote Of the Americar
people. II is Incredible that the same
American voters will not finish ur
their Job by voting ut the next ma
uonal election to put out the Admins
tratiye squanderers, That is the on.y
guarantee of national solvency.