The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-04-21
xxx Xxx Xxx X k< kkkkk
X TAVENNER TELLS OF !
x WORLDWIDE WAR TRUST !
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Is there no way whatever, it may
be asked, by which the people can
protect themselves from the greed of
the war trust magnates? Yes; just
one way. That is by the governs
ment taking the profits out of war
and preparation for war by manu-
featuring all of it's own munitions,
armor, cannon and battleships. Both
Washington and Lincoln advocated
the naturalization of the manufac-s
ture of war munitions as sound pub
as a policy need have no hearing
whatever on the question of whether
we shall have large or small navy
Those who advocate government.
manufacture of all war equipment
are not so much concerned for the
present whether we build one or more
battleships year, so long as the
government does the manufacturing,
because, then, for every dollar con-
gress appropriates for battleships
the people will receive a dollars
worth of battleship. =.
If the government will manufac-.
ture all of it's own war materials,
millions of dollars will be saved an
nually to the taxpayers as result
of the already demonstrated ability
of Uncle Sam to manufacture at a.
cost much below the prices of the
war trust, as I shall show. Govern
ment manufacture will mean that
the workmen who perform the labor
Of actually making the munitions will
receive the highest wages and better
working conditions than the en-
ployes Of the ring of private con-
tractors receive, as these firms num-
Der among the most bitter enemies OF
organized labor in the United States,
working 81 per cent of their en-
ployes IL hours day, according to
a report of the United States Bureau
of Labor made just after an investi-
cation in 1910. E-
Fortunate indeed would it be for
this nation today if the government
had monopoly of the manufacture
Of all munitions of war; It is not
the average American, the man who
will be required to do the fighting
and pay the bills if we become en-
broiled in the European conflict, who
is jeopardizing our peace. The aver
age American is remaining at home,
attending to his business. It is the
ring of war-trafficking private arms
and ammunition firms who are en-
dangering the peace and welfare of
100000, 900 people in order thatthey
may satisfy their greed for profit. If
we go to war, it will not be on ac-
count Of anything the average Am
erican has done, but because as a
nation we have neglected to safe
guard our peace by taking the profit
out of war and preparation for war.
Because I believe it is my duty
to do so, I desire now to take the
responsibility Of directing the atten-
ton of the American people to the
fact that their money appropriated
for the army and navy is being
I wasted by the millions, and to take
the responsibility of identifying the
war traffickers, so that the taxpayers
may know where the millions upon
millions of their money has been
dumped into the bottomless pit Of
militarism have been going, are go
ing, and will continue to go unless
public opinion shall arise in its
might and demand that further waste
of public funds shall cease.
To begin with, who and what is
the, armor ring, if there really is
such an animal? Is the term "armor
ring" a mere figure of speech, some
thing invisible, or is it possible de-