The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-04-07
VII
WARS HORRIBLE WASTE

Mr.. X Z. Ler1ingweIl was the as
sistani secretary Of the treasury In
charge Of finances during the war
While he was in The treasury he be-
came deeply impressed with the mag
nitude Of government Expenditures ana
the looseness. ineficiency and waste
that are 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
well | quote here a recent utteranee
OF his on war expenditures
"Of the $4,000. 900 90. exclusive Of
Interest on the public debt. spent in
the fiscal year 1921. s1.101 ,6l5.0l3.32
was spent by the War department
$3.50. 1913 ,s.5.5s by the Navy depart
ment. $500 900 on the railroads.
$3.50. 100000 by the bureau Of war risk
insurance, and s351 ,s14 .se7.01 by the
Interior department. mostly. | take II.
for Civil war and Spanish war pen
sions-a total OF s3.0s0. 10000 under
these heads.
in the fiscal year 1920 the War de-
partment spent sl.6l00c0.OO0. and the
Navy department sT4O.OO0.O0O. total
Of .3J0OOO.OOO. Secretary Mellon
estimates that In the fiscal year. 1921
the War department win spend 81 OBS.
100000 and the Navy department
s1O0.O0U.OOO. q total Of s1,125.O0o. 600 !;
and that In the fiscal year. 1922. the
War department win spend s570.OO0.-
600, and the Navy department S545.-
100000. Q total OF S1,115.OO00o0. This
makes q tbree-years' total of 50, $780,
100000.
Germany went to war 10 realize on
her investment In arms and armies.
The burden Of universal military serv-
Ice. expenditures on the army and
navy. subsidies and doIes, became in
tOlerable. She thought she would re-
peat the exploit of 1870 and make war
so 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
war q futile dream. The unframed
manhood and unmortsaged resources
of the Western World. OF the British
empire overseas, and finally Of Amer
ica, determined the issue. Germany
suffered economic collapse, though her
armies, beaten but not routed. were
still on enemy sell. So Germany s
military preparedness was her cause
for making war AL was the cause Of
her defeat. In the issue. II was eco
nomic preparedness that mattered
most.
To-day, men women and little chill
dren are starving TO death in Europe be
cause OF the wars horrible waste and
because of the still more horrible waste
Of after the war. Two years and .
half after al nistice nearly two years
after Deace was concluded between
Germany and the allies. millions OF
men are under arms. eating and wear
ing the produce OF the fields and OF
the labor OF civilian population
which must bear the load OF taxes and
imitation necessary to maintain those
armies In economic idleness. The PEG
pies IT continental Europe are stag
gering under the load OF ornaments.
far to-, great before the war and in
tolerable now. Their rulers hold them
selves In power by subsidies and doles,
by playing, now on their fears, and
again on their avarice, still again on
nationalistic ambitions or ancient ra-
ciaI hatreds. The allies have under
taken to insure Germany's economic
recovery by insisting upon her disarm,
ament and the payment OF reparations
which means the development Of a
huge export balance; but for them
selves they reserve the doubtful privi-
lexe Of remaining armed to the teeth. -.
I'VE have demonstrated our mill
tsry power. We have shown what
NAV be done In a few short months
TO make an army and transport II TO
wage foreign war. We have no need
to be aggressOrs abroad, we are lnvul-
nerable at home. Let US accept the
responsibilities Of the position OF lead
ership which is ours. show the world
how to beat swords into piOw-shares.
relieve the peoples OF the world OF ap-
prehension and lead them back into
the ways OF peace and plenty II We
prepare for war we shall have 1t. II
We lead the world in preparation for
peace we may have that"