| Show I TARY GOSTS r OUT fl ERY 1 iarY Organization of e United States Re Re- ired in 1923 3 No Cut for 1924 ers ivers vers Ise Ex-Ise and Harbors Ex ense Better Known as ashe the he Pork Barrel Barrel Was Vas 1 in Past Year YearBy By JOHN P F. F SINCLAIR I o p 1924 In U. U S S. S and Great Britain by North American Newspaper News News- 1 paper Alliance All rights re re- re served Bened Th national The defense act was sed by congress on June 4 1920 I t was was a substitute for universal Hilary training to which the war was previously opposed f Is revolutionary in Its de- de from the tho old American I Senator Ex-Senator George E E. of ot Oregon says sars of the thet f t Nearly all the control here- here t fore ore exercised by congress over it I Jarmy army is to be transferred ther the- the r I to the president but radically to the chief of ot staff congress Is still permit- permit foot toot the bills It spells one- one tan dominance staff despotism ad to a degree never surpassed in the days dars of I general staff of ot the Gel Ger- The AThe The act provides for tor a national Kray y national guard and organ- organ ti d reserves Three divisions A comparison of at our war es s now now with those of at ten years rears o 0 might prove very ery instructive d helpful During this time ac- ac ng to the 1923 report of ot the t e ecret ecret ry of war the national army from men in In 1923 the nation nation- from to he organized reserves from zero in in 1923 So the total the army of the United States as increased during this year ten-year 1913 to 1923 from ento men These are sig- sig figures They Ther tell a story storye e hear all too little about A AWl rd about the tho organized re- re erv There There are two divisions dl tand i land Junior divisions The enio i n aims alms at getting mili- mili r raining into the colleges and of at the United States Stales division hi d now reaches reaches' col- col nd ind universities universities' and This is less Tess thon than one- one the total institutions sixth done n of ot the college ollege sud student t I enrollment ment OO The junior junior division reaches of ot the 1200 secondary secondary secondary sec sec- schools which are hIghs high s schools and preparatory schools where junior units might be maintained maintained main main- and students out of at a possible are now receiving military training EXPENSES SHOOT UPWARD I The total expenses too have shot hot upwards from in 1913 to In 1923 The secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary of ot war does not like to have this expense cut In 1922 he wrote to President Harding as follows This estimate does not express the military requirements in order to c carry rry out the spirit and object of ot the national defense act The resulting figures have been submitted submitted submitted sub sub- solely on the basis of ot allowIng allowing allow allow- ing the material plant of the army to run down temporarily in the In Interest Interest interest In- In terest of ot immediate economy with witha a full knowledge that this means a great expense In future years to I recover from accelerated ted tion He sa says s 's again In his 1923 report I Since 1921 the total number of I individuals ls under military training I or In the military organizations has decreased from to This does not spell progress but rather reaction I therefore recommend recommend recommend mend strongly against the slightest slight slight- est cutting of ot the budget as submitted submitted submitted sub sub- to congress Ve We a are re e al already already al- al ready rendy cut below our vital needs Let us now look at the expense ledger of this big spending bureau of the government o 1 The Tho quartermaster corps which furnishes food supplies clothing lathing and army transportation spent for the fiscal year 1923 a total of ot Of Ot this 18 was spent for army transportation transportation transportation trans This Tills corps asks for less for 1924 2 The army air all service spent in the fiscal year ear 1923 It asks about less for 1923 Together with the naval air all force America has now the second second sec sec- ond largest air all force in the world In June 1923 there were of officers officers officers of- of and men connected with this service Of the tho thirty-eight thirty army of leers accidentally killed In Inthe Inthe inthe the army in the fiscal year 1923 three thirty-three were killed in the air all service ORDNANCE ESTIMATE q o The ordnance department spent in 1923 This is I cut by in the estimates for 1924 This department has todo to todo todo do with the purchase and control of guns rifles tanks field artillery and arsenals I. I 4 The militia bureau spent I in the fiscal year 1923 Of this amount the national guard I received and the tr trainIng trainIng train train- inIng in- in Ing corps and camps another 3 5 The military academy at West Vest Point took for far 1913 About the same amount Is appropriated appropriated appropriated for 1924 I 6 Public military works took I another in 1923 This i J item is cut by approximately ly 2 I I for 1924 I 7 The finance department is I I the bIg spending bureau of at the war waI department The greatest amount consists of at the pay of ot the arm army There is also an Item of or for railroad mileage A tot total l Qt of pf was spent in the us- us cal year 1923 This is cut by about for 1924 Of Ot the nonmilitary activities of the war dep department the soldiers' soldiers homes took 5 In 1923 This Is Increased by about In In in inthe Inthe I the budget estimate for 1924 The Panama canal cost COt I I