The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-11-02
FOUR BILLION
SAVED ON WAR
SALES, CLAIM
War Department Issues Detailed
Statement of Disposition of
Goods
SALES $4,675,343,S81.15
Says That Effort Was Made to
Reduce High Cost of Liv-
ing

Washington, Nov. 2.-The war de-
partment today answered charges
that the government had sustained
great loss through the sale of sur
plus war supplies with the claim that
it had saved over $4,675.342,SS1.15 to
the taxpayers Of this country"
through the sale of such supplies and
settlements of claims"
The department made public state
ment declaring that to have a proper
understanding OF the situation 1t must
be remembered" that the department
in purchasing war materials it was
contemplating q field force Of 5,000,-
900 men. '',
Declaring that had the war "contin-
ued another year the supplies on hand
at the signing Of the armistice would
have been totally Inadequate"
Sales of war materials overseas ag-
gregated 1922, 3,225.S2, while France
it continued, purchased goods for
$532,500,000 and in addition waived
customs duties estimated at approx
imately $150,OO0,0O0 and further as
sumed the payment of 100000 claims
against the United States arising out
of American occupation and use If
installations and lands.
The statement said: "The war de-
partment saved to the Taxpayers from
the sale of surplus Of war materials
in Europe s972,923, ,225.82 plus the
claims for damages which would have
been entered against the government.
Thus the claim that the property
which had cost this country $780,
989,3O2, was disposed of to the French
government for $4,00O,000 payable in
ten years, is extremely erroneous"
Other Sales.
In addition to the supplies sold ov-
erseas the department said equipment
valued at 100000 was returned to
the United States.
e.. As to sales in this country, the de-
partment asserted that the sales d.
vision had disposed of properly which
cost the government $1,132.067 ,476.92
and that "the return to the United
States had been $S39,378,417.42.'
The statement asserted that Ito re-
duce the high cost of living" the war
department iii Tie last year and half
had sold approximately S3,000,O0O
worth of food supplies at, sixty per
cent. of their cost value.
With reference to the charges that
sugar was sold to France for two cents
a pound, the statement declared that
100000 pounds of sugar was sold 10
that country at II cents pound ana
that 100000 pounds to the American
Relief Association at the same price.
Settlement OF Claims. A
As to the settlement of claims "in-
volving both formal and informal con-
tracls terminated by reason of the
cessation Of hostilities," the statement
said the total amount of such claims
or the value of the uncompleted por-
ton of the contracts amounted to $3,-
300, O,S54,41122 and that the basis on
which the settlement of these claims
had been made by the claim board had
"resulted in net saving to the gov
ernment of $2,S63 ,035 ,237.91.' !
The statement characterized as "ab-
solutely unwarranted" charges that
the army shipped only 17,00Q Ameri-
can-made shells to France and that
only 72 made guns reached
the American forces at the front. |:
declared that up to Armistice Day, g.
300, 900 American-made shells, "or one
half the total number of the! shells ct
pended by our forces during the war
period" had been sent to France.
At the time of the armistice, the
statement went on to say, the United
States had in France $500 pieces or
artillery, of which nearly 500 we're OF
American manufacture. 1t was stated
that the American forces used on the
firing line $3.50 pieces Of which $50
we're made in America.
N~vJnr