The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-01-12
WHAT PERSHING THINKS
Copyright. Western Nswspaper Uni

powers for military and naval pur-
poses in the year 1920 alone reached
a total of $16,442,25 ,101, a sum only
about $2,O0O,00O,O00 more than the
total for the whole fourteen years be-
fore the war.
It all comes down to this so far as
you are concerned:
Every morning when you go to
work, or when you stay at home sick
on a. working day, or even if you
are out of a job, 1t has been arranged
for you to pay your fair share out
of what you earn or should earn, of
over $5,O0O,OO0 day for the support
of the army and navy. That is the
estimate for the fiscal year 1922
over $5,OOO,OO0 a day. I have General
Pershing's word for it. You will have
to pay it. Five million dollars every
working day is a pile of money to
spend for insurance against attack.
And Of course that is not all the
cost. What is the big idea? What do
you think about 1t? You will have to
pay the bill. Do you think about 1t
at all7 General Pershing does. This
is what he thinks:
"As we consider the causes of the
World war and comprehend its hor-
rors, every thinking man and woman
must feel that measures should be
taken to prevent another such CAL
amity. One step in that direction
would be to reduce expenditures for
armament. Our own estimates for
naval and military purposes contem-
plate an appropriation for the fiscal
year 1922 Of over $5,0OO,0OO for every
working day in the year. 1t Is a
gloomy prospect that the nations plan
expenditures greater than ever before
in peacetimes.
ut would appear that recent ex-
periences should be enough to con-
vince everybody Of the danger Of
renewal Of this competition. But one
nation cannot reduce ornaments un-
less all do. 1t is time that enlightened
people everywhere should undertake
to reach some rational agreement
which would not only relieve the
world of It's heavy financial burden
but which in itself would go far to-
ward the prevention Of war. We are
not warlike people. We do not
wish to expand at the expense Of any
other nation, and we have no designs
on anybody. If other people feel the
same toward us and toward each
other it seems unreasonable that they
should be unwilling to consent in
principle to some limitation Of arma-
ments, to be carried out when other
nations succeed in establishing stable
governments and are willing to recog-
nize the wisdom Of such course.
Otherwise, may we not seriously ask
ourselves whether civilization is
failure, and whether we are to regard
war as an unavoidable scourge that
mankind must suffer?
"There are other considerations
which should prompt us to make every
effort to bring about curtailment Of
these expenditures throughout the
world, particularly In the war-worn
countries Of Europe. The people Of
Europe have always been our best
customers and are largely dependent
upon us for certain necessities. We
must look to them to buy the products
of our farms, mines and factories
The prosperity Of our people depends
in no small measure upon the unin-
terrupted flow of commodities abroad.
We have stocks Of cotton, wheat and
other products greatly in excess of
our own requirements, which the
people of Europe sorely need but
which we cannot sell and they can
not buy because their fiscal systems
have broken down, their currencies
have deprecated, and their purchasing
power is exhausted.
"The first step to take in the re-
Mobilization of the finances Of all these
countries is to reduce the cost of
government so that expenses will not
exceed the incomes. Expenditures
must be lowered everywhere If
financial stability is to be restored and
if the nations are ever to pay their
debts. Until stability is restored none
can have prosperity that comes from
free and uninterrupted flow of products
from one country to another. But this
cannot be done If huge sums continue
to be appropriated for the mainte.
nance Of large armies and large navies.
"The safety of humanity in the
future, indeed the peace, the happiness
and the prosperity Of the racial
appeal alike for an early consideration
Of the question of limited ornaments"
Broadly speaking, it is the man who
profits, and not the simple average
man who endures, who is behind all
this movement for ever increasing
armament. If you doubt this, just 60
out In your own neighborlood and ask
men who were actually in the war,
who saw service in the line, whether
they want any more Of 1t.
Scientific Query.