The Monte Vista journal., 1915-05-01
Worldwide War Trust

Hon. Clyde II. Tavenner, young
member of congress from Illinois,
has earned the appreciation of the
entire country through his able.
courageoug and tireless efforts to
stake the profit out Of war" He
has exposed the Armor Ring that
has extorted millions of dollars
wrongfully from Uncle Sam He
fought on the floor of the House o.
Representatives sor government man
ufacture of all ma terials needed in
war preparations.
Gardner, of Massachusetts re
Gently made the statement that ''if
war were to break out today, it
would be found that our coast de-
lenses have not sufficient ammun-
ton for an hours fight"
Mr. Tavenner calls the gentleman's
attention to the fact that the army
and navy officers in twenty years
have purchased s175, 100000 worth
of armor, armament. and munitions
from four firms which have mon.
opoly in this country on the manu-
facture of such supplies and have
paid this grasping war trust from
20 to 60 per cent more than the
same articles could have been manu-
featured for in government plants.
The war department in 1913 pur-
chased seven thousand 4.7-inch
shrapnel from the ammunition ring,
paying $25.26 each therefor. At the
same time precisely the same shrap-
mel was being manufactured in the
government-owned Frankford arse
nal for sl5.45, all overhead charges
included.
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 themselves at the public
trough.
Congress can investigate the war
trust until it is black in the face,
and it will get nowhere. The secre-
tary of the navy can try as he will
to get some one to underbid the ar
NOR ring, either in this country or
abroad, and he will not be able to
escape the net; he has tried and has
not been able to escape it.
Armor, armament, and ammuni-
ton contractors are not big enough
fools to cut each others throats.
Their business is to supply for a gi-
gantic profit the wherewithal for the
peoples of the earth to enjoy mon
opoly of throat cutting and the pull
ing OF limb from limb. AS for them
selves, they do not indulge in price
cutting warfare. Their game 10
purely profit-making.
Is there no way whatever by which
the people can protect themselves
from the greed Of the war trust mag
mates? Yes; Just one way. That is
by the government taking the profit
out of war and preparation for war
by manufacturing ell of it's own mu-
nltions, armor, cannon, and battle
ships. Both Washington and Lin
coin advocated the naturalization
or the manufacture of war NUM-
tons as sound public policy
The armor ring is the Bethlehem
Steel company. the Midvale Steel
company. and the Carnegie Steel
company. These three firms, eXclu-
sive of their subsidiary war-traffic
ing auXiliaries, have drawn down
since 1887 from the navy depart
ment alone for the single item of
armor plate contracts aggregating
S95.629,912.
We are manufacturing 31-sec-
ond combination fuse in the govern
ment arsenal for S292 for which we
have been paying the ring 81.
If the government builds an armor
plant and paddock is placed on its
doors as soon as it is completed. and |
IL is never used, it will, in the opin-
ion of Secretary Daniels. nav for IL.
SELF simply by enabling him to OBJ |
tam tair treatment from the armor
N n n = M, 70 otr