The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-10-31
THE HAsKIN LETTER
SELLING WAR MATERIA AL.

Il BY Frederici'
American manufacturers are doing
q brisk business in equipment for the
u armies Of the European nations q
II war. Textile mills, automobile FAC
tories and big harnesf shops are &C,
cepting huge contracts for goods ulti-
II mately to be delivered in Europe:
II and at the same time ire demand
Il for foodstuffs and for horses AND
II mules Is steadily increasing.
AS far as the manufacturers .are
concerned, a dense cloud of mystery
II envelop their operations. manu-
h facturer in the Middle West accepts
q contract to make goods to be dellv-
1 cred to some person IN New y OK.
4 He does not know whether the ma
n terial he is turning out will go 10
BRITAIN or France, to Germany or
H Austria; whether 1t will cross the
Atlantic to help equip the army Italy
| is holding In leash, or whetheri It WILL
Il cross the Pacific to find its way to
Y the Russian army over the Trans-S1-
berian railway. All he knows is that
payment for the goods is guaranteed
by responsible American agents.
If he were so curious as to investi-
gate, 1t is doubtful II he could ind
out anything.
Last week. for Instance. the Beth,
lehem Steel Company of Bethlehem,
Pa, let contract for nearly 3d.
900 900 worth of artillery harness
and cavalry saddles. The CONTRACT
went to a vehicle manufactures In
the Middle West, who does not make
harness or saddles, but who In turn
+ is sub-letting the work to several
mid-western and southern establish
ments.
Nobody knows where all this har-
ness is to go, for the models to pc
made are Of the, American type and
the delivery is to be made on the
order of the Bethlehem Steel Com
pany.
IN the matter of motor trucks the
Bethlehem Steel Company is reputed
to have been appointed a purchasing
agent for the French government
but there is much doubt as to wheth-
er or not the harness and saddlery
equipment is destined for France.
AS TO the motor cars the steel COM
pany invited manufacturers to send
their cars to Bethlehem, Pa, to be
submitted to tests. Later, the steel
company Announced to thirty-sevenH
motor-makers that orders from the
French government would be distrtb-
uted among them, that delivery
might be made promptly.
Yet. all buying is not SO Indirect.
1T is reported on good authority that
the Russian government placed an
order for million dollars worth OF
motor trucks directly. with Detroit
makers A steel manufacturing
Company at Sharon, Pa, obtained
direct order from France for 2.5Ou
automobile frames.
Another French order for automo-
:. n Tckr dfr0Nf1E, To i've
companies, the total
order calling for 1850 trucks, to
cost $6.000,O00. On October Z, one
of the large makers of expensive
motor cars recalled all It's idle men
and speeded up its plant to full ca
pacfty, in order to take care OF q
shipment of $50 trucks ordered di-
rectly from Russia.
Several weeks ago, it became
known that Italy had purchased q
million pairs of army shoes In St
Lonfs, and there are substantial ru-
mors that this order has been great
" increased. Close on the heels OF
the italian purchase came reports
that the Greek government also 10
itary supplies of the character OF
TRANSFORMATION and artillery equip
= The equipment of the Italian gov
eminent issthe cause OF much specu-
lation. The theory ordinarily ac-I
cepted in the United States is that
italy is simply perfecting her stock
Of equipment SO that she will be
fully prepared should events require
her to abandon neutrality and enter
the great struggle. This same
school of opinion is almost unani-
m Gus in predicting that when Italy
does go in she will take the side OF
the allies against Germany and Au-
stria.
Another story. and one that appar-
entity finds much credence among
those closely connected with the
British government. is that the huge
Italian orders are really being placed
for German consumption. 1t ~
pointed out that there is no proof
that the alleged orders from the lItat-
ian government are. In fact. not gov-l
ornamental orders. and say that the
circumstances OF their being placed
through commission houses that or
dinariIy represent the Italian govern
ment Is not to be given too great
weight They believe that the equip
ment being shipped to Naples and
ether ports will find its way across !
the border into Austria and thence