Evening star., 1943-09-12
Costs Of War
Cancel Isolation
By ODen l.. Scott.

point is that the financing of world
wars falls more and more heavily upon
this country, so heavily, in fact, that
there is beginning to be a question
whether the United States could afford
third world war.
World War I cost this Government
about s26, 900 000, 900 and it required $lo,-
600, ,000o 900 in war and postwar loans to
Allies Those loans today are as good
as Cancelled. In World War II, Congress
already has authorized $3.50, 900 900 900
for direct war expenditure and $60,-
900, 900 900 for lease-lend, of which $14,-
000,00o 900 already has been spent.
Figures of that size, by themselves,
mean little. 1t is when they are trans
lated into natural resources poured out,
into taxes that approach level of
conf1scation, and into dislocations in the
economic system that they take on real
meaning. 1t is then that people begin
to ask the question whether the United
States would not profit by taking a
direct hand in world affairs to try to
assure against third world war. Any
or of cash outgo to bolster little
world machinery might appear cheap
by comparison.
The present World War is costing about
10 times as much in terms of direct
outlays by the United States for its
Of $26,000,000 0000 after the last war,
readily can become a debt of $780,
100000 900 after this war. "a
But that is not the most costly part
of the war. There is no consideration
for lives lost or injuries incurred. There
is no consideration OF the fact that
when dollars are turned into form Of
resources they mean that this country
is fast depicting its irreplaceable re-
serves of crude oil. Our reserves
would not last through another war of
this scale. Those war dollars, too, mean
that the high-grade iron ore that has
supported Americas vast steel industry
is going to be exhausted before many
years have passed. Americas copper
long ago was insufficient to meet war
needs The country's hardwood forests
are largely cut down as result of the
present war.
What has appeared to be an unlimited
national wealth in resources will not
appear to be so unlimited by the time
the present war is ended.
Expense in Taxation.
At the same time, the dollars that
measure the cost of financing wars also
measure the size of taxes that must
be levied to help meet that COST Tax
rates already are confiscatory as they
apply to the income of individuals with
large earnings. The level of corpora
ton taxes is definite deterrent to en-
terprise that Is recognized even by the
New Deal group that has urged taxation
as means of redistributing income.
Yet it is doubtful If high taxes of
this war can. be reduced very greatly
when the war ends owing to the high
permanent costs that the war will
carry with it.
This war, too, like the one before 1t,
is almost certain to leave behind eco
nomic problems that will be most diff
SNAS
World War was not felt fully until
1929, more than 10 years after the peace
Upsetting effects of this war may not
be so long in appearing due to the far
greater mobilization of industry and
manpower for war purposes.
AL of these things aod up to the
growing official conviction that the
American people will refuse, following
the present war, to take the advice of
those who would have the Nation crawl
back into its shell. The official view is
that the public now realizes that the
world will drift automatically into war
unless the power of the United States is
exercised continuously to try to main
tain stability in the world.
Danger of Bankruptcy.
One more war and it is doubtful if
this country could avoid a receivership
and reorganization that might leave an
economic system that would little re-
semble that of the present. That, at
least, is the growing view
Then there is one more angle to the
present-day problem of war COST
This angle, stemming from lease lend,
deals with the fact that the United
States, free OF charge, is using it's re-
sources to build up the industry of the
world. Lease-lend exports OF machin-
cry, in the first half of l943, amounted
to $305, 100000. Great quantities of ma
chine tools are being shipped abroad
to Britain and Russia and Australia and
India. Whole factories are being moved.
More than $2,5oo, 100000 of industrial
items" have gone out through lease
lend to date, with the trend upward.
Furthermore, in the postwar period
there will be great quantities of goods
and materials in the United States
some estimates run as high as $50 OOO,-
000,ooo-which will be drug on the
market unless exported. The world NAV
draw heavily on the United States
maybe through lease-lend to build up
its industry after the war ends.
All in all, war costs are something
that the American people need to think
about. The costs of this war are stag