Evening star., 1945-08-31

q Sur u c ION
wrought by the Frank R. Kent.
Germans very great. China, for
years devastated by the japanese,
and in the agonies of terrible in
f1ation, is now threatened with a
ruinous civil war.
But, because we are the richest
and the strongest the requests for
aid are enormous. To grant all
asked of us in money and material
Is impossible.
If we try fully to satisfy the de-
mands-if we attempt unaided
[and we will be unaided) the eco
nomic reconstruction of all the
world we will find ourselves just as
bankrupt as the rest of them.
Through the UNRRA, which is
probably the most overmanned, in
efficient and wasteful of all war
agencies, we are pouring our bill
lions for relief in the liberated
countries. No one denies the need
for this is very great and few con-
tend it is not to our advantage to
keep these stricken nations from
going under.
Costly Incompetence.
Nevertheless, there is no excuse
for the costly incompetence with
which. we are handling this job,
nor for failure to appreciate that,
unless we exercise some sort of dist
pline in expenditures, we are neith-
er rich enough nor strong enough
to avert a financial collapse, the
disastrous effect of which would be
second only to defeat in battle.
The only way to escape this is
adequately to meet our commit
ments, but at the same time ruth
lessly cut out all unnecessary ex-
pense. Our impetus is all toward
going beyond our commitments and
to exceed the necessary increases
without any corresponding zeal to
eliminate waste and abolish dupli-
cation.
The biggest expense item, in the
future as in the past, will be our
obligations to the veterans and
the cost of maintaining our armed
forces. Back in 1888 the pension
burden, then we'll over a billion
dollars, was considered too great
for the taxpayers to bear. 1t seemed
menace to fiscal equilibrium.
President Roosevelt succeeded in
slicing it by over so per cent and
was justly applauded.
Within less than three years all
of this saving had been wiped out
and the pensions totaled more than
before. AS result of the Great War
now ended, veteran pensions and
compensations of one kind or an
other will mount to undreamed
heights.
We will have to shoulder that just
as we will have to shoulder the cost
of a peacetine Army and Navy
much greater than ever contem-
plated before.
The atomic bomb has by no means
lessened the demand for big mill
tary forces. The Navy wants from
10000 to 100000 men. The Army
and air forces insist that 100000
are required for occupation work
alone. A home force of 100000
is regarded as essential. That is a
minimum of 3,250,000.
Saddled for Generations.
Thus, until the world has settled
down to a peace which, If not per-
manent at least will be prolonged
for generations, we are certain to
be saddled with very costly mill
tary establishment. 1t is notable
indeed. that prior to the San Fran
cisco Conference, during the confer
ence, since the conference and in
all the debates about permanent
peace, the word disarmament has
never figured. If it was mentioned
at all, no one paid attention. The
whole disarmament idea seems for
gotten.
Yet. it used to be inseparably
linked with the international CO.
operative peace proposals. After the
creation of the League of Nations
there followed the Washington Dis
armament Conference of 1921
Groaning under the great armament
burdens, all the victorious nations
were anxious to-and did-reduce
And this would have been fine but
FOR our own stupidity in not joining
the League of Nations and the in
excusable action of France and Eng
land in allowing Germany to rearm.
Now, with the Leagues successor
vastly strengthened by the men,
bership of Russia and ourselves;
with the aggressor nations COM
pletely crushed and disarmed; and
with our lessons presumably learned
1t does seem reasonable to contem-
.>late some degree of disarmament
in the not too distant future.
If that Is not true, then the per-
manent peace idea does not make
much sense. If every member OF
the United Nations has to maintain
Indefinitely great armed force
then the thing becomes ridiculous
'tet, If any statesman, here or any
where else, has mentioned the word
disarmament" or favors disarma-
ment as an ultimate goal, he has
been extremely quiet about it.
Apparently for the next few years
large armies and navies are essen.
tial. So far as we are concerned
this means greatly increased peace.
time costs. 1t may be tiresome te
harp on the subject of retrench.