Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-15
Two Kind. Of Preparedness"


The Lewiston Sun, independent
Democrat, standing above rum rule
and demanding enforced laws, and
decency Of community. but with all an
unterr;fied and unrelenting free trader,
copies without comment the following
from the Kennebec Journal:
This country should prepare for tho
end Of this war, as we'll az for posi-
bic next"
We are lied to wonder if our Lewis
ton friend caught the real meaning Of
that sentence. II he did he cannot
agree with the New York World and
other leading Democratic papers. that
this country has everything to gain
and nothing to fear so long as it has
no finger in actual hostilities.
The passing moments seem to be
golden for this country, after the de-
preston following a disruption Of
business by partisan mishandling OF
tariff protection OF industry and labor.
But the future is SO widely open to in
can fail to see the absolute necessity
of more than one kind Of prepared
ness now.
Perhaps, after all. our free trade
friend has seen as great a light az
has Norman e. Mack. former chairman
Of the Democratic National Commit
tee and present member of the same
body from New York, while editing
the National Monthly. Mr.. Mack
says:
The great conflict now raging on the
eastern continent will change many
things besides the map of Europe. 1t
will affect, among other things, Ameri-
can industrial conditions. and whether
these changes are to be for better or
for worse will depend upon the course
taken now by the lawmakers of the
country.
All over the land American manu-
facturers are increasing the sizes Of
their plants and the number Of their
employees to meet the changed condi-
tions brought about by the war, and
prosperity is showing its head every
where. Business is growing. Whether
this growth is to be permanent or not
depends upon the tariff action taken
now.
American plants are being raised up.
not only to manufacture for Europe
the supplies needed to carry on the
war. but more than that. to supply to
America and the rest Of the world the
products which Europe used to make.
Millions of dollars of American money
are being expended to build additions
to American plants and to establish
new industries. and hundreds OF thou
sands Of American workingmen are
finding work in these wholly new or
greatly enlarged plants, making in the
good old U. s. A. the things which we
used to buy in foreign markets.
What is going to happen to these in
dustries when the war is over? What
is going to happen to these thousands
of American mechanics when the Eu-
porean workmen quit the trenches and
begin to food the world with the prod
ucts of their underpaid skill?
The answer is plain.
sunless these industries are protect.
ed by an intelligent and adiscriminat-
ing tariff, carefully formulated by .
non- political commission which will
grind no axes. but act solely for the
good Of the country and the people,
America is in danger Of experiencing .
period Of financial depression terrible
to contemplate"
We hope the Sun will continue to
advise preparation to meet industrial
and labor conditions in this country
at the end Of the European senseless
and useless struggle.