The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-10-16
FLETCHER FAVORS
HALT in ARMAMENT
| cheoks III Army and NAVY Prosra''
Throuahout World win Reaaee
Taxation.
LAY GEORGE u. MANNlNel

WASHINGTON, oct. 15-senator
duncan d. Fletcher favors the l'fnita-
lion Of armaments and hopes for the
fullest measure Of success from the
international conference on disarma
ments soon to meet In washington, ne
stated today
Government expenses have grown
by leaps and bounds because OF wars
| and preparations for war. ne salu'
luhtil they are proving tremendous
burden upon the taxpayers, anu the
only way to call q halt TO tire ever
increasing taxation is to check army
and navy programs all over the WoFlu
az have always opposed the encouf- :
laeement of the militaristic spirit anu
tendency in government, asserlea
Senator Fletcher. and have aiWays
favored staps looking towards a iirni-
fation Of ornaments, both on lana anu
on sea. s.
.sTbe provision in the naval bill OF
1916 calling for an inter national con
ference to deal witls the subject Of re-
dnct;on of ornaments / cordially sup
ported. 49,
i.Now. after the experience Of 1914
10 1919. at the close of a world var
Aha direct and indirect cost of which
IS piaced at the bewi1dering figure or
Sas7 900 600 .0O0--a sum nearly equal to
| +ba pre-war wealth Of England.
Franee. Germany and Russia-it
yyas,ld seem imperative that the civil
!: tad nations get together ana agree
nuon and live Up to q plan that would
| save their people from all unnecessary
burdens
"The United states can bear such
taxes better than any other nation
hacanse we produce a surplus OF the
n,.i,11A necessities Of life, which other
nations must have, or go hungry ana
lpneinlhnd We haze become a great
I-oraditor nation with enormous goid
rosarvas. our resources are unlimited
ana ihexhaustible, but even this coun-
| trv Il fairly grooming Under existing
- b,,r5ans and shuddering to think
- MOVE other less fortunate coun-
trias worse stricken and deeper N
5abf mist confront a future $ black
- night. If they spend q material part
| 81 thale substance on military and
naval establishne which produce
notbinp ana consume without limit.
ssfn 1915 the total amount Of eur In
tarest bearing public debt was $50 y
gbsso. In 1919 it went to over s25i-
900 00oou
nrhe average expenditures OF the
raapral Government for Al purposes,
for the years 1910 to 1916. ian about
81 900 100000 per year. We had ne :
| tfanai income Of about $see 100000
lit cost us about ) per cent to be gov
erned.
aTbe amount OF annual interest
Eobsrga alone now is s1.16,592,219. In
other words. we must pay as interest
81 oi,r aeyt this year as much as the
entire expense Of the government vas
IN 1916.
! an,sarnhaenf Ter the army and navy
ana nans,ous for past warsl ia 1916
rara es her cent, and for civil pur-
nasaa IL par cent Of the Whole. II
ETas4 fhav we're So per cent and 13 pei
oArt r4speetively. and II i estimated
mai Tor 1929. theF viii he 81 Per cent
land is per cent. respectively. for thC
same.
acur per capital share Of annual ex-
lnanaitures has gone from sa25 in 1885
sfo Sf0.r2 il 1910. and $4T.65. approx
mately. IN 1871
| at least IS per cent Of all appro
priations are now going fer war PR
poses. past and futures
There is no chance e reduce take
EXCEPT iii connection with military an
. naval establishments and affairs be
lcause unly q small. conaparati vels
lportEan of representations Il aaiaa to
wards the civil establishment 70 main
tain the legislative. judicial and exec