The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-12-30
By EDWARD G. LOWRY
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union

spend for Insurance against attack.
And of course that is not all the |
cost. What is the big idea? What do
you think about it2 You will have to |
pay the bill. Do you think about it |
at all? General Pershing does. This
is what he thinks:
"As we consider the causes of the |
World war and comprehend Its hor-
rors, every thinking man and woman |
must feel that measures should be |
taken to prevent another such cal. |
amity. One step in that direction
would be to reduce expenditures for
armament. Our own estimates for
naval and military purposes contem-
plate an appropriation for the fiscal
year 1922 of over $5,000,000 for every
working day in the year. 1t Is
gloomy prospect that the nations plan
in peacetimes.
SIT would appear that recent ex.
periences should be enough to con.
vince everybody of the danger of
renewal of this competition. But one
nation cannot reduce ornaments un-
less all do. 1t is time that enlightened
people everywhere should undertake
to reach some rational agreement
which would not only relieve the
world of Its heavy financial burden
but which In itself would go far to-
ward the prevention of war. We are
I'll Jn 40
wish to expand at the expense of any
other nation, and we have no designs
| on anybody. If other people feel the
same toward us and toward each
other it seems unreasonable that they
should be unwilling to consent In
principle to some limitation Of arma
ments, to be carried out when Other
nations succeed In establishing stablt
| governments and are willing to recog
nize the wisdom of such a course,
| Otherwise, may we not seriously ask
ourselves whether civilization is
failure, and whether we are to regard
war as an unavoidable scourge that
mankind must suffer?
"There are other considerations
which should prompt US to make every
effort to bring about a curtailment of
these expenditures throughout the
world, particularly in the war-worn
countries of Europe. The people of
Europe have always been our best
customers and are largely dependent
upon US for certain necessities. We
must look to them to buy the products
of our farms, mines and factories.
The prosperity Of our people depends
in no small measure upon the unin-
terrupted flow of commodities abroad.
We have stocks of cotton, wheat and
other products greatly in excess of
our own requirements, which the
people of Europe sorely need but
which we cannot sell and they can
not buy because their fiscal systems
have broken down, their currencies
have deprecated, and their purchasing
power is exhausted.
'sThe first step to take in the re-
Mobilization of the finances of all these
countries is to reduce the cost of
government so that expenses will not
exceed Cne lHCOHeSt expenditure CO
must be lowered everywhere If
financial stability is to be restored and
if the nations are ever to pay their
debts. Until stability is restored none
can have prosperity that comes from a
free and uninterrupted flow of products
from one country to another. But this
cannot be done If huge sums continue
to be appropriated for the mainte-
nance of large armies and large navies,
mrhe safety of humanity in the
future. indeed the peace, the happiness
and the prosperity of the racial
appeal alike for an early consideration
of the question of limited ornaments.
; Broadly speaking, it is the man who
nrofits, and not the simple average
man who endures, who is behind all
th's movement for ever increasing
armament. If you doubt this, just &c
;, ont In your own neighborhood and ash
men who were actually in the war
5 who saw service in the line, whether
!, they want any more of it.
Steel Barrels.