Omaha daily bee., 1921-01-16
H50,000,0O0 Total
BY GRAFTON S. WILCOX.

Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire
Washington, Jan. l5.--With dis
armament of nations all absorbing
subject Of thought and discussion in
congress, DR.. E. B. Rosa, CHIEF
physicist of the National Bureau OF
Standards, has submitted interesting
figures showing that nearly two
thirds Of the cost of running the
United States government i'll nor
NAL peace-tiine year is caused by
war preparation or its subsequent
effects The cost OF governmental
activities having to do with war or
preparation for war. Dr. Rosa says,
amounts to over $450000,000 in a
normal year
In this average expenditure he
does not include the cost of the re-
cent war. Figures that he has COM
piled show that during 1917, 1918
and 1919 over S22,000,000,000, or 50
times the average peace-time mill
tary expenditure, were necessary to
pay for the war. This immense sum
does not include loans to Europe Or
the "hangovers" of the war, for
which the country will be paying
tor years to come.
Little Spent in Research.
In contrast to the large yearly
military expenditure is the AZ Der
cent that is spent for the research,
educational and development work
conducted by the Departments of
Agriculture, Commerce and the In
terror and bureaus of other depart
ments. That this relatively paltry
yearly expenditure of $27,833,313
for research and development re-
suits in greatly increased wealth OF
the country, out of proportion to the
cost. is the contention of DR.. Rosa.
This large dividend helps make
psslble the payment of the costs OF
war.
Were it not for war expenditures
the smokers of the country would
more than pay all the expenses of
the government, DR.. Rosa says. In
the last 10 years civil government,
including public works, legislative,
executive and judicial activities, as
well as research, educational ana de-
velopment, cost on an average of
$211 ,342,798 per year, while the in
ternal revenue taxes on cigars and
tobacco brought into the treasury
$z94,Sl3,073 during the fiscal year OF
1920 Either. the luxury tax on au-
tomobiles, candy, furs, jewelry, etc,
or taxes on transportation and other
utilities during 1920 also would have
paid for all the average yearly civil
activities, DIR. Rosa's figures show.
Per Capita Cost Large.
If every man, woman and child
had been forced to pay out of his
pocket, $40 each normal peace time
year, or had been forced to hand
over for the last war, $130.5z, during
1917, 1918, 1919 and 1920, they would
realize more forcib1y the cost of war.
This amount is the per capita cost of
the military side of our government.
The cost of civil government is
small in comparison, DR.. Rosa's
figures show. For the 10 years,
1o10-19, the average yearly cost was
only about $2.15 per person, OF this
only 28 cents was expended for re-
search, education and development,
70 cents for public works. and the
rest for primary government func-
tions.
In addition to the recent S22,000,-
100000 war, DR.. Rosa's figures show
that during the war the United States
loaned $9,000,000,000 to the allies and
since then we have handed over
$350,OO0,000. All of this money is
not now paying even interest, and
though it is to be hoped tina. the gov
ernment will get most Of it bacs,
sooner or later, it might well be
counted as an expenditure SO far
as the present is concerned.