Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1922-01-25
Copyright. Wsstsra Nswspapsr Unioo

Copyright Western Nswspapsr Uaioo
VIII.
WHAT PERSHINC THINKS
The appropriations of the 1--WE great
powers for military and naval pur-
poses in the year 1920 alone reached
total Of $16,442,25l, 101, a sum only
about $2,000,OO0,OOO more than the
total for the whole fourteen years be-
fore the war.
1t all comes down to this so far as
you are concerned:
Every morning when you 60 to
work, Or when you stay at home sick
'-on working day, or even if you
are out of Job, it has been arranged
for you to pay your fair share out
OF what you earn OF should earn, Of
over $5,0OO,0O0 a day for the support
of the army and navy. That is the
estimate for the fiscal year 1922
over $5,OO0,00O 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 it? You will have to
pay the bill. Do you think about it
at all? General Pershing does. This
is what he thinks: n
LAS we consider the causes Of the
World war and comprehend It's 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,O0O0OO for every
working day in the year. It is a
gloomy prospect that the nations plan
expenditures greater than ever before
in peacetimes. -a-5 .
1T 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 its heavy financial burden
but which in itself would 60 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? M 9ss
"There are other considerations
which should prompt us to make every
effort to bring about curtaiIment 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.
1.-THE first step to take in the re-
habilitation 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 q
free and uninterrupted flow Of products
from one country to another. But this
cannot be done II 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
appear alike for an early conside ton
Of the question Of limited ornaments"
Broadly speaking, II Is the man who
profits, and not the simple average
man who endures. who y behind all
this movement for ever Increasing
armament. Il you doubt THIS, just go