New Ulm review., 1921-12-28

Substantially all the expenditures
entering into this total, and a large
share of the expenditures on various
rectly traceable to the war, to past
wars or to preparedness for future
wars. These figures serve to indicate
the direction which sincere efforts to
reduce the cost of the government
must take.
Then found Mr.. Gilbert, the under
secretary of the treasury, saying:
There has been much idle talk to the
effect that the excessive cost of govern
ment is due to inefdciency and extrava-
gance in the executive departments
Without doubt there has been waste and
inefficiency in the various government de-
partments and establishments. and much
can be accomplished, and has already
been accomplished by the Introduction
of efficient and economic methods of adj
ministration and the elimination Of du-
plication and unnecessary work. 1t might
we'll be possible to save as much as
$50,G0O,000 or 500, 600 by careful and sci
entitic reorganization of the governments
business.
The figures show that over 80 per
of the government are related to war.
Out of total expenditures during 1920 5.of
about S6, 400, 100000, about 5A billions rep
resented expenditures directly traceable
to the war, to past wars, or to prepared
ness for future wars. Of; this, about
$500, 100000 went for the army and navy,
over S5O0,0OO,0O0 for the shipping board,
over $1,GO0,OO0,OO0 for the railroads, another
$40 900 for interest on the public debt,
a for hos of N1,1i
tions of foreign governments on account
of their war expenditures, and the remain
der for pensions, war risk allotments and
miscellaneous items related to war. An
analysis of the expenditures of the first
six months of the fiscal year 1921 gives
similar results. The figures also show
that the total cost of running what may
be termed the civil establishment proper,
that is to say, the various government
departments, boards and commissions and
the legislative establishment, have not
much exceeded $3.50, 10000 even in the alb
normal war years.
| sought details. If more than 90
per cent of the entire disbursements
of 1920 went for past and prospective
wars, how much had we been spend
ing to keep the world safe for democ-
racy? We are all familiar with the
argument that the best way to.prevent
war is to be prepared for war. 1
thought l might find out whether that
was true. I went back Into the ssrecl
ords and found that year by. year,
from 1884 to 1919 Inclusive, the treas
ury department had kept an account
of the actual disburseme ts-not, ap-
preparations, mind you, but actual
money expended-of the War depart
ment, the Navy department and for
pensions. When got all the figures
before me I couldn't add them up.
In the bureau of internal revenue
they loaned me a machine and an
operator, and SO know and can tell
you that from 1884 to and through
1919 the War Department actually dis
bursed S23,OO2, 39O,OO8.65. In the same
period the Navy Department spent
$6,907 1863, 9,032.84; and pensioners of
past wars got S5,634, ,O79,694.23.
That is a laundering total Of $29,-
9O9, ,759, ,O41.49 for the army and navy
alone, leaving out Of account the
$5,634, ,079, ,694.23 for pensions.
WILL lCC yOu +uCSluC WUSLuCI ally
part of the twenty-nine billion dollars
spent for preparedness and for war
prevented our going to war or found
us prepared when we went to war.
The three items II have enumerated
are only ribs of the skeleton Of the
cost of war prepare ton and activity.
i have not been able to excavate any
other detail figures. But, it is known
that the war Of 1912 cost about $780,
7O3,SsO.
The cost of the Mexican war is esti-
mated to have been $63, ,6O5,621.
The total cost of the Civil war, TAX
ing the period from June 80, 1861, to
June 80, 1866, may be figured closely
at $3,500,O00,0O0.
The treasury in the winter Of 1920:
81 estimated in a report sent to con
gress through the secretary that the
cost of the World war to us to that
date had been $24,100,0O0,O exclu-
sive of our loans to the allies and
other foreign nations.
So you see the cost Of wars is go
ing up, no matter how much money
we spend by way Of preparation.