The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1920-10-14


Battle Front-UnparaIIeled Record
of Waste and Extravaganza.
The main reason why the American
people will elect Harding and Coolidge,
the Republican standard bearers, on
November 2. said Thomas H. Tongue,
Jr., chairman of the Republican State
Central Committee, in a statement issu-
ed recently lis that they want a
change Of administration. They are
tired of Democratic waste, extraya-
gance and incompetence.
THE Democratic party is going be-
fore the people on its record, and its
standard bearer is running on the
record of his party for the past seven
years.
The Republican party is willing to
go before the people upon its record
The people well know that the Repub-
lican administrations of the past made
good their pledges of economy and
efficiency and contributed to the well
fare and prosperity of the people.
The facts are now coming to light
as to the staggering burdens placed
upon the people by the Demochatic
Administration. The facts about the
billions wasted in the prosecution Of
the war are appalling.
Representative Edward E. Denison
of Illinois has made an exhaustive in
vestigation of war expenditures and
he has made the following statement:
Orgy of Waste and Extravaganza.
There has been on orgy Of waste
and extravaganza in the disbursement
of these billions taken by taxes and
borrowed from the people that not
only surpasses anything ever recorded
in connection with any government
but exceeds the widest Imagination"
Boiled down the statements of prov
en- expenditures made by Representa-
tive Denison follows:
/. Tn Wear cost approximates S34,-
00o, 900. 900
2. Reports of chairmen of investi-
eating committees show that of the
s1S,000,O00,000 expended by the War
Department alone practically ss,OOO.-
100000 has been wasted. lost or spent
on projects that were foolish, are
wholly useless now, and were totally
ineffective in prosecuting the war.
Millions for Port Terminals.
8. There was spent at Charleston.
Norfolk, Boston. and other places $3.50,
100000 for port terminals from which
no ship during the war ever sailed.
L. A port terminal was begun in a
bog and swamp ten miles up the river
from Charleston and after $4,000 900
had been spent in construction 1t was
found that ships could not reach the
terminal until the river had been
aredged for the purpose
5. For nitrate plants $4,000 900
was spent in visionary scheme and
not pound of nitrate was produced.
Practically s1O0,000,O0 of this sum was
sunk at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and
the War Department now asks addi-
tional millions to turn the abortive
nitrate plants into fertilizer producers
about the feasibility of which experts
differ
s. For power plants $3.50, 600, 900 was
spent and not a pound was made in
them. The one at Nitro, West Virgin
Ia, cost s70O.0o,o0o and was sold re-
gently for ss,OoO,oOO with the prospects
that the government will never get
very much of the eight million.
Z. There was $1,OO0,OOO, 600 spent for
shells and only 1900 American shells
were fired by the American forces in
the war, We fired very often as many
As 100000 in a single barrage on a sim
gle morning; we had to buy or beg
from our Allies
Billions Spent. No Aeroplanes
5. We spent s1.051 0O0,O 900 prepar-
barring to manufacture aeroplanes; we
lid not produce one fighting machine.
We did make purely bombing plane
"A few of them. All we made and
sent to the front in France were 213
observation planes and they were de-
ective and dangerous.
?. For tanks we spent s10O, 600, 900.
The first American tank did not reach
France until after the armistice had
'NNAA SIS AANh anu AAlt war "AS over.
10. There was s116OOO,O00 expended
for the manufacture of gas There
never was pound of gas fred on the
'attle front in American shells.
II. Guns cost us Ito make in this
S47S0O0,OOO We only sue
>eeded in getting As OF the 4.7-inch
guns and "a of the S-inch howitzers-
/ total ~ 20 Ap,aryoap ,r,,ra D.. -
'ur boys in battle could use them.
Such is the story of extravaganza
md inefiiciency of the War Depart
nent
The same is true to some extent OF
he Navy establishment
The War and Navy Departments to-
,ether spent within a radious OF 25
niles Of Norfolk. Va, $3.50 600 900 for
he construction of cantonments, ware
houses and training stations where It
las been found impossible to get
supply Of water sufficient for their
needs.
Training Camp Located In swamp.
The Navy Department put one train.
ng camp in a swamp near Norfolk, Va
It cost OF $4,000, 600 and every dollar
II It, as now disclosed. will be lost.
THE facts and figures show" said
representative Deuison, that the
waste and ineffective investments OF
such a considerable part OF the $4,000
10000 war expenditures has been due
argely TO the autocratlc and dictator
al encroachment of the President on