' xr" mnticy JJHP
The Commoner
VOL. 15, NO. 10
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Sums Voted for Nation's Defense
in Last S Years
A special Washington dispatch to
tho New York World, dated Sept. 18,
says: Tho last annual report of the
secretary of tho treasury shows that
thero wero disbursed for tho navy de
partment in 1879, $16,125,126.84,
and for tho war department $40,425,
660.73; and in 1914 $139,682,186.
28 and $173,622,804.20 respectively.
Tho disbursements for 1889 were:
For tho navy, $21,378,809.31; for
tho army, $44,435,270.86. For 1897
(tho year President Cleveland went
out and President McKinley went in)
they wero: For tho navy, $34,661,
546.29; for tho army, $48,950,267,
89. Thero has been a rapid increase
in appropriations annually for both
tho navy and tho army. The World
has collected data to show where
some of the largo sums provided by
congress for the two arms of national
defense have gone. Tho appropria
tions began to riso by leaps and
bounds after the republicans got con
trol of the government in 1897. The
money provided for the navy quad
rupled between tho day President
McKinley was inaugurated and the
day President Taft left the White
House.
A statement giving the expendi
tures on account of the navy from
1794 to 1914 inclusive shows that
congress provided for the navy de
partment $3,071,179,958.99.
During the sixteen years from 1897
to 1913, when President Wilson went
in, tho republicans expended $1,464,
604,422.47 of the money appropri
ated for the navy.
Tho disburcjments for the navy
tho lari year President Cleveland was
in amounted to $27,147,732.38, and
for tho first full year of the McKinley
regime, 1898, $58,823,984.80.
Tj Further Political Interests
Much money appropriated by con
gress for the army and navy has
been wasted in naval stations or army
posts that furthered the political in
terests of men in congress.
A flagrant instance of the cost to
tho navy of a pet naval Btation of an
influential member of the house com
mittee on naval affairs is shown in
tho Qreat Lakes training station of
the navy, which was fostered and de
veloped by George B. Foss, of Chi
cago, who for years was chairman of
that important house committee. At
the rate of 6 per cent the interest on
the investment at the Great Lakes
station, exclusive of maintenance,
amounted to $202 per head for re
cruits there last year. In other words,
the United States starts out with a
handicap of $202 per man. per year
at the Great Lakes plant when it
begins to train its recruits for tho
navy. Tho contract between tho con-jress-niado
training station at Child
go and tho naval-offlcer-made station
tit St. Helena, Va., is very great.
Tho disbursements for the navy
for 1913 were $133,262,861.97.
Many of the navy yards and sta
tions have been continued from year
to year against the advice of expert
navy men.
Secretary Meyer did not materially
reduce his estimates for the navy
jfrrds until his last report, which was
In a few days before his successor
was named. The figures for the navy
yards and stations for the four years
of tho Taft administration wore very
much larger than they will bo for the
present regime.
Costly Shore Stations
During the Taft administration
oongress authorized tho expenditure
of $21,928,572 on shore stations, of
Which about $13,500,000 was author-
btd during th first two years and
EXPENDITURES FOR THE ARMY AND NAVY DURING 120 t
3
O
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
YEARS BEGINNING IN 1704
more than $8,000,000 during the last
two.
In the two naval appropriation
hills that have passed congress since
President Wilson camo in tho total
sum authorized for expenditure on
naval shore stations was but $3,920,
880; about $2,300,000 a year was au
thorized. The money appropriated
by the democrats has gone to the
navy, to new ships and to other im
provements. The house committee on expendi
tures in tho navy department at the
next session of congress will conduct
an investifeation to seo what has be
come of all the money provided by
congress during the last eighteen
years for the development of the
navy. The committee will undertake
to find out how much of the money
appropriated wds wasted on pet
schemes fostered in various states by
senators and members of the house.
It will search for the waste places and
try to eliminate them.
It is constantly charged that many
of the navy yards are without value
to the navy. Secretary Daniels has
undertaken to make them useful by
turning them to various lines of work
for the navy.
The manufacture of torpedoes has
been started at tho Washington navy
yard, and the output of the Newport
factory has been practically doubled.
The department has also begun the
manufacture of mines, and within a
short time will have thirty-ono ffoi
every nine mines it had two years
ago, increasing the supply about 244
per, cent.
