The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-08-05
By HARRY l.. ROGERS International News Service Staff
 COfreSDOndent

Washington, Aug 5-Half billion dollars yearly can be saved to the United States almost irnm ediately if the disarmament conference to be held in Washington this fall approve the plan of the Harding administra- tion for substantial reduction in arm aments, according to military and na- val experts here.
 Enthusuasts, who may be correct, place the saving which reasonably may be expected to result from the proposed curtailment of the naval and military establishments as high as one billion dollars annually. Accepting the lower figure, the sum saved to the taxpayers of the United States for a period of 150 years, compound ed every five years at five per cent, would considerably exceed twelve hundred billions, or more than four times the total estimated wealth of the United States today.
 In the year 1920 five great nations Great Britain, the United States. France, Italy and Japan-spent for military and naval purposes S16,442,- 251 ,101- This sum Is a little over $2,- 00O,OO0,000 more than all those na- purposes in the IA years extending from 1900 to 1914. It has been esti- mated that In order to pay for the tremendous armaments now in con- temptation a tax equivalent to S10 for every man. woman and child In the world would have to be levied.
 War the Greatest Drain
 Of the billions of dollars raised of taxation more than 90 per cent goes either to prepare for future wars or to, pay the expenses of wars that have already been fought. To be more specific, statistics show that out Of every dollar raised by taxation 92 cents Is spent for things resulting from or appertaining to war.
 The cost of the World War alone hot h in 1TXTae 1 T11 1r beyond realization. Thirty millions of people perished by weapon, by gas, disease or hunger, to say nothing of ether millions who were blinded or that if an earthquake should swallow up the whole United States it could destroy no more wealth than was con- sumed in that world conf1agration.
 Although the United States entered the war somewhat later than the other nations its expenses were great CT during the comparatively short pe- riod of its participation than in all the preceding 12S years of its history. In December, 1918, the month follow ing the signing of the armistice, our expenditures were greater than for all that period of 72 years before the Civil War. During the single month | of December we expended each day | more money than in the first 1 1 years | of our nationhood.
 l The following figures cast interest l ing IlSIlI upon the manner in which | expenditures for armament have in | creased in the United States: In 1850
 the per capita expenditure was s1.77; in 1860, S2.01; in 1870, s7.61; in 1880 | SIPS; in 1890, SAYS; in 1900, $6.39; | in 1910, S7.30, and in 1919. SHAFT. l Education Figures Least
 | In the fiscal year ending June 30
 1920, the appropriations for the na- l tional government aggregated s5,- l 1S6,57 900. Of this sum there was eSOeOded for the War and Navy De-
 partments s1.424 ,13s.667, or 25 pel | cent. of the entire amount; s3,S55, l 000,000, or 67 per cent. went for pre- | vtous wars, in the way of pensions
 etc. For primary functions of gov ernment S1s1, 100000 was expended, ol | about 3.2 per cent of the whole. Fo
 public works of every description tn | government paid out S16S,000, ,000 For research and educational devel. | opment this nation laNished the sun | of S57.093, ,660, or 1.001 per cent. o | the whole sum expended.
 Tn other words, for the various de