Evening journal., 1921-09-12

| in behalf of the United States would
have leaped into the winning of the
war regardless of cost, and it Is not
pleasant to see anybody now trying
to make political capital out of such
prodigal war spendings.
But the World is no happier in
its comparisons of Wilson expendi-
lures before the war and Harding
expenditures after the war than the
President was in some of his illus
trations OF squander under his pred
ecessor.
II is not a fact that the Govern
ment expects to spend $4,000. 900. 900
in the next year. Secretary Melons
revised estimates are h at the
amount will be nearer $4,000, 900. 900
thanks TO administrative and leg
islative chopping down with a Wig
orous broadaxe.
1t is not a fact that the only finan-
cial obligation inherited from the
Wilson Administration is the inter
est on the war debt. II is not a fact
that the measure OF this inheritance
is a mere $1,000, 100000. Directly
in the war debt service. for example,
lAi'A = - a iiidntldl OllAE iAAbi CO ldCA-
ing and as sacred-the rehabilitation,
care and support Of our manned and
helpless soldiers. These items, which
should be considered inseperably as
the war debt, make the war service
charge. all taken together, more than
billion and a quarter dollars a year.
II is not a fact that this great war
debt measures the 'welter of waste
and prodigal spending still taxing
the people. With all the billions sunk
in the ships we built, the Govern
ment is still making financial ad-
justments of the payments due on
them, still settling suits brought over
them. And the Shipping Board is op-
Grating and maintaining those ships
at a current loss OF hundreds of mil
lions of dollars a year.
The Government is still paying up
on the rentals and damages due the
railroads under the Wilson Admins
tration contracts covering Govern
ment operation Of the roads.
1t is not a fact that even these vast
amounts close the score of inherited
financial obligations" The great
naval establishment which was built
up for the war cannot be wiped cut
at a stroke. Tho present Government
has cut the navy appropriations and
the army appropriations by hundreds
Of millions OF dollars, but the battle
ships and other vessels that were
constructed and improved for the
war cannot all be torpedoed. the Of
ficers and men cannot all be dis
missed from the service. The forti-
! hcations and guns and soldiers of the
land forces cannot be obliterated.
They must be preserved in part and
they must be maintained at cost
that is unescapably hundreds Of mil
lions of dollars more than when we
had relatively no army and no navy.
II is not a fact. then, that there
is "$2.5OO, 600, 900 measuring the diff
ference between the peace expendi-
lures of the Government in 1915 and
the peace expenditures for 1922"
with about $4,000, ,0O0,0 900 to be
spent. at least $3.50. 100000 repre-
senting the debt service, as properly
considered and figured. perhaps
/ $3.50. .OOO, 900 for a Shipping Board
excess cost and other hang over
dead horse, readjustment and settle
ment payments of not less than a
similar $3.50, 900. 900. that peace diff
/ ference between 1916 and 1922 be-
comes nearer $1,000. 100000 thar
Ts2,50O.0 600, 900. And this difference
the economy leaders in Congress
budget savers under Director Dawes
and the business sense of President
Harding are as surely getting down
as the war welter got It up.