Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-10-21
MORE COST OF WAR

In recent issue of The discussed the cost of
quoted report the Legislative Committee of
Investigation article dealt with the cost of aircraft
and ordnance.
further examination of the report shows the following
very interesting enghtenng facts concerning and
cantonments production OF explosives powder and gas and the
cost and value of terminals We submit these facts that
Record patrons read with an open mind and draw their
Construction OF Camps and CantOnments-We expended
200000000 for the construction of and environments
Department By this system increased labor de-
moraized the completion of the was delayed soldiers
called the coors subjected conditions that induced
and death and from 40 to 60 cent OF the money
wasted
Twenty-Five million dollars spent for fees favored
and most OF which would have
been saved had this work been let by bids
ducton of tanks the exact amount of which has not been
puted Not single tank of American manufacture reached the
front before the Armstce
To complete program needed tanks, which
to cost $4,000 EACH TO build these started immense
steel and factory France which assemble and
turn out 100 of these tanks day the entire supply in II days
France for assembly while furnish the engines and
ish supplied their part but supplied nothing The factory
Production Explosives, Powder Gas.-The production
of high explosives powder and likewise humliatng
failure viewpoint obtained what
M We spent $50 100000 to build powder plant at Nitro
w Va 1t produced pound powder for the After
the personal property
fair cash value $lo0OO00o Both plant and property We're
ferred payments
Nitro plant $l1295737 They produced powder that
could use in the
Nitro W. Va had built them first system.
Government settled with them for $4,000 and in addition
them longtime furnish electric for the naval
armor plant at Charleston. w. Va
ID We spent approximately $9oOOoooO construction
and operation Of powder plant at Nashville Tenn called Old
Hickory and which produced powder that could be used the
te) We spent on nitrate plants at Sheffield
Ala Muscle Shoals Ala; Toledo, Ohio and Cincinnati Ohio
These plants did produce pound of nrate that could be
(D We spent poison gas $l16OOOOOO Not pound of
American fired American SHE'LL and only about
100 tons Of American loaded shells ever reached the field
dumps.
plants make pheno and acid required by them This was to
furnish pc who desired it for explosives
None Of these plants produced pound of thing that used
in the plants S350OOOOO The French
pay the whole bill but the War Department settled with France
Port TerminasWe spent $17116OOO constructing port
terminal at Charleston S c. which built in isolated
swamp 10 miles the Cooper River where necessary
dredge reach it. There pound Of produce
animal shipped either out into this terminal during the
We spent $l2766l port terminals Boston Brook
yn Newark. Philadelphia Norfolk, Charleston, and New Or
leans Some of them finished and Of them
used for anything except storage during the war
by the Select Committee of the House Of Representatives Elk
pendtures the War Department after months Of careful in
vesgaton The conclusions OF that Committee remain uncon
Excessive Orders for Less Essential ThngsNo less start
ling than the Governments faiue to produce essential things
such guns shells aeropnes and tanks the msman
making unnecessary expenditures for less essential things
few instances verified by the records sufficient
(a) We ordered 400152 pairs of shoes and received
hveries of 2.227 450 pairs, for 35f8,837 men.
CD We bought and received 500326 double
and 110828 single We had during period
58082 horses of which only 679S shipped
and $4,000 died
(c) We bought $4,000 saddles had ALL Sc 4s caval
ry horses.
(d) We bought 2850853 halters.
(e) We bought 5856l5 saddle bags.
(f) We bought 1887 1919 horse brushes
(g) We bought 2O33 2O4 bags
CHI We bought l,148,364 horse covers.
C We bought for Ordnance 1850 complete
sets of straps, about SO sets for each officer
ID We bought 1871 615 horseshoes
(k) We bought $4,000 branding irons
We ordered 49456,611 hard bread OO
during the
Election is but little ways off you prepared Nh
Mrs Voter to intelligent ballot
depending else tell how you
Now know that the latter much the
but country demands of and mos
effort Let's all take ourselves an
ntellgeny