The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-04

From the Manufacturers Record.
 K ' ATIONAL preparedness is chimer-
 M ical, an impossible unrealzable
 j. dream, unless radical changes are
 made in the iron and steel industry
 We have talked about living in a fools
 paradise because we are without an ade-
 auate army and navy. But a big navy
 and army will not take us out of fool s
 paradise until the national government
 and great iron and steel interests lessen
 the nations dependence for all it's muni-
 tions of war upon a limited area along
 the Atlantic coast, which in turn Is wholly
 dependent for ore upon two sources that
 might be cut off in time of war, leaving
 us utterly helpless.
 In view of the. suggestion that the na-
 tional government should establish an
 armor plate plant, it is important that
 the proper location should be carefully
 chosen from the standpoint of national
 welfare. At the same time the relations
 of the iron and steel industry to nationai
 preparedness should receive full atten-
 tion.
 Practically the entire production of mu-
 nitions of war and the facilities for build
 ing and docking warships are concen- trated in narrow strip of territory from
 Connecticut to Virginia. In this little strip, 200 or 300 miles in length and ex- tending on an average probably consid- erably less than 100 miles into the interior from the coast, our gun-making plants our armor- making plants, our shipbuild- ing concerns, our powder-making inter- ests are all closely concentrated. It IS conceivable that this limited area might at sometime in the future be under the control of an enemy, and if this should ever happen before these condi- tions have been changed, the rest of the country. probably 95 per cent of its area, would be absolutely helpless, as it would making arms, and without the facilities for building ships or equipping them if they were built
 Under these circumstances it is na- tional duty of vital interest to the ma tion that the government should do it's utmost to develop in other sections, and especially in the south, facilities for the manufacture of armor plate and the mak- ling of guns and of munitions of war. For these reasons 1t would, it seems to us, be most unwise for the government to add largely to it's facilities by the build ing of new plants for armor plate or kindred work in this limited area in the east, or in that portion of the west which, like the east. is dependent upon foreign or Lake Superior ores. On the other hand, there are sections in the central south having vast stores of iron ore from which can be made as high-grade steel as is pro- duced in this or any other country. Close 1 by these ores are almost limitless sup plies of coal and of other materials need ed There are also some sections in the west and southwest which should also be recognized in any broad scheme for national preparedness. These points are l in the interior. far enough away from the 1 eastern section to justify. and it seems | to us absolutely. demand on the part of | the government the establishment of armor plate and gun-making plants. It is scarcely conceivable that an enemy could lat the same time invade the Gulf of
 Mexico and capture that iron and steel