Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1918 — WHAT UNCLE SAM DOES WITH MONEY [ARTICLE]

WHAT UNCLE SAM DOES WITH MONEY

How Funds Raised by Sale of Liberty Loan Bonds Is Expended by Government. FIGURES ARE STAGGERING Estimated Total of $24,000,000,000 Will Be Spent This Year for Preparation and Maintenance of Our Fighting Force*. Now that flip people of the United States are to be asked in the Fourth Liberty Loan drive, which opens September 28 and continues three weeks, to lend the government at least twice as much pioney as has been asked before, the treasury department realizes that there is a natural curiosity on the part of the public to know for what all this money is being expended. The amount already spent on preparation and the maintenance of the fighting forces staggers the Imagination, and the prospect is for an even larger expenditure in the present fiscal year, the total being estimated at $24,000,000,000. Figures received at Liberty Loan headquarters for the Seventh Reserve district fvom the war department give an idea of the vast sums which have been expended and which will have to be spent to win the war, and this information brings home to nil Americans a concrete idea of how much money it takes to wage a modern war and how our money is being used to win victory. The following figures are an answer to the query of the average Liberty Bond buyer: “Just what will Uncle Sam do with the money from my SSOO bond ? A single bond does not go far toward meeting the expense of war, it is pointed out, but when the bonds of millions of Americans are brought together, the total of cash provided reaches stupendous totals. Since the United States entered the war in April, 1917, the war department has raised, equipped, trained ami, with naval help, sent across tlie sea upward of a million and half of soldiers, and has practically as many more under training at home. Of all this vast number of men sent abroad, tlie number lost In transit as a result of U-boat attacks up to September 1, 1918, was less than 500.

During this same time 2,000,000 rifles have been made, Inspected, assembled and Issued, and the weekly production is growing. The total amount of money directly appropriated by congress for the ordnance program, for which authorization has been given to incur obligations, amounts to approximately $12,000,000,000. From The beginning of the war to June 30, 1918, the last day of the past fiscal year, contracts were placed by the ordnance department from appropriations and ’authorizations existing at thift time amounting to $4,300,000,000. It is now estimated that during the present fiscal year ending June SO, 1919, the actual cash expenditures for ordnance will reach a total of $7,000,000,000. Tlie major items for which cash expenditures were made or for which contracts were placed up to June 30, 1918. were as follows:

Artillery $1,050,000,000 Automatic rifles 3<X1,000,000 Snjall arms 100,000,000 Artillery ammunition l,9(xi.(XX>.ooi» Small arms ammunition 340.000.U00 Small arms, amihunltion practice' . 80,000,000 Stores and supplies (personal horse and organization) 230.000,000 Armored tnotor cars 100.0d0.b00 $4,100,000,000 The principal items for whlct| congress has mhde appropriations available for the present fiscal year are as follows: Artillery $1,280,000,000 Automatic titles 600,000,000 Efrnall arms . 200.000,000 Artillery ammunition 2,650,000,000 Small arms ammunition 955,000,000 Small arms ammunition practice ..1 160,000,000 Stores and supplies (personal’ horse and organization, etc.) 445,000,000 Armored motor cars 277,000,000 For army purposes, contract authorization 600,000,000 Purpose not definitely designated. $7,017,000,000 An immense system of railroads In France has been built, with new docks and terminal warehouses at French ports, which used up the greater part of $375,000,000 expended during the year for military engineering operations. The American army is the best clothed and best fed army in the world, and the following illustrative figures of quartermaster purchases are interesting. For example, take six standard articles of food. Since the beginning of the war there have been bought for army use 625,461,392 pounds of flour at a cost of $43,375,445; 186,582,316 pounds of sugar at a cdst of $14,452* 5&; 110,451,670 pounds of bacon at a cost of $43,000,000; 102,894,742 pounds of dry beans, costing $12,613,469; 72, 274,529 cans of tomatoes costing $9,278,121, and 38,421,256 pounds of rlee at, a cost of $2,775,000. These figures give one an idea of the. size of Uncle Sam’s market basket and the huge coat of army •'maintenance. The clothing, bill for the army from April'l, 1917,. to August 1, 1918, follows and shows how great sums have been essential to keep our men comfortably clothed: Article. Quantity. Valua. ghoes. marching 11.931000 $66 4811.480

gnaer ffeTjrTrr..— s Coats, cotton ‘ Coats, wool SISI’S , Breeches, cotton 14,381,000 24,270,08 | Breeches, wool ........15.459.000 74,512,33 i, Shirts, cotton W <«B,00 Undershirts, c0tt0n....50.546,000 30.327.38 i Undershirts. winter.... SS JX’S ’ Shirts, flannel —-JJ-SSSS Drawers, cotton 1 Drawers, winter Stockings, cotton ‘ lockings, wool It. wt -70.592.000 N.T07.30 Stockings, wool, nvy. .63.428.000 34 Blankets, 4 1b5........ 6,8*1,000 54,968,044