The Boston and Philadelphia navy
yards have been equipped to build
larger auxiliary craft; The Ports
mouth yard has begun constructive
work on submarines; the scope of
construction work at Mare Island,
Charleston and Norfolk has been ex
tended to include destroyers. The
equipment of these three yards to
build quickly men-of-war adds ma
terially to the "readiness" of the
navy. Until a year ago none of the
navy yards; except New York and
Mare Island, was prepared to build
ships.
A $105,000,000 Investment
There are in the United States be
tween thirty and forty navy yards
and stations, the property of which
is estimated to be worth about $195,
000,000. The first of these yards was
establishtd at Portsmouth, N. H., in
1800. Others were established as
follows: One at Boston in 1800. at
New York in 1801, at Philadelphia
in 1868, at Washington in 1800, at
Norfolk in 1800, at Mare Island in
1854, at Puget Sound in 1891, all
first-class yards. Tho one at Hawaii
was established in 1899.
Second class navy yards at home
are at Charleston, established in
1901; Pensacola, Fla., 1828; New
Orleans, 1849. The second class
navy yards abroad are at Cavite, es
tablished in 1898, and at Alongapo in
1901.
Naval stations at home are Port
Royal, 1883, and Key West, 1854.
Naval stations abroad: Guantana-
mo, 1903; San Juan, 1898; Guam,
1898; Tutuila, 1900.
Training stations: Newport, 1869;
California, 1893; Great Lakes, 1905.
Coaling stations: New London,
1868; Yokohama, 1900; Frenchman's
Bay, 1899; Bradford, 1900; Pichi
linque, Mox., 1900; San Diego, Cal.,
iyu; nDuron, xuu; sitKa, 1900.
Miscellaneous: Annapolis, 1845;
naval proving ground, 1890; Las
Animas (naval hospital), 1907; Cu-
leora inavai oasej, is 04.
&
Here is a bird's-eye view of the military expenditures of the United q
States:
Total naval expenditures, 1794 to 1914, inclusive, $3,071,179,958 ,
Two-fifths of this sum was spent from 1897 to 1913, inclusive, $1 -
464,604,422. '
The annual expenditures have grown in recent years as follows: fa
1879 $id,J.zd,.lsi xoyo $DO,BZ3,y84
1889 21,378,809 1904 102,956,101
1897 34,561,546 1914 139,682,186
The army expenditures have grown as follows:
1879 $40,425,660 1914 $173,522,804
Total estimated present value of navy yards and naval sta
tions, $195,000,000.
The sites cost $2,836,375; the buildings, improvements, and ma
chinery, 1800 to 1910, cost $159,173,609; the maintenance, includ
ing repairs, has cost $159,604,944; average yearly cost of mainten-
ance is now ahout 9iz,zb:L,ub4.
The total sums provided for the principal yards, 1899 to 1916, 0
Inclusive, have been: Brooklyn, $7,809,729; Philadelphia. $6,381.-
569; Washington, $3,230,505; Norfolk, $7,055,147; Boston, $4,
754,250; Portsmouth, $4,622,425.
During the Taft administration the appropriations for naval shore
stations averaged over $5,000,000 a year. In the Wilson administra
tion they have averaged $2,300,000 a year, the bulk of the
appropriation going for new ships and other improvements.
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The United States has at home and
abroad fourteen navy yards . proper,
Great Britain 12, Germany, 4, and
France 8.
Original Cost
Original cost for sites of United
States - navy yards and stations
amounted to $2,836,375.89.
The total expenditures for build
ing public works, improvements and
machinery installed in the various
buildings from Junt 30, 1800, to June
30, 1910, were $159,173,509.34.
The total maintenance for the
same, including repairs, was $159,
604,944.51. This makes the total
cost of land, public works, machin
ery and maintenance $320,613,796.
74. The average yearly cost of main
tenance for five years was about
$12,251,954.84.
