The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-01-21
VIII.
WHAT PERSHING THINKS

The appropriations Of the five great
powers for military ana naval pur-
poses 10 ne year l920 alone reached
a total Of $1G4!2,25l,lol, sum only
about S2OOO0O00OO more than the
rotal for lhe whole fourteen years be-
fore The war;
Ii alI comes down TO this so far as
you are concerned
Every morning when you 20 TO
work, or when you stay at home sick
ou a working day or even Il you
are out Of Job, It has been arranged
for you 10 pay your fair share out
OF what You earn or should earn, Of
over 100000 Il day for the support
of the army and navy That is the
estimate for the fiscal year 1922
over 100000 day. ! have General
Pershing's word for it. You will have
10 pay it. Five million dollars every
working day IS a pile Of money 70
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 Pcrshing does. This
is what he thinks:
AS we consider the causes Of the
World war and comprehend its hor-
rors, every thinking man and woman
must feel that measures should be
taken 10 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 100000 for every
working day 10 the year. It IS a
gloomy prospect that the nations plan
expenditures greater than ever before
IN peacetmes.
1T would appear that recent ok
periences should be enough TO con.
vince everybody OF the danger OF
renewal OF this competition. But one
nation cannot reduce ornaments IN.
less all do. It is time that enlightened
people everywhere should undertake
to reach some rational agreement
which would not only relieve the
world Of It's heavy financial burden
but which IN itself would go far 10
ward the prevention Of war We are
not warlike people We do not
wish 10 expand al the expense of any
other nation, aIl we have no designs
on anybody. II ou.ar people feel The
same toward US and toward eacl
other it seems unreasonable that they
should be unwilling % consent In
principle To some Limitation OF arma.
Wents 10 e. carried ont when other
nations succeed in establishing stable
governments and are willing to recoc-
rize the wisdom of such % course
Otherwise may We not seriously ask
whether civilization j., a
failure and whether we are 10 regard
war as au unavoidable scourgc that
mankind must suffer-
There are other consideration,
which should prompt US to make every
Effort 90 bring about curtaiiment OF
these expenditures throughout the
world particularly ia the war.worn
'ountries OF Europe The people OF
Europe have always been our hes,
'ns,omer, and are largely dependent
ipon us for certain necessities. We
must look 10 them 20 buy The products
li our farms mines and factories.
The prosperity of our people depends
D. no small measure upon the upiu.
errupled flow of commodities abroad.
Sc have stocks Of cotton wheat and
lther products greatly IN excess OF
'uf own requirements, which the
'eoplc Of Europe sorely need but
which we cannot sell and they can
.ot buy because their fiscal systems
'avo broken down their currencies
nave deprecated, and their purchasing
lower is exhausted
"The first step to take in the re-.
lobllitation OF the finances of all these
ountries is to reduce the cost OF
government SO that expenses will not
Nceed the incomes. Expenditures
must be lowered everywhere If
nancial stability Is to be restored ANA
the nations are ever to pay their
ebts. Until stability is restored none
an have prosperity that comes from :
rec and uninterrupted flow Of products
rom one country to another. But this
annot be done IL huge sums continue
o be appropriated for the maintc.
ance Of large armies and large nayies. II
"rhe safety Of humanity IN the b.
lture indeed the peace, the happiness k
nd the prosperity of the race-all tr
ppeal alike for an early consideration b,
the question of limited ornaments" b,
Broadly speaking, it is the man who
roftS and not the simple average 81
IAN who cndurcS, who is behind al
MS movement for ever increasing ~ T.,
rmament II You doubt this. lust 20 IN
ut in your own neighborhood and ask m
ZEN who We're actually In the war ar
ho saw service in the line whether pi
icy want any more of t. CT
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