The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-12-30
WARS HORRIBLE WASTE

WARS HORRIBLE WASTE
Mr.. r. Q. Leffingwell was the as
sistant secretary of the treasury in
. charge of finances during the war.
While he was in the treasury he be-
came deeply impressed with the mag
nitude of government Expenditures and
the iooseness, fnefficiency and waste
that are part of government meth
cd. All the secretaries of the treas
ury since the outbreak of the war
have shared this feeling of apprehen-
sion and concern with Mr. Letting
well. quote here. recent utterance
of his on war expenditures:
"Of the $4,000 100000, exclusive of
interest on the public debt, spent in
the fiscal year 1921, $1,1O1 615 013.32
was spent by the War department,
$650,373,835.58 by the Navy depart
ment, $80oO00,eO0 on the railroads,
$3.50, 100000 by the bureau of war risk
insurance, and 1857, S14 ,897o1 by the
Interior department, mostly, take it,
for Civil war and Spanish war pen
sions-a total of $3,0SO,000,O00 under
these heads.
'tIn the fiscal year 1920 the War de-
partment spent 81, $40, 100000, and the
Navy department $740,O00,000, total
of 100000. Secretary Mellon
estimates that in the fiscal year, 1921,
the War department will spend $1O25,-
100000. and the Navy department
500, 100000, total of $1,725, 100000;
and that in the fiscal year, 1922, the
War department will spend $570,000,-
Co., and the Navy department $685.
100000, a total of $1,115,000,000. This
makes a three-years' total of $780,
100000.
Germany went to war to realize on
her investment in arms and armies.
The burden of universal military sery-
ice, expenditures on the army and
navy, subsidies and doles, became in
tolerable. She thought she would re-
peat the exploit of 1870 and make war
so profitable in territory and indem-
mites as to recoup herself for the
outlay of 40 years preparation. The
splendid resistance of the Belgians and
the French and of the little British
expedirionary force made the short
war a futile dream The unframed
manhood and unmortgaged resources
of the Western World, of the British
empire overseas, and finally of Amer
lea, determined the issue. Germany
suffered economic collapse, though her
armies, beaten but not routed, were
still on enemy soil. So Germany's
military preparedness was her cause
for making war and was the cause of
her defeat. In the issue, it was eco
nomic preparedness that mattered
most.
To-day, men, women and little chill
dren are starving to death in Europe be-
cause of the wars horrible waste and
because of the still more horrible waste
of after the war. Two years and q
half after armistice, nearly two years
after peace was concluded between
Germany and the allies, millions OF
men are under arms, eating and wear
ing the produce of the fields and OF
the labor of civilian population
which must bear the load of taxes and
imitation necessary to maintain those
armies In economic idleness. The PEG
pies Of continental Europe are stag
gering under the load of ornaments
far too great before the war and In
tolerable now. Their rulers hold them
selves In power by subsidies and doies
by playing, now on their fears, ant
again on their avarice, still again OF
nationalistic ambitions or ancient ra
cial hatreds. The allies have under
taken to insure Germany's economic
recovery by insisting upon her disarm
ament and the payment of repatriation
which means the development OF
huge export balance; but for them
selves they reserve the doubtful priv
lege OF remaining armed to the teeth. :.
1--WE have demonstrated our mill
tary power. We have shown VIVA
may be done In few short month
20 make an army and transport 1t L
wage foreign war. We have no nee
to be aggressers abroad, we are invul
nerable at home Let us accept tn
responsibilities Of the position OF leao
ership which is ours, show the worl
how to beat swords into plow-share'
relieve the peoples of the world OF AZ
prehension and lead them back int
the ways Of peace and plenty. Ii W
prepare for war we shall have IL.
we lead the world in preparation 10
peace we may have that"