Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-11-01
War Department Refutes
Charges of Loss in Dis
position Of Supplies for
Overseas Forces.
Purchases Were Made
for Fixed Force of Five
Million Men, 1t Is Point
ed in Defense.

Washington. Oct 31-The war .le-
rartment Sunday answered charges that
fhe government has sustained great lpGx
through the sale of surplus war supplies
with the claim that it had saved over
$4,615,342,SS1.1 to the taxpayers of
the country" through the sale Of such
supplies and settlements of claims"
The department made public d state
ment declaring that to have proper
understanding Of the situation. it must
be remembered" that the department
in purchasing war materials was con
templating field force Of 5.000.D 900
men. declaring that had the war con
tDued another year. the supplies on
hand at the signing Of the armistice
would have been totally inadequate"
Sales Made Overseas.
Sales of war materials overseas ag-
gregated SS22.923. .225.S2. while Frame.
Y continued. purchased goods for SOB.
oOO,Gd0 and IN addition waived customs
duties estimated at approximately S1J0.-
Wb,Dn0 and further assumed the pay
ment of 10000 claims against the
United States. arising out Of the Amer
lcan occupation and use Of installations
and lands
The statement said:
The war department saved to the
war materials in Europe SDTa 81, 81. a..d g, g
plus the claims for damages which w"'1.l
nj ~ i7enr efteral agaiisst tne gnsefn'
meut. Thus the claim that the prop
crty which had cost this country 81
3!D.3 800. was disposed Of to the Frc1.ch
government for $1,000 900 payable in 10
years, is entirely erroneous.
Much Is Returned
In addition to the supplies sold over
- s.,,S
valued at S612, ,000D00 was returned to
the United States.
As to sales in this country. the lie
partment asserted that the sales divi
sion had disposed Of property which
cost the government 81 132 ,061. .i16.o2
and that "the return to the United
States had been se39.37S. .417.42'
The statement asserted that TO re-
duce the high cost of living" the war de-
partment in the last year and a hall
had sold approximately SS3,000'N0
worth Of food supplies at GO per cent
Of their cost value.
With reference to the charge that
sugar was sold to France for two cents
pound. the statement declared that
100000 pounds of sugar was sold to
that country at l. cents pound and
that 100000 pounds to the American
Relief association at the same price
Settlement of Claims.
As to the settlement Of claims in
volving both formal and informal con
tracts terminated By reason Of the ces-
sation of hostilities." the statement said
the total amount of such claims or the
value of the mncompleted portion nf the
contracts amounted to S3.300. 81, Al l.
81"
The statement characterized as ''ab-
solutely unwarrantcd" charged that the
army shipped only 1900 American
made shells to France and that only -
American made guns reached the Amer
lean forces at the front. II dcclal" "l
that up to armistice day. 6.3o9Wn
American made shells, 'or one-half the
total number Of the shells expended BY
our forces during the war period" had
been sent to France.
At the time of the armistice, the
statement added. the United States had
in France $500 pieces Of artillery. Of
which nearly 500 were of American
manufacture. 1t was stated that in"
American forces used on tho firing line
2,2JO pieces OF which 130 were made IN
America.