The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1922-01-12
WARS HORRIBLE WASTE

WARS HORRIBLE WASTE
| Mr.. Il. C. Letfingwell was the as
sistant secretary of the treasury ii
charge of finances during the war
While he was in the treasury he be
came deeply impressed with the mag
nitude of government Expenditures anC
the lo0senesS, inefticiency and waste
that are a 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
we'll. | quote here a recent utterance
Of his on war expenditures:
"Of the $4O00,000,00Or exclusive of
interest on the public debt, spent in
the fiscal year 1921, S1,1O1,G15,O1332
was spent by the War department.
$65O,373, S35.5S by the Navy depart
ment, $S00,OOO,0OO on the railroads,
$230,0O0OO0 by the bureau of war risk
insurance, and 1851, S14,S97O1 by the
Interior department, mostly, l take it,
for Civil war and Spanish war pen
sions-'a total of $3,0SO,O0000O under
these heads.
SIN the fiscal year 1920 the War de-
partment spent $1,6100OO,00O, and the
Navy department $74O,0OO,00O, a total
of $2,350,000,O00. Secretary Mellon
estimates that in the fiscal year, 1921,
the War department will spend 81 ,025,-
100000 and the Navy department
$7OO,OO0,00O, a total of $1,725,OOO,OOO;
and that in the fiscal year, 1922, the
War department will spend $570,00O,-
600, and the Navy department $685.
100000, a total Of $1,115,000000. 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 serv-
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 |
50 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
expeditionary force made the short
var a futile dream. The unframed
manhood and unmortgaged resources
If the Western World, of the British
empire overseas, and finally Of Amer.
ca, determined the issue. Germany
suffered economic collapse, though her
|rmies, beaten but not routed, were
IT'LL on enemy soil. So Germany's
Military preparedness was her cause
or making war and was the cause Of
er defeat. In the issue, It was eco
omic preparedness that mattered
lOst.
To-day, men, women and little chill.
rem are starving to death in Europe be-
ause Of the wars horrible waste and
ecause Of the still more horrible waste
after the war. Two years and a
alt after armistice, nearly two years
fter peace was concluded between
Germany and the allies, millions of
len are under arms, eating and wear. (
lg the produce of the fields and of
re labor of a civilian population {
hich must bear the load of taxes and I
lflation necessary to maintain those I
mics in economic idleness. The peo. 1
es Of continental Europe are stag q
'rlng under the load of ornaments, c
r TOD great before the war and in. f
lerable now. Their rulers hold them. f
Ives in power by subsidies and doles c
playing, now on their fears, and t
'aln on their avarice, still again on n
'tlonalistic ambitions or ancient "a.
al hatreds. The allies have under f
ken to insure Germany's economic a
covery by insisting upon her d.sarm. a
nent and the payment of reparations O.
nich means the development of
ge export balance; but for them. p
Ives they reserve the doubtful prlvl- m
'e of remaining armed to the teeth. Il
I'VE have demonstrated our mill al
~ power. We have shown what Of
~ be done in few short months m
make an army and transport It to "
lge a foreign war. We have no need Il
be apgrpSSOrS abroad uro o,o ,,,