Evening journal., 1915-07-21
CALLING IN THE EXPERTS.

To the Editor OF THE EVENING
JOURNAL
Sir-Edison, Wright. Bell, Ford
and other great inventors and organ
izers have been asked TO lend their
assistance to preparing this nation
for war These men nave already
done more than all the generals and
admirals turned out from West Point
and Annapolis and more than all the
Blow-Hole Armor produced by the
steel Trust to make this country
powerful
They have done this by multiplying
the power Of the workers Of this ma
tion 10 produce wealth. In the last
analysis it is nations power to Gre
ate in its workshops and on IT'S
farms that makes it powerful even
in the barbarous scramble for war.
II Is the food he has had and the
training of his hands ana eyes that
makes a champion pugilist and not
the ingenious way in which his gloves
may be fitted to his hands II is Ger
many's educational and mechanical
Organization that has made her su-
perlor to the millions Of Russia's ig-
norant hand working. starved and op-
pressed peasants
Her strength lies in her workshops
and well fed workers far more than
in her Krupps Hindenburgs and
Kaiser's.
If the United States wishes really
To strengthen the nation and make Il
invincible against attack Il should add
another group 10 its experts" Those
already selected are good if the only
problem was one OF production Of mu-
nitions of warfare or even of wealth
OF any sort. But when the defence
of nation is to be considered some
thing more than increased power OF
production is needed. If the can
non fodder" Of the war our iingoes de-
sire is to be half-fed. clothed in rags,
housed in slums, and taught patriot
ism with policemans club and law Of
country by such judges as sentenced
Lawson, Schmidt and Caplan, then no
amount Of heaping up guns and ships
and forts and ammunition will make
this nation strong.
There are sone other experts that
should be called in. OF course a
Democratic or Republican admins
tration could not think OF calling
upon a Socialist for advice in such
cases Notwithstanding the fact that
one big lesson of this war is that each
nation has gained in strength almost
IN the precise degree that il has
adopted the program of Socialism.
But other experts who could give
advice that would 20 further toward
making the United States invincihle
man that could De given by the great
inventors whose talents have been en-
listed. To a large degree these inven-
tors have already done their best
They have almost solved the problem
of production The great new prob
lem is one of distribution and organ
ization.
For this purpose il might be- well
10 call in such men as Or. Nearing.
who could tell Congress how Ameri-
can workers arc being starved until
they are UNIT even for the trade Of
killing and being killed. II would be
well TO ask for the cooperation OF
those who could tell of old age. ae-
cident and sick pensiors, of proper
housing, of intelligent taxation. Of
TIVE utilization OF national resources
for national purposes, Of methods of
relief for tenant farmers and starv-
ing miners and sweatehop~ workers.
Once these problems are solved and
We have a nation Of 100000.000 strong
happy, healthy men, women and chill
dren to whom the nation meant some
thing more than big stick welded