The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-12
ARMY POCKETS
HEAVYLO LOSSES
ON FOOD SALES
Democratic Extravaganza
Illustrated in Disposal of
Surplus Supplies.
NO BREAK IN III. C. L.
Congressional Disclosures
Show Inexcusable Delay
in Selling Policy.
GAMERS ARE PROTECTED
Agreement Kept Goods Off
Market When Consumer
Might Have PrOfited.
spectal pespatch to Tnr HraA1p.

SpecfdI DeSpdfch 10 The HERALD
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.-THE high cost
Of living and the high cost of Dem
ocracy. while they may not be
synonymous. are terms for conditions
very closely related. This is the con-
clusion inevitably reached even by
those who have not been close stu
dents Of the record of the party now
in power as 1t has been written for
the last eight years.
Democratic extravaganza in ham
ding what has come to be the greatest
business in the world, particularly as
1t had to do with the prosecution of
great war, has been glaring and
often disastrous in its results. ac-
cording to Republican leaders in
Washington.
$24,OOO,OOO in Canned Meat.
The War Department is still engaged
in an extensive selling campaign Of
surplus Army foodstuffs, which have
been on hand for the most part since
the signing OF the armistice. The sale
is going badly in New York city. de-
spite sacrifice prices, and the Govern
.ment is being criticised for selling pub
lie property at loss.
There is now In Government ware
houses s25. 900 900 worth of surplus foods
or subsistence" as 1t Is called tech
nically. OF this total $24, OO00 900 worth Is
In canned meats. quantity equivalent
to the entire pack of all the leading
packing establishments In the United
States.
Asked II the selling campaign Of the
War Department has proved effective in
reducing the cost of living. the director
Of sales frankly said it had not sue
ceeded in breaking the food market on
comprehensive scale, but that doubt
less 1t has helped a great deal in iso-
lated cases and that the advertising
campaigns had the further advantage
of emphasizing to the housewives the
need of economy.
Democratic mismanagement has been
frequently alluded to by Senator Har-
ding. In his first campaign speech in
the East, delivered recently at Balti-
more, the Republican nominee cited the
long delay of the Administration in dis
posing OF these surplus supplies.
THE huge unused stocks of essential
HlateTlalS ana lCOuSlullS contracted lot
or In the hands of the Government at
the signing of the armistice." said Sena-
tor Harding, were alternately i'm
pounded and released, after a long de-
lay, without method or plan, and In
ways that served neither the interest of
the producer nor the need of the con-
sumner" :.
This charge was based largely on dis
closures made through the agency of a
Congressional investigating committee, of
which Representative w. ]. Graham OF
Illinois was chairman, anu more par
ticularly the evidence taken by the sub
committee on the expenditures OF the
Quartermaster Corps OF the army, OF
which Representative c. L. Reavls OF
Nebraska had charge.
At the time of the armistice the Gov
eminent was buying food supplies for
an army of 100000 men for an average
period In advance of eight months The
enlarged army was never needed owing
to the sudden cessation of hostilities
The maximum enrolment was approxi-
mately 800, 900 men. OF this number
2,252. 900 men had been discharged and
were definitely out OF the service by May
"a, 1919.