The original cost of the site of the
Portsmouth yard was $110,500; Bos
ton, $360,782.26; New York, $590,-
12J.15; the Philadelphia yard was a
gift; Washington, $157,099; Nor
folk, $478,517; Mare Island, $83,
491; Puget Sound, $18,212.50;
Charleston, $10u,207; Pensacola is a
military reservation; New Orleans,
$15,000 ; Hawaii, $58,150; Cavite
and Alangapo, acquired by conquest;
Port Royal. $5,000: Key West, $156,
111.83; Guantanamo, leased; San
Juan and Guam, acnuired by con
quest; Tutuila, $45,125.39; Newport,
$69,850; California, military reserv
ation; Great Lakes, a gift; New Lon
don, a gift; Frenchman's Bay, $24,
650; Bradford, $35,000; San Diego,
Cal., military reservation; Tiburon,
au, uuu; sitira, military reservation;
Annapolis, $40R.345.76; naval prov
ing ground, $38,220; Las Animas,
iiiiiitrtijr I'BBurvauon; uuieora, ac
quired by conquest.
Secretary Meyer, in 1910, .recom
mended that the navy yards at New
Orleans and Pensacola be given up
and that the secretary of tho navv be
authorized to make such disposition
of property, under the navy, as
seemed best. Both yards, he said,
were entirely unnecessary for the
service of tho fleet.
The total appropriations for tho
navy yards and stations at Ports
mouth, Boston, Brooklyn, Philadel
phia, Washington, Norfolk, Port Roy
al, Charleston, Pensacola, Key West,
New Orleans, Puget Sound, Maro
iBiana, Annapolis, Indian Head, Ha
waii, Cavite, Guantanamo, Alangapo
and Pearl Harbor and tho torpedo
station for tho years 1899 to 1916
inclusive, amount to $83, 947, 742. 0&'
Tho foregoing figures cover appro
priations for four dry-docks at
.Portsmouth, Boston, Philadelphia
and JVIare Island.
Annual Appropriations
The appropriations, by years, for
somo of the leading navy yards were
Total; 1916, $873,380; 1915, $l,79o',
500 these being two full years un
der the Wilson administration; 1914,
$2,343,800; 1913, $3,258,700; 1912,
$6,275,200; 1911, $5,901,027.71
these being' the four years under Mr.
Taft.
The appropriations for tho navy
yards for 1910 were $4,061,955;
1909, $3,984,810; 1908, $2,983,330;
1907, $3,187,550; 1906, $3,423,700;
1905, $9,589,671; 1904, $3,851,440;
1903, $6,436,325; 1902, $7,967,610;
1901, $5,952,867.32; 1900, $4,935,
286.50; 1899, $2,578,687.50.
The 1911 appropriation provided
$55,250 for Portsmouth, $105,000 for
Boston, $716,000 for Brooklyn, $215,-
000 for Philadelphia, $146,000 for
Washington, $895,000 for Norfolk,
$2,000 for Pensacola, $64,677.71 for
New Orleans, $885,000 for Puget
Sound, $102,000 for Mare Island,
$10,000 for Indian Head, $2,500,000
for Pearl Harbor, $57,100 for the
torpedo station.
The 1912 appropriation provided
$229,000 for Portsmouth, $277,000
for Boston, $879,000 for Brooklyn,
$160,000 for Philadelphia, $109,500
for Washington, $332,500 for Nor
folk, $70,000 for Charleston, $107,
000 for Key West, $989,000 for
Puget Sound. $345,000 for Mare Is
land, $24,500 for Indian Head, $37S,
500 for Guantanamo, $2,262,000 for
Pearl Harbor, "87,200 for the torpe
do station.
For 1915 the appropriation pro
vided $22,000 for Portsmouth, $143,
500 for Boston, $265,000 for Brook
lyn., $100,000 for Philadelphia, $25,
000 for Washington, $180,000 for
Port Royal, $155,000 for Puget
Sound, $257,000 for Mare Island,
$200,000 for Indian Head, $38,000
for Guantanamo, $70,000 for Pearl
Harbor, $'260,000 for the torpedo sta
tion. Thfl on ma -nrnviPfl for the VaHOUS
navy yards for the years 1899 to
1916, inclusive, are. Portsmouth, ?v
622,425; Boston, $4,754,250; Brook
lyn, $7,809,729; Philadelphia, b.;
381,569; Washington, $3,230,505..
Norfolk, $7,055,117.50; Port Jffl
$742,325; Charleston, $4,069,8w.
Pensacola, $7C7,300; Key West.
$943; 670; New Orleans, $1,8J, "'
Puget Sound, $0,54i,tin; ""-.
land, $5,477,881; Indian Head, J904,
19.5. wnwnH. siBl'400: Cavite, ?ii
122: Hawaii, $151400
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