Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-08-03
&,15O,OOO,O]D CUT
|NDEBT SINCE WAR
U. S. Also Aids Europe by
Gifts or Loans of ,000,-
0O0,00O, Madden Says.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOwRER.


BY Cable 10 The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright, 1923.
PARIS, August o.-The total re-
duction in Americas public debt since
the close of the world war has been
s4.15o.QO 10000. leaving a net public
debt as of July II, 1928, of $4,000
10000 Representative Martin B.
Madden. chairman of the appropriations
committee. House of Representatives.
told the AngIo-American Press Associ-
alton. now meeting here.
Since the close of the war. he said
private contributions have been made
by American citizens to European
needs amounting TO more than four
billion dollars. Credits have been ex-
tended and supplies have been fur
nished to the extent Of more than six
billion dollars more, he asserted. and
food worth more than billion dollars
has been furnished to sections of
Europe where the people were in dis
tress. The American government, he
declared. has never hesitated TO ex-
tend helping hand when able.
U. s. Helps in Own Way.
1T is safe to say" he continued,
that whenever the American people
can be helpful in their own way in
stabilizing the world they will be
happy to cooperate. 1t is also safe
to say that what they do must be along
lines they themselves originate and
their action must be independent of
any alliance that is likely to bind
them TO action not of their own choos-
ing
The total cost of the American gov
eminent. including all war expenses,
from 1916 TO 1917, when America
entered the war, amounted to twenty
five billion dollars, he said.
I'm the first six months after Amer
ica's entry into the war. the nation
! was obligated to an expenditure of
!! twenty-four-and- half billion dol
lars. Fifty one-and half billion dol
| lars were appropriated for the conduct
of civil and military activities of the
government during the period of the
| war. All this was not expended. but
! the government at the close of the
war has obligations current and fund
| ed amounting to $32,00O,000,00O
Drastic Cut in Expenses.
1 I'm early postwar TeduJuSlillenC OD-
! legations of, the government finally de-
| veloped to be $4,000 100000. In 1919
| the year succeeding the war, expenses
| of the government amounted to So
| 600, 100000. That year the govern
| ment began to reduce expenses. 1t
| lowered the estimates submitted by
| the President by 1899, 1000, 900, and in
| the succeeding year Congress reduced
| the estimated expenses of the govern
| ment as submitted by the President
| by approximately 81, 500,000,000. In the
| succeeding year Congress reduced O..
penses as proposed by the residA0i
| bv 81 500, 100000. This made it 20
| sibIe to reduce income taxes by $Sc4I<
| O0O,0 900 a year.
| "The cost of the government fo>
1920 had been reduced by Congress
from S9,000000.000 to s7,250,000,0 900
and in 1921 20 $500. 100000, in 1922 to
| s3,9OO,000, 900 and in 1928 to S3,4OO.-
| o00.O 900. These figures are for the MS
! cal year which begins July l and ends
| on the 1st of the succeeding July.
| Huge Increase in Debt.
| Before Americas entry into the
| war it had bonded debt of less thar
| 81, 900, 600, 200. When the war closed
Americas bonded debt was. $26,o0o.'
100000. Before the war the annua
tfntecest SchargA ptss the bonded deb