The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-12-31
Wants U. 5. TO
MAKE own arms.
Peace Council Urges Govern
ment Manufacture Of Her
Munitions of War.
"RING" PROFITS LARGE
Representative Tavenner Says Gov
eminent Is Mulcted of Enormous
Sums Now.

Resolutions demanding the exclusive
government manufacture of all arms
and other munitions Of war, as the first
step toward suppressing militarism in
the United states, were adopted at a
meeting Of the Christmas War Council
for Peace at the Public Library last
night.
These resolutions declared that prj-
Vate profit in the manufacture Of war
supplies was the real force behind the
systematic propaganda carried on
throughout the country in behalf of
greater armament. They petItIoned
the Military Affairs Committee Of the
House to report fayorabIy the Crosser
bill. which provides that after July 1
1920, all Of these munitions shall be
produced solely by the War Depart
ment.
Representative Tavenner, of Illinois
quoting figures to show that the Fed
eral government had been mulcted of
more than S3O.0OO,OOO in excessive
profits In the past seventeen years by
the ammunition ring" named the
members of that group.
Names Ring" Members.
THE ring is composed Of the MidvaIe
steel Company the Bethlehem Steel
Company. and the Carnegie Steel Com
pany,' he said. The same three con-
Germs comprise the armor plate ring"
Attacking Gen. Crozier, head Of the
Bureau Of Ordnance in the War Depart
ment. for his opposition to government
manufacture OF munitions OF war. Taven-
ner asserted that Crozier had made Il as
dificult as possible for him to secure
any facts as to the private profit In this
class OF supplies. He declared that m
1873 Gen. CroZier entered into a contract
with one Of the three members Of the
ammunition ring" whereby a disap-
pearing gun carriage, perfected by ex-
perts at government expense and patent
ed by Crozier, was to be manufactured
and sold, giving a $4,000 royalty to
CroZier. After foreign governments had
refused to buy the device. Tavenner as
serted, Crozier had the War Department
buy several million dollars worth OF guns
equipped with II.
Heating FaVOrs Project.
Representative Heating. Of Colorado
strongly supported Tavenner's position
as to government manufacture of war
material He suggested that since a sue
cessful attack upon American ports by
a foreign navy would mean a levy Of
tribute upon the wealthy class of those
cities. the cost of national defense should
be borne by heavier income tax and
heavy inheritance tax.
Miss Janet Richards, who has recently
leCtured at meetings OF women in ten
Eastern cities on the need for taking the
profit out of war, stated that man
connected with the Midvale Steel Com
pany recently called upon her. following
a speech which she made on that sub
jeot in philadelphia, and tried to con-
vince her that the three companies were
a patriotic service.
weekly public forum for the discus
sion of this and all other national topics
OF vital interest. Miss Richards declared.
should be established in Washington. She
predicted that the forum would bring to
the National Capital some of the lead
ers OF American thought. who would feel
assured that here they could discuss the
problems Of civilization So
as to he heard everywhere through the
press.