The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-13
BUSINESS IS NOW
 LINED UP BEHIND
 ARMS CONF FERENCE
Realize for First Time Whole Question of Tax Revision Is Involved In Wa3hing-
 ton Deliberations
By HARDEN co1FAx

special correspondent or The AEe-HcraId
 Copyright, 1921. by The AEe-Hernld)
 Chicago, November l2.-One does not have to travel far these days to find that business men, once luke warm to the armament conference a. Washington are prepared now to bring great pressure to bear for the Tightening of the cost of military es- tablishments. They realized appar- entity for the first time, that the whole question of tax revision, which has given them so much concern, is involved in the Washington deliber- ations. Realization of the vast toll Of military preparations and It's appli- cation to the tax programme has be- come much keener in tn elast few weeks and J. H. Defrees, president of the United States Chamber of Com merce, is among the leading figures in the business world to call direct attention to the possibilities of low cred military expenditures.
 For some time, the feeling has grown that Germany. without army and navy to maintain, will have great advantages over other nations. This Is pretty much a fallacy. for Ger many not only has enormous sums to pay in separations, but the upkeep of the few American soldiers on the Rhine has cost Germany more than 'AQ AhC ChNAiG PVaOt AllIS ment of the German army in l9ls- leaving the deterioration Of the mark entirely out of account.
 Turns Business Opinion
 But fallacious or not, the idea has helped to turn business oA hion against large military establish ments. year or more ago, Dr. Rosa of the bureau of standards, showed that approximately 92 per cent of the governments revenues in the first year after the war went to pay war debts or to prepare the army and navy for wars to come. Dr. Rosas work excited hardly a ripple of in- terest. but recently published figures probably based on his-show that right now approximately 77A per cent of the nations revenues go to pay for wars, past or future, and only 2215 per cent to the other work of the government, including maintenance of the postoffice. Mir. DeFrees char acterizes this exhibit as "most in- teresting as well as shocking"
 Business men. fn short. though only a little while ago they displayed lit- tie interest in the armaments con- ference, are now sincerely anxious shat it shall do something. The at titude of Congress today has been rather more sympathetic with the military eStdDilSnmentS than WltN other government departments and bureaus, but the preponderance of military expenditures Is so enormous that it is obvious, If any appreciable reductions in government expense are to be made, they must be made here.
 Besides to Be Met
 Of course the programme of bust ness men for tax revision and tariff adjustment Is we'll understood and the desires of bushes interests will be pretty fairly met at Washington. Reduction in government expenses due to duplication of effort may be considerable. But in spite of every thing that can be done within the government itself, substantial relief from the difficult conditions now confronting the country depends largely on reducing the cost of mill itary establishments. The obligations of the past war cannot be evaded the national income will suffer until thee obligations have been paid.
 mere is feeling here that at best, industrial depression will continue for some little time and business will be subnormal perhaps for year or more. That Is not hardship for