Denver labor bulletin., 1915-08-28
WAR TRUST CRASPS
AMERICAN PEOPLE
ConfresSman Tavcnnef Tells
of How II Works
Patfists for Profit Are SteaIinf Millions
Of Dollars Annually From Treas
ury Of the United States
By CLYDE H. rAvENNER.

] sat recently in the house of repre-
sentative and heard the Hon. Augustus
Gardner Of Massachusetts make the
statement upon his responsibility as a
member Of the American congress that:
If war were to break out today, it
would be found that our coast defenses
have not sufficient ammunition for an
hours fight
Whether or not Mr.. Gardner's state
ment is correct | cannot say, because !
do not know; but this 1 do know, that
we do not have the ammunition and
armament that we have paid for and
should have in return for the countless
millions Of dollars OF the American peo-
pies money that have been expended
from the public treasury.
/ mean to say that those army and
navy. officers who do the purchasing of
war munitions and who are paid sal
airy b. the people and are trusted by
the people to see that the government
receives a dollars worth of material for
every dollar expended, have permitted a
ring OF ammunition manufacturers to
outrageously overcharge Uncle Sam for
armor. guns, powder, and munitions in
general.
How the Trick Is Turned.
IOT lD-lanct- the MAT ueiaf tutnt III
1918 purchased seven thousand 4.7-inch
shrapnel from the ammunition ring. pay
ing S2j.2G each therefor At the same
being manufactured in the government
owned Frankford arsenal for sl5.45, all
overhead charges included.
Mr.. Average Citizen, are you willing
that the public officials in the war de-
partm.nt who are spending your money
shonld pay S25.2G for an article that
they could have manufactured in gov
er1sment plants fortsl545t
This instance i not the exception, it
is the rule. The army and navy Off
GERS IL twenty years have purchased
sI750o0oO worth of armor. armament.
aud munitions from four firms, which
have q monopoly in this country on the
manuiaeture OF such supplies and have
paid this grasping war trust from 20 to
co per cent more than the same ar
ticles could have been manufactured for
in government plants
As a result of frequently repeated
statements similar to that made by Mr.
Gardner. the average citizen is at last
beginning to ask: What becomes of the
s250.0noo0 that is being spent annually
on ou- army and navy Who, pray, is
getting the money!"
People Getting Anxious.
Apa~it is time the people are begin
uing 10 show anxiety. because their
money has been -quandered like water.
and unIe-s Mr. Average Citizen wakes
up and removes the wool from his eyes
il is going to continue to be squandered.
The American people have never been
let into the secret of who the profit
makers are in the traffic of war and
preparation for war in this country. and
the methods by which they help them
selves. at the public crib. | will 20 fur
thcr and venture the assertion that not
thirty members of congress know the
identify Of the select ring of patriots
for profit into whose pockets the mil
lions of the masses are pouring. which
gentlemen have wster-tight monopoly
in this country on the traffic of Wal
tracing. and who have drawn down every
penny of $50.0oo Ooo in excessive and ex-
to;ionate profits from the government
by direct virtue of their influential
friends in the army. the navy. and in
congress. Lest any gentlemen in high
places should resent the implication OF
being friends OF the war trust. hasten
at The outset to conccde their conten-
tions that they are patriots; yes, all of
them.
Manipulate Whole World.
The secretary OF the navy can try as
he viii to get some one to underbid the
armor ring. either in this country or
abroad. and he will not be able to escape
the nrt; he has tried and has not been
able to escape il.
Arnor. armament. and ammunition
contractors are not big enough fools tn
cut zach others throats. Their bust
ness is to supply for a gigantic profit
the wherewithal for the peoples OF the
earth to enjoy a monopoly OF throat cut.
ting and the pulling OF limb from limb.
A. for themselves. they do not indulge
in price-cutting warfare. Their game
is purely profit making They start the
ball rolling by making nations distrust-
ful Of one another. and then in inducing
them to over-prepare for war. Does
anyone doubt that if the European ma
tions had not been so overprepared for
war they would have been so willing to
have entered into III