Evening star., 1932-07-03
BY WILBUR FORREST.


w YHAT an insane business war
isl Millions of the world S
wv best manhood slaughtered or
manned for life, tens of mil
lions disjoined from produc-
tive enterprises and peoples generally
plunged into an abnormal psychological
morass-an this for what end? All this
because for decades before the spark
fell into the powder barrel at Sarajevo
the world had been living in a state of
medieval mentality, suspicion and mis-
trust. If the World War did nothing
else, it at least taught that war is not
a paying business. Americas part in
this was a lesson of inexperience and
unpreparedness.
If the President of the United States
were to appear before the Senate to-
morrow and announce to the American
people that the Nation was embark
ing upon a program which for the
forthcoming le months was to cost
$4,000 900 an hour-almost $4,000 900
a day-how long would it be before the
specialists of the country would be call
ing at the White House?
This was what President Wilson did
on April 6, 1917, and he was perfectly
accountable and was supported by the
great majority of the citizenry. The
President, of course. did not speak OF
money. Neither did he mention that
the Nation was to be thrown out of
balance for a number of years to come
or that there were to be dead, wounded
and manned He spoke only with re-
gret of the reasons for which the United
States was compelled to enter a struggle
which already had gripped half the
world.
The United States entered the Euro
pean war because to enter had become
a paramount necessity. Imagine, today,
quite another postwar revision of the
European map-the mighty Germany
embracing what is now Poland and the
Baltic States. and perhaps even Bel
gium and a section Of France; a power
full Austria Hungary. enlarged by con-
siderable section Of Northeast Italy and
ruling by fear. if not politically, every
neighboring State: Turkey biting Geep
into Christian Europe. That possibility
in April, 1917, caused President Wilson
to pronounce for war against the Cen
trail Empires.
War Bill Is S1S,554, ,O0O, 900.
The United States with a foreign
policy which coveted nothing, isolated
NOlAl EJAdSNlltf AAA BL iJd4 SA Hdo vi VII
into conflict which cost the American
people, during a period of 10 months,
almost $l,000,000 900 a month. At the
end of the war period the American
people had ShOuldered a war bill of
S18,55400 900. In addition to this
huge expenditure they had loaned to
the allies SO, SAC. 900 600. Including war
loans, the American people increased
their debt during the war at a rate OF
about $50 900, 600 a day.
England and France were in the war
four years and three months. England
increased her national debt about
S23,500000 600, excluding loans to her
allies, and France increased her debt
$50 900 000,0 900. Italy remained in the
war three years and five months at
cost of something over $4,000. 900. 900.
Despite the comparatively brief period
which the United States participated,
our cost totaled approximately IA per
cent of England'S war cost, more than
80 per cent Of Frances and double that
of Italys.
Though incomprehensible billions
were spent, Pershing fought almost
wholly with guns, munitions, airplanes
and many other materials either bor-
roWed or bought from the French and
British. AS it turned out, billions of
dollars were spent too late and were
utterly wasted in a hysteria of produc-
tlon which dispatched virtually nothing
for the firing line up to the time
Pershing's Army had hacked its way
through the Argonne in November.
1918, when the Germans we're forced to
beg for an armistice.
When the lSt Army under Lieut. Gen.
: r. L. Bullard, had fought through the
1f.H
shlngs I'd Army. in command of Lieut..
Gen, Hunter Liggett, was ready to
drive on Metz. Assume, then, that the
Germans did not break when they did
| ana were capable Of carrying on the
war Tor another six months or a year
lthe German break came when reVo-
| luton IN Germany back of the lines
partially forced it,, then massive pro-
auction schemes at home would have
been OF utmost Importance
However, what really occurred was
that the Wilson administration spent
billions IN war projects early in 1918
FOR some strange reason, production
was intensified at that time instead of
! carrier. There seemed a tendency in
! washington during mid19l7 to dis
regard the advice and experience Of the
allies 1t is true that British and
/ In 4Ai4199IbliSs EciI ylilB Il IdLiltI
| superior air, arrived in Washington
soon after the American declaration Of
| war, High ranking British and French
technical experts walked into the war
! ONCE with an attitude: We'll, now
! that you are in it at last, you know
/ nothing Just follow our advice and
everything will be all right"
Knew Danger of Delay.
Both England and France had expert
enced agonlcs of delay in the early
! stages OF their war and had gone a long
/ way toward solving the ar-control
problem Despite the high and mighty
attitude Of these commissions. it was
doubtless blunder in Washington that
their advice was not whole -heartedly ac-
| cepted at the very beginning.
| Ihe French, among other things. Of
Tered models and plans for the famous
French Spad airplane, the highly eff
clent 75-miilimeter gun and other weap-
ons OF types which could have been
! produced speedily in American indus
! trlal plants. The French we're astound-
ea that their proffers were not deemed
OF greatest Importance.
IL Is remarkably easy to criticize, and