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Show $766,308,770 For Past Wars What does war cost? Nobody knows. Last year the United Uni-ted States -was in no war but past Wirs ccst this country $766,308,770-.56, $766,308,770-.56, or mere than the Navy, with its ambitious building program. Hew did past wars cost the people peo-ple of this nation nearly three-quarters three-quarters cf a billion dollars in the last fiscal year? The answer is easy. The government paid out that much money in benefits and allowances to war casualties and peacetime soldiers, pensions to dependents de-pendents and insurance. Last year there was one dependent depend-ent cf a veteran of the War of 1812 receiving compensation, 2,790 living veterans of Indian wars and 4,411 dependents, 4,921 veterans and 66,-215 66,-215 dependents from the Civil War, 169,504 veterans and 54,655 depend-ens depend-ens of the Spanish-American war and 387,055 veterans and 103,298 dependents de-pendents of World War. Altogether more than 800,000 persons receiving benefits for war service. Nobcdy objects to any sums paid to veterans who were injured in the wars 6 this nation., or to the dependents of those who gave up their lives cr their ability to earn a living for their families, but in the great total of 800,000 is included thcusands of men who were not injured during their service, have not been injured since and have no reasrn to expect a largess from the goverment. |