The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-12-30
SURP[USPR0F|TS
Of. 7 TRUSTS R S PERIL
AMERICAN PEACE:
BY BASIL M. MANLY.

BY BASIL M. MANLY.
WASHINGTON, Dec. %. - War
prosperity is pouring into the cof-
fers of Americas money barons bill
lions of dollars which are not allowed
to remain idle, but are already at
work earning more dollars for their
owners.
Wh>~ il ling done with them?
Are they being put to work to
make america strong and efficient,
to develop her unused resources, or
are they being sent out into the world
to fight the dollars of foreign capital
lists for the loot of the weaker ma
tons?
Just now the for ign dollars are
not in fighting trim, but this will only
make the battle more unrelenting
when they are free to take the field.
When dollars figh- dollars in the
foreign field, human blood must be
shed to settle the fight. The Euro
pean war is the supreme evidence OF
this truth, and our own ENVIRONMENTS
in Mexico sta--l as visible proof.
Exploit Mexican People.
Foreign trade is 4. It would
have been in the interest of peace for
the United States to have had an
enormous trade with Mexico, sending
her out manufactures in exchange
for her copper, gold, mahogany and
hemp. But concessions, "spheres of
Influence and monopolization of an
other country's natural resources are
an entirely different matter. They
spell war.
ic 1cix hot H,@
great American money powers do not
intend to utilize more than small
portion of their surplus billions in de-
ural resources.
They say our railroads need
100000 of new capintal each
year, but the money trust is taking
capital available from increased earn
ings out Of the railroads, rather than
putting it in.
Neglect Home Country.
Up-to-date equipment is sorely
NEEDED in many of our industries.
Water power lies unused for want of
capital in all parts of the country.
Reclamation work is left exclusively
f. the federal government to finance
out of it's hard-pressed resources.
And at the same time billions are
being Int into foreign fields.
Under the leadership of the Ma
tional Cit, bank, the heart of the
money trust, the American Interna-
tional corporation has been formed
to invest the surplus wealth of the
Morgan-kockefeller group in foreign
fields. Control of South American
resources is their objective and large
investments are already under. way
in Peru, Argentir~ and Brazil.
The beef trust is sending it's sur
plus out to complete it's control of
meat in Argentina and Brazil
Judge Gary has returned from a
trip to the orient, where his main OBJ
jective was investment of the steel
trusts surplus in securing control of
the wonderful iron and coal deposits
in China, if proper understandings
could be had with Japan.
The Guggenheims have parties of
engineers and prospectors scurryins
all over South America on the look
out for copper bonanzas. In this
hunt they are in keen competition
with the Standard Oil-Amalgamated
Copper interests.
The sugar magnateS are reported
to have their eyes on great conces-
sions in Brazil.
These mad rushes for control of
South American natural resources
are real menace to the peace of the
United States. The South American
nations will recent "gringo DONNA
ton" even more bitterly than the
MeXicans.
TO get a clear sense of their feel
ings, imagine that German or Rus
sian capital was ostentatiously at
tempting corner on our mineral re-
sources and our meat supply.
A demand for expulsion and con-
fiscation would become a national is
sue inevitably.
Hatred of the hyphenate would be
mild in comparison. With the vola-
tile Latin temperament of the South
Americans, the result will be even
more sure and speedy. Then will
come the call for the American army
and navy to revenge outrages upon
American citizens.
The American people have dou-
BILE interest in this question of the
disposition by capitalists of our sur
plus wealth. Its investment at home
is needed to insure our national de-
velopment and it's investment abroad
should be checked to safeguard our
international relations.
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