Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-11

50 Billions -
More Sought
By Roosevelt
s Times as Much Money
as in UlS., Total Asked
BY PAUL MALDON


WASHINGTON, May 11.-Mr.
w Roosevelt has been getting
ready TO ask Congress for an
other war appropriation OF $685.
0OO,000,000. which will bring the
victory program to the unbeliev-
able total of S195. 0O0,000,0O0
This is six times as much
money as there was in the
United States last year in all
the banks. treasury, or pocket
books. Ii represents about two
thirds of the national wealth of
the country, as calculated by the
census bureau. back in 1922
1920, 800, 000,000).
Ii is five times as much as the
federal debt cum u | a [ @ q
through the entire history of the
country. even after il was
doubled during the New Deal
era before December z. 1t is the
greatest expenditure ever con-
ceived in the mind of man.
YOU may not be interested in
L figures, but you will be in
terested in these, because you
have never seen anything like
them before. At the moment
we are spending at a rate of
$40, 1000, 100000 a year. This is
nearly as much as Britain and
Germany together are spending.
Germany's outlay is hard to
calculate. because it is involved
in fictitious mark values and
low slave-labor costs. Disregard
ing these incalculable factors,
Mr.. Roosevelts economists fig
ure the Nazis are spending
S25 .000,000,000 TO $30,000,0O0,-
900.
Britain is spending only half
as much as we are today. Their
war production is running not
more than $4,000, 100000.
The German production, how
ever. is coming out in ready-to-
shoot form, whereas a very small
percentage of our expenditures
represents this finished fighting
form of equipment SO far.
A relatively large amount of
our iron and steel is going into
the building of factories. or
ships to carry equipment to far
away fronts, whereas the NaZi
factories have long been finished
and they do not need ships TO
get their stuff to the front. Also
Hitler has built up large inven-
tories of war materials and has
an edge in that respect-for the
moment.
THERE need be no doubts
l. about Mr.. Roosevelt's ability
10 spend the colossal amount he
plans. The sum was reached on
a basis of ability.
So far we have actually spent
only one-siXth of it, around $50
000. 100000 The total for this
year will be about $55 100000
600 or % per cent of it.
Next year will come the peak
when we will put out $75,000,-
100000, and by that time the
money will represent a much
greater percentage of ready-to-
shoot goods.
AN AMERICAN, back from
"A London is telling the strange
tale that the British public
would vote for socialism today
if presented with the choice
between that and its own cap
italistic democracy.
He may be eXaggerating. but
what he says is at least partly
verified by recent news accounts
from London concerning the
popularity of the Grips kind Of
socialist politician.
low any one could fight for
H democracy and embrace the
opposite while doing so is a
question that remains to be
answered. The only answer the
American had is that the aver
age citizen Of Britain has respect
for RuSsia's war effort. and Red
toughness. solely because of
what the Russians have been
able 10 do 10 the Nazi military
machine.
The British people might as
well have respect for vast Rus
sian distances. because il was
these that had as much TO do
with the NaZi setback as the po-
litical form of arbitrary social
ism practiced by the Stain
regime-in fact, more.
WHAT solidified Russia was
w not the form of government.
Stain had never been able 10
get unity that way in peace. as
is proved by the small number
of party members among the
total population. Russia was
periodically unified only by the
trcacherous Nazi attack.
But people Jump 10 quick and
foolish conclusions in the excite
ment of war. especially people
who have gained so few victories
as the British.
What they need apparently is
a little fighting. and less poll
ticing at home. a few successes
on the field of battle tC dispei
their black political dreaming
When these come along. as
they surely must. Britain's popu.
lar discomfort. manifesting itself