The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1915-04-23
THE WORLD WIDE
WAR TRUST

Is there no way whatever, it may
be asked, by which the people can pro-
tect themselves from the greed of the
war trust magnates? Yes; just one
way. That is by the government TAX
ing the profit out of war and prepar-
ton for war by manufacturing all of
its own munitions, armor, cannon, and
battleships. Both Washington and
Lincoln advocated the naturalization
of the manufacture of war munitions
as sound public policy. Government
manufacture as policy need have no
bearing whatever on the question of
whether we shall have large or
small navy. Those who advocate gov
eminent manufacture Of all war equip
ment 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 manufacture
all of it's own war materials, millions
of dollars will be saved annually to
the taxpayers as a result of the al
ready demonstrated ability of Uncle
Sam to manufacture at a cost much
below the prices of the war trust, as
shall show. Government manufac-
ture will mean that the workmen who
perform the labor of actually making
the munitions will receive higher
wages and better working conditions
than the employees of the ring OF
private contractors receive las these
firms number among them the most
bitter enemies of organized labor in
the United States, working 81 per cent
of their employees II hours a day,
according to a report OF the United
States bureau of labor made Just after
an investigation in 1910.
ProftMongering at Base of Mlitarsm
Fortunate indeed would it be for
this nation today if the government
had a monopoly Of the manufacture
of all munitions of war. 1t is not the
average American, the man who Will
be required to do the fighting and pay
the bills if we become embroiled In
the European conflict, who is jeapord-
izing our peace. The average Ameri-
can is remaining at home, attending
to his business. 1t Is the ring of war
trafficking private arms and ammuni-
ton firms who are endangering the
peace and welfare of 1O0,O00,O00 peo-
pie in order that they may satisfy
their greed for profit. If we go to
war, it will not be on account of any
thing the average American has done,
but because as NATION we have neg
lected to safeguard our peace by TAX
ing the profit out of war and prepare
ton for war.
Because l believe it is my duty to
do so, desire now to take the respon-
sibility of directing the attention of
the American people to the fact that
their money appropriated for the army
and navy is being wasted by the mil
lions, and to take the responsibility
of identifying the war traffickers, so
that the taxpayers may know where
the millions upon millions Of their
money that has been dumped into the
bottomless pit of militarism have been
going, are going, and will continue to
20 unless public opinion shall arise
in it's 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, something in
visible, or is it possible definitely to
place our finger upon it? Answer: 1t
is possible.
Who the Armor Ring "Patriots" Are.
The armor ring is the Bethlehem
steel 90, Ine MluNdic OICCi WV oii"
the Carnegie Steel Co. These three
firms, exclusive of their subsidiary
war-trafficking auxiliaries, have drawn
down since 1887 from the navy depart
ment alone for the single item OF
armor plate contracts aggregatlng
sos, 62S,912, divided as follows: Beth
lehem, $42,321,237; Carnegie, $32,-
954,377; Midvale, $2O,35S,2sS.
| have Just stated that the armor
ring is composed of the Bethlehem,
Midvale, and Carnegie companies. Re-
member the names!
Now, the armament ring is COM
posed of Midvale, Bethlehem, and Car
negie. Ammunition ring, Carnegie,
Midvale, and Bethlehem. We will add
to the ammunition ring, for good
measure, the Du Pont Powder Trust,
which has no competitors in the sale
of smokeless powder to the govern
ment for reasons that will appear most
remarkable when explained. The pow
der trust has obtained contracts ag'
gregating about $25,O0O,000 since 1905.
One Terre Haute man confesses
that he voted twelve times In one pre-
cinct last fall. No wonder that for
ton wears the limited States census