Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-04-14
THE WORLDWIDE WAR TRUST.


tBy Congressman Clyde III. Tavcnner.)
sat recently in the mouse Of repre-
sentativcs and heard the Hon. Augustus
Gardner cf Massachusetts. make the
statement upon his responsibility n =
member of the American congress that
If war were IL break out to-day. ~
would he found that our coast defcnSes
hove not sufficient ammunition for I'm
hours fight"
Whether or not Mr.. Gar,lncr'S state
ment is correct | can not say. be .auSc !
do not know: but this | 10 know. that w
do not have the ammunition and arma
mcnt that We have paid for and should
have in return for the countless millions
of dollars If the American peoples
money that rave been expended from I'll"
Public Treasury.
mean "a say that those who do the
purchasing Of war munitions and who
are paid a salary ~ the people Z" Sc
that the government receives a dollars
worth of material for every dollar cN-
pended have permitted a ring of ammu
milton manufacturers a. uu~tragcnuSly
overchargc Uncle Sam for armnr. guns.
powder. and munitions in general.
For instance. the war department IN
l913 purchased seven thousand l1inch
Shrapncl from the munition ring. pay
ing S25.H each therefor. Al the same
time precisely the same >hrapncI was
being manufactured i'm the governmnt-
owned Frankford ar>nal for Sll.il. all
overhead charecS included.
Mr.. Average Citizen. are ynu willing
that the public officials il the war de-
partmcnt who are spending our money
should paw ~2J.36 for IN article that they
could have manufactured i'm government
plants for Sl6I5?
This instance is not the exception. il
j. the rule. The army and navy officers
in ~ years have purchased Sl75.o0ndnn
worth ~ armor. armament. and MUM
'tionS from four firms which base 4 mo
nopoly la this country ON the manufac-
turcrs Of such supplies aud have paid
this era>ping war trust from ~ a. 90
per cent more than the same articles
could have been manufactured for in
government plants.
AS the result of frequently repeated
statements similar a. that made v, Mr..
Gardner. the average citizen j. ~ least
beginning 1" ask What hrcnmrS w
the S2J0.0oO n00 that is being spent an
a'A VII fil IfmA anu liNN
The American people have never been
lei into the secret II who the profit max
crs are IN the traffic war and prcpara
tin for war in this country. and the
methods w which they HELM themselves
10 the public trough will 20 further
and venture the assertion that not ~
members IF congress know the identity
~ the select ring that patriots for prof
II into whose packets the millions of the
masses are pouring. which gentlemen
have Il water tight monopoly ia this
country on the traffic If war trading and
who have drawn down every penny ~
~.lu.u0.nM IN excessive and cNtnrtionatr
profits ~ the army and navy. AMI ~ con
2rcs>. Lest any gentlemen in high MA
crs should resent the implication ~ ~.
lng friends of the war trust | hasten M
the outset 10 cuncr'lc their contentious
That they are patriots. YES all Of them.
Congress can investigate the war
trust until il i black in the face. aud il
VIII Get here. The - rrtarN nf the
navy can try n he will 10 get someone
- uadcrhld the armnr ring. either in this
country or abroad. and h. will not ~
able L. r>rapc The net he has tried and
mas not been able to escape ID.
Armor. armament. and ammunition
contractors are not big enough fnul> w
cut each Others threats. Their business
y to supply for \ gigantir profit The
wherewithal for the peoples of the earth
Y" enjoy = monopoly If throat cutting
and the pulling of linn from limb. Is
I"r themselves. they 10 not indulge in
price cutting warfare. Their game u
purely pr"ft making. They start The
bali rolling hy making nations diStru>t
inI 81 one another, and then inducing
them '" "vcrprcparc for war Does any.
one doubt that e the European war MI.
lions bad no been 80 o%vrrprcparrI rnr
war they would have been 80 willing Ia
have entered H.?