FISCAL: From a Well- Wisher

It never occurs to any U.S. citizen to pay the Treasury more than he is taxed. But in the past five years many a patriot has given the Treasury an outright cash gift. Last week the Treasury totted up: it had received about $7,385,000 from some 50,000 U.S. and other nations’ citizens.

Most of the money had been sent with specific war requests: e.g. “for a bomb to drop on Hitler.” More surprising was the fact that $1,259,000—almost a fifth of the total—had come from 50 donors who sent a check every pay day or at other regular intervals—”for the war effort.” The Treasury identified some of the regulars:

¶ Melchor Leon, a Mexico City souvenir merchant, had given the U.S. about $9,000, one-fourth of his sales to U.S. customers.

¶ Balding, sharp-nosed Vincent Sardi, Manhattan restaurateur, donated the interest on his War Bonds as it accrued, made other cash gifts; his total was close to $6,000.

Two donors were not identified. One had sent a final $50 check on V-J day—”I thought this would be better than going out and getting drunk.”

The other still sends regular contributions—”for the peace effort.”