Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-12-21

Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. s, ZIG 0o0. 900
Substantially all the expenditures
entering into this total, and large
share of the expenditures on various
/ minor accounts, represent burdens d.
rectly traceable to the war, to past
wars or to preparedness for future
wars. These figures serve to indicate
the direction which sincere efforts to
reduce the cost of the government
must take.
Then found Mr.. Gilbert, the under.
secretary Of the treasury, saying:
There has been much idle talk to the
effect that the excessive cost of govern
ment is due to ineff1ciency and extrava-
gance In the executive departments.
Without doubt there has been waste and
inefficiency In the various government de-
partments and establishments, and much
can be accomplished, and has already
been accomplished, by the introduction
of efficient and economic methods Of adj
ministration and the elimination Of du-
plication and unnecessary work. 1t might
well be possible to save as much az
$50, 600 900 or 800 900. 900 by careful and SCI
entitic reorganization of the governments
business
The figures show that over 80 per
cent of the total annual expenditures
Of the government are related to war.
Out of total expenditures during 1920 OF
about 81. 400, 1000, about 5h billions rep
resented expenditures directly traceable
to the war, to past wars. or to prepared
ness for future wars. OF this, about
$3.50, 900 600 went for the army and navy.
over S50o,0O0,0d0 for the shipping board.
over 81 .O00, &c., 900 for the railroads, another
$1,000. 1900 for interest on the public debt,
almost $500 900 900 for purchase Of obliga-
tons of foreign governments on account
of their war expenditures, and the remain
der for pensions, war risk allotments and
miscellaneous items related to war. An
analysis of the expenditures of the first
sixrmonths of the fiscal year 1921 gives
similar results. The figures also show
that the total cost of running what may
be termed the civil establishment proper,
that is to say. the various government
departments, boards and commissions and
the legislative establishment, have not
much exceeded $3.50 600. 900 even in the alb
normal war years.
I sought details. If more than 80
per cent Of the entire disbursements
of 1920 went for past and prospective
wars, how much had we been spend
ing to keep the world safe for democ-
racy? We are all familiar with the
argument that the best way to prevent
war is to be prepared for war.
thought l might find out whether that
was true. l went back into the rec
ords and found that year. by year,
from 1884 to 1919 inclusive the treas
ury department had kept an account
of the actual disbursements-not ap-
preparations, mind you, but actual
money eXpended-Of the War depart
ment the Navy department and for
pensions. When l got all the figures
before me I couldn't add them up.
In the bureau of internal revenue
they loaned me a machine and an
operator, and so I know and can tell
you that from 1884 to and through
1919 the War Department actually dis
bursed $4,000, 390,OO8.65. In the same
period the Navy Department spent
$6,907, 369,O32S4; and pensioners of
past wars got $5,6S4. O79, 694.23.
That is a laundering total of $780,
900, 759, 041.49 for the army. and navy
alone, leaving out of account the
$5,634, 079, 694.23 for pensions.
l will let you decide whether any
part Of the Twenty-Five billion dollars
spent for preparedness and for war
prevented our going to war or found
us prepared when we went to war.
The three items l have enumerated
are only ribs of the skeleton of the
cost of war preparation and activity.
l have not been able to excavate any
other detail figures. But it is known
that the war OF 1912 cost about $780,
$3.50.
The cost Of the Mexican war Is esti-
mated to have been $63, 6O5,6 2l.
The total cost Of the Civil war, TAX
ing the period from June 80, 1861, to-
June 80, 1866, may be figured closely
at 100000.
The treasury in the winter Of 1920
81 estimated in report sent to con-
gress through the secretary that the
cost of the World war to US to that
date had been $24 900, exclu-
sive Of our loans to the allies and
other foreign nations.
So you see the cost of wars is GO
ing up. no matter how much money
we spend by way of preparation.