Evening star., 1942-01-08
The War BUDGET

uS VVoI O009SA
In submitting a budget calling for
an expenditure of some $50 000O,-
600 during this Nations first fiscal
year of total war, the President has
given the American people brief
preview of what modern war really
means in terms of economic sacrifice
For many people, however, the
total of this budget figure will have
little meaning. The sum is too vast
for ready comprehension. 1t may
mean something to say that this out
lay for one year is ten billion dollars
greater than the whole national
debt as of last June 80, or to point
out that interest charges alone dur
ing the coming fiscal year will be
considerably more than twice the
total cost of running the Govern
ment twenty-five years ago. Yet
even these comparisons are made
quate. They do not fill out the
picture, and it will not be filled out
until we have begun to give up the
luXuries, pay the taxes and make
the other sacrifices essential to the
winning of the war. Our ultimate
victory is going to exact tremep-
douS price. It is a reasonable price
only when measured against the in
comparably greater cost of defeat
There is no need to say that the
American people are determined to
win the war and that they are pre-
pared to meet the necessary cost of
victory, whatever it may be. But
there is distinction to be drawn
between the necessary cost and any
cost. They are not one and the
same, and the difference will be
measured by the extent to which
the elements of waste and inef1-
cheney are permitted to intrude them
selves into the war effort.
At the end of the next fiscal year,
under favorable conditions, the ma
tional debt is expected to stand at
about $11O,4O0 100000 During that
period it is proposed to increase
taxes by $4,000, 100000. including 81
600, 100000 in new Social Security
levies. Nor is there any assurance
that the war will have been won by
the end of the coming fiscal year.
If it is prolonged for still another
year the debt will be higher and the
taxes sitter.
Having these things in mind, and
looking forward to the problems of
postwar readjustment, the people
have clear right to expect that the
national Indebtedness and the tax
burden will be held to minimums
consistent with the proper prosecu-
tion of the war. This does not mean
that there should be any policing of
this or-that expenditure, for it is
obvious that the requirements Of
military secrecy will forbid any pub
licity as to the specific character of
the great bulk of the outlays. But
1t does mean that the Government,
and particularly those officials hav-
ing direct charge of the disburse-
ment of war funds, are invested with
a great and unusual responsibility.
Waste, generally speaking, is
product OF inefflciency, and sinee
there can be no such thing as per-
fection In public officials, certain
amount of waste must be expected.
In his budget message, however, the
President gave assurance that waste
would be held to a minimum, and it
Is to be hoped that this assurance
will be followed by prompt action to
the desired end.
If the cost of the war program is
to be held within indicated bounds,
1t is essential that an adequate price
control bill be enacted without
further delay and that it be ad-
ministered firmly and impartially.
The political maneuverings which
have characterized the handling of
this legislation can no longer be
tolerated. Higher prices will be
harmful to civilian buyers, but in
the case of the Government, which
is the principal purchaser of COM
modities in wartime, every price ad-
vance means boost in the ultimate
cost of the war and there can be no
doubt that the Nation is headed for
economic chaos unless the present
upward price trend is checked.
To keep the cost of the war within
the presently defined limits, it is also
essential that there be efficiency in
the Governments direction of the
war effort. The management of this
effort is too big a job for the Presi-
dent to assume, along with all of his
other responsibilities. AS yet, how
ever, he has not seen fit to delegate
this job and the appropriate author
ity to one individual. The result has
been a division of authority and a
mounting confusion which is little
short of incredible. Unless this snarl
at the top is Strengthened out at the
beginning of this new and larger
military program, there can be no
doubt that the day of victory is 60
ing to be set back and its ultimate
cost greatly increased.
In his budget message, the Presi-