Great Falls tribune., 1922-03-24

brotherhood between American and
Russian labor"
THE COST OF WAR
I(HAIRMAN FORDNEY remarks
- in a casual way in reporting the
completion of his soldiers bonus
bill, that the committee estimates
the final cost Of his, bill to the
American taxpayer at $4,oeS,7l9,-
$50. He also thinks that about forty
minutes is ample time for congress
to discuss the bill under suspension
Of the rules, with no amendments
allowed to be offered. Four billion
| dollars is more than the entire debt
Of the United States at the close Of
the civil war, but it is only regard
ed as IAN extra in the cost of this
last war, as a diner regards the tip
after receiving his bill for dinner.
We are getting to think billion is
a small matter these days when we
come to government expenditures
Of money. When the last gun was
fired in France and the armistice
signed, the United States had spent
about thirty billions of dollars for
war purposes. thirds Of this
sum was represented by debt and
the other third had been raised by
taxes. Since then, we have gone
along spending money with just
about as fast as we did when the
war was on. The other day the
government sent out, through the
Veterans Welfare organization, a
sort Of summary of what the gov
ernment was doing for the injured
and disabled veterans of the late
war. This was done in answer to
many complaints from politicians
and soldiers organizations to the
effect that the government had fall
len down on its duty toward wound
ed and ailing veterans, and should
spend more money on the task.
Here is the official list Of what
the United states Veteran bureau
is now doing for those soldiers who
were injured in the war:
l. Paying out over $l,oo0,ooo in
cash every day, including Sunday,
directly into the hands Of the ex-
service man or his dependents;
2. Providing, without cost, hos
pital care and treatment to 10000
veterans. This care includues board
and lodging and represents an ex-
penditure by the government of
$60, 900, 900 per annun;
3. Giving vocational training,
without cost, to over 100000 dis
abled ex-service men at an expend-
iture for tuition and supervision of
30,000,0o0 per annun;
4. Mailing out $4,000 checks
every month, representing $42,o0o,-
900;
S. Conducting an insurance busi-
ness for over 100000 ex-service
men without any cost Of admins
tration to them. Insurance in force:
$500, 100000;
s. Conducting over $4,000 med
ical examinations every month;
7. Giving outside treatment in
cases where disqualification is not
required to 10000 ex-service men
every month;
8. Receiving 1000 new claims
every day, in addition to the 1,2oo,-
600 already on file; employing 1000
ex-service men and women in carry
ing out the work;
9. Requiring for 1922 expendit-
ure in behalf of the disabled ex-
service man, $50, 1000, more than
the entire expenditure of the whole
United States in 1897;
10. The United States Of Amer
ica is already doing more for its
disabled veterans than any country
in the world, despite the fact that
their losses were far heavier than
ours.
Of course, no one begrudges this
expenditure, if it is efficiently
spent. Whatever views they may
hold as to the wisdom or equity Of
the bonus for soldiers who were
not injured in the war, or who
never left the United States, or got
to the front, there is no difference
at all in the feeling that all the
wounded and injured veterans of
the war should receive generous aid
from a grateful republic. This form