Semi-weekly herald., 1915-05-10
YOUNG DISCUSSES
UNCLE SANS SALE
OF WAR MUNITIONS
(By Lafayette Young.)

Wy s|Ai"y WV AVe'S'P
PARIS, April 1O.-(By Mail.)-I
was interested in reading DR.. Frank
Cranes article in The Capital against
the sale of war munitions on the part
of the United States to these coun-
tries which are at war.
/ agree with DR.. Crane entirely that
if the United States had been in a
condition to refuse the sale of am
munition to Great Britain and her
allies, and to Germany and her allies
the war might have been of short du-
ration. Results might have been sur
prising Some of the countries were
prepared for war, and had plenty of
munitions on hand, others had to
originate all their supplies before pro-
ceding very far.
There has not been much done in
the war during the past six months
because armies were being prepared
and ammunition was being manufac-
tured. 1t is difficult to exhaust ma
ton when such nation is put to its
wits ends for supplies. This was il
lustrated by the four years existence
of the confederate states in America.
Selling War Munitions.
If it were the settled policy of ma
tions not to sell war munitions to
other nations which are at war, every
nation maintaining great standing
army, would also purchase and store
copper, brass, lead, steel, iron and ev-
cry other metal required in the max
| ing of war materials against any pos
,sible demand for the same. No ma
tion would be foolish enough to main.
tain million men under arms and in
camps without having good idea as
to the place where supplies could be
obtained.
There is still another phase. Ma
tions with big armies and big ware.
houses filled with war materiols would
have the peacefully inclined nations
at their mercy. We have observed
that war is about the same now as it
was in the fourteenth century. The
rights of human beings are thrown to
the winds and human life becomes the
cheapest thing there is.
100 Much war SPIRIT.
l say l agree with DIR. Crane, that
it is not morally right to sell sup
plies for war purposes, but you must
go back of all that and prevent the
building up of tremendous armies
wherein there is nothing but the war
spirit. 1t was the war spirit which
brought on this war. 1t came because
SO many millions of young men had
been compelled to serve in the armies
and had acquired taste for the glor-
les of the military.
If DR.. Crane can suggest any meth
cd by which the building up of stand
ing armies shall not be permitted, he
will surely be a benefactor. Colonel
Roosevelt has said that the nations
which made agreements at The Hague
convention by which neutralities
should be observed, and also imposing
other conditons-should have the pow
er to intervene and enforce such de-
cislons. He very properly inquiries
Why have decision by The Hague
tribunal if there is no power any
where to enforce the same?"
u. s. Horses Furnished.
l do not know how extensively war
materials are being shipped from the
United States to some of these coun-
tries, but I presume the aggregate in
dollars would be large. Take the item
OF horses alone. Omaha, Kansas CITY
and st. Louis must have been doing
tremendous business in the sale of
horses. There is an American now in
Paris, representing some of these
large horse shippers, who has stated
that he would be prepared to take
contract to deliver 5000 horses per
day to the agents of France or anv
other government having the money,
ut any seaport in the United States.
1t is intimated that the great horse
buying establishments in the United
States have sort of agreement
which shall prevent price cutting as
regards horses and mules. At any
rate, presume so long as the NUM-
tions of war are not pronounced con-
traband by the rulings of The Hague
tribunal, the United States will con-
tinue to sell, and attempt to ship such
war supplies as the warning countries
may demand. And our country will
be accused of making profits out Of
the misfortune Of others.
Must Fight to Finish.
The American business man will
probably say In reply to DR.. Crane
and others who ayrss with him that