The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-10-26
LEST WE FORGET THE DEMO
CRATIC LEGACY


lures of the Democratic administra-
ton during the war are not a closed
Incident. They cannot be, nor will
they be, a closed incident during the
lifetime of this generation because it
has to pay off the debts which these
expenditures saddled on the back of
the American people. Wherever
taxes and economy are issues this
year, Democrats war expenditures
necessitate the tax bills of this year.
To win the war it was necessary to
purchase immense quantities of all
kinds of supplies and materials; to
build ships and camps; to provide
munitions, ordnance and other mill
tary equipment. But it was not nee
essary, in order to win the war, TO
contract for ridiculous quantities of
supplies far beyond all possible needs
of the greatest army the United
States could throw into Europe.
Scandal in Supplies
1t was not necessary, in order to
win the war, to contract for 41,OOO,-
900 pairs of shoes for 100000 men.
1t was not necessary, in order to
win the war, to buy $4,000 saddles
for only $4,000 cavalry horses.
1t was not necessary, in order to
win the war, to buy 2,85O,853 halters,
or more than seven for each four
footed animal owned by the govern
ment
1t was not necessary, in order to
win the war, to buy 1857, 900 horse
brushes, or over four for each four
footed animal owned by the govern
ment.
1t was not necessary, in order to
win the war, to purchase 2,O33, 2O4
nose bags, or more than five for each
four-footed animal owned by the gov
eminent.
1t was not necessary, in order to
win the war, to purchase 1,148,364
horse covers, or three for each four
footed animal owned by the govern
ment.
1t was not necessary, in order to
win the war, to buy 1850 complete
sets of spur straps, or SO sets apiece
Tor each Office rentitled- to use them.
1t was not necessary, in order to
win the war, to buy 149, 456,611
bread cans for 100000 men.
1t was not necessary, in order to
win the war, to purchase $21, 900, 900
worth of ambulance harness when our
ambulance service was all motorized.
Yet the billions of dollars expend-
ed in the above enumerated waste go
to make up the total war cost which
the Democratic party says was justi-
lied and which the taxpayers of this
country are now paying off and will
continue to pay off during the life
time of this generation.
LEST we forget
This waste of hundreds of millions
of dollars is included in the debt
which the Democratic party left as a
legacy to the Republican administra-
ton and to the taxpayers of this gen
Grafton.
To win the war it was necessary to
contract for all sorts of material sup
plies and labor, but it was not neces-
sary, in order to obtain such con-
tracts, or to win the war, to throw
down legal safeguards against waste,
graft and fraud, leaving the govern
ment unprotected.
wide Open" Contracts
- During all the years prior to the
war the United States government,
through legislation and executive
safeguards against scandal and graft
orders, had been erecting barriers and
IN connection with public contracts
and the administration of public
funds. At the time the United States
entered the war the federal statutes
required that all government con-
tracts must be let by open compet-
tive bidding and that all contracts
must be made in writing. The pur-
pose of this was obvious. 1t is a
fundamental practice in all private
business. Six days after the declara-
ton of war with Germany an execu-
tive order was issued by the War de-
partment dispensing with the require
ment of competitive bidding. By
common consent, apparently, the re-
quirement of written contracts was
dispensed with.
With this safeguard wiped out,
thousands of contracts during the war
period were made verbally. There
are numerous cases on record where
they were made over the telephone or
Through third parties without even so
much as written evidence of their
existence, much less their terms.
Ernrf h r-,,,nr.c hnnnr.. q IL. -