to maintain for the fiscal year 1923 but the th revenue taken in by the canal was about a month So this is really an asset and not a a. liability This item of ot expense Is increased In the budget I estimates for 1924 by approximately FOR PORK BARREL The increase of at military pay inthe In Inthe Inthe the war department added more to the 1923 costs This Item is cut by about for 1924 Then comes the last t bIg ig spending spendIng spending spend spend- ing bureau of ot the department that department that of ot public works In this bureau rivers and harbors expenditures within t the tho ri o U United n it e d Stat States es cos cost t the me within t the tho ri o U United n it e d Stat States es cos cost t the me I I taxpayers a total of at for 1923 This Is what Is known as the pork barrel A little over 6 In the appropriations for tor 1924 is expected to be cut out from this figure 1 The balance of the expenditures I of tho the department consists of at ex expenses expenses expenses ex- ex of the numerous bureaus and divisions not directly connected with the activities enumerated above A word about the tho receipts of ot of this department not raised in taxes A total of came into the war department during the fiscal fiscal fis fis- cal year ear 1923 Of Ot this amount 81 came from the sales of government government government gov gov- property left over from the great war The estimate for 1924 cuts this this' item of sales down downto to and to f for r. r 1925 2 1 The Panama canal is the other big revenue re item was I taken In the fiscal year 1923 The estimated receipts for 1924 Increase this by about What about the future of the war department In the plan already submitted by the bureau which is studying the reorganization of the executive departments the war and navy departments are again merged into one as they were in the days day of or Washington to be pe presided over overby overby overby by a single cabinet officer It would be c called the department of ot defense Three undersecretaries are provided provided for for the arm army for the navy nary and for national resources TAKE OUT ENGINEERING The nonmilitary engineering ac activities activities ac- ac i I of the war department including in including including in- in the board of engineers for rivets and harbors the district and I division engineers' engineers offices the Mississippi Mississippi Mis Mis- river and California commissioners commissioners commissioners com com- I missioners the board of road commissioners commissioners commissioners com com- missioners for Alaska and the office of office of- of of-I of fice of buildings and grounds District District Dis Dis- I of ot Columbia are transferred I from tho the war department to the department of the interior The The marine activities of the war department Including the lake survey survey sur sur- vey office the inland And coastwise coastWise coastwise coast- coast Wise waterways service and the su supervIsor supervisor supervisor su- su of New Kew York harbor are transferred to the department of commerce while tho bureau of or in in- in I s sugar sular lar affairs Is transferred to the department of state I It is an excellent suggestion It will take away all nonmilitary activities from the war department i It will put the S spotlight on war ex expenses ex- ex so the American will people know know the facts of war not camouflaged cam- cam by the good deeds of the nonmilitary activities of the department depart depart- ment The plan should be adopted by congress To o sum up This great spending department of war Is managed by a cabinet officer who as secretary of war receives a year salary lIe He is surrounded by chief of ot staff who draws a year ear by thir thir- ty five major generals who each i draw and a a. year by sev fifty en brigadier generals at He directs the m military tar activities of officers and men constituting ing hig the three divisions of ot the army tOda today This army is l larger by men than it was ten years rears ago The expenses of of this d' d department have havo In hi the same period increased by approximately annually an- an I For Far every thousand dollars which 3 the United States spent In 19 1923 3 for tor all purposes the war department proper spent about of It It isa isa is isa a big spending bureau OUT OF OFt 1000 FOR WARS For the year t ending Juno 30 1924 the bureau of the budget es estimates estimates estimates es- es that out of every ever 1000 to be received by the federal government In revenue of at It will go to military military military mil mil- functions and more of it will go to paying the public debt charges Together out of every 1000 received by the federal government government government gov gov- will go to pay for past and present war activity This is the official estimate atthe of at the most responsible finance bureau of ot the government It would seem as though the time had when the whole military policy of the government go should be I given a thorough investigation by bythe bythe bythe the American people from at least two points of view 1 That of re- re r J the increasingly terrific and expenses Involved In war preparation by having more of a skeleton army army than at present and 2 by still sUll further joining hands with the re rest t of mankind in finally solving the riddle of ot the will wUl to Peace Instead of the will to war Along this line Une lies not only relief re relict re- re lief from federal tax burdens in America America but the only hope of a war weary and debt burdened civilization tion Toino Tomorrow ow The he Veterans Bureau |
