The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-10-02
THE BANKERS OPINION.

course attracted a great deal of at tention. The conventions of these men usually do. That is inevitable. It may be expected. It could not be otherwise.
 It is wholly immaterial that they l do not some of them reach the in- ', tellectual standard of an illiterate; 1 it is wholly beside the question that some of them know as little about 1 art and science as an untralned l monkey. Inasmucb as they control the wealth of the country, and vest ed in that wealth is Power, their opinions must be not only re- ceived with respect, but considered at some length as due them who re- present, if not the people, at least the power that controls the people. Surely no person is going to ques- tion the importance, socially, ot these men. If any one did. the press would speedily remove any doubts one
  press refecting clearly the econo- mic power of the land, loses no op- portunity of swinging incense before the deliberations of these men. Now at that convention Nanderlip urged preparedness as the prime necessity of the hour. He urged it's necessity in order that conditions in industry and commerce might continue pros porous. To him these were the only things worth consideration, and they should at all hazards he attended to.
 It is an interesting fact in connec- tion with the persistent arguments in favor of preparedness that are heard from the Nanderlips, few urge that the very basis of such ! policy must be the establishment ih the country of such industrial con- ditions as men would willingly fight tor, and such degree of personal freedom and individual rights as the masses would not willingly fore go. Instead. they urge that con scription is a social necessity and all for the purpose of preserving prosperity"
 But whose is the prosperity? The wealth of the United States is con- trolled by a very slender few. And it would appear obvious that their interest in preparedness is much greater than is that of the masses who have nothing to protect but their job, and often not that.
 Yet it is quite evident that the foundation of all preparationist po- licies that might be received without cavil would be such a one as would insist upon the greater happiness and the greater comfort Of the mas Ses; a higher standard Of living; security against unemployment; pro- lection in old age; attention during sickness and generally insurance against destitution and poverty,
 Yet, it must be understood, that the Nanderlips speak with no earth ly consideration of the workers. He spoke purely and simply for the class to which he belongs: the class which has the Power and which con trols society. He knows that it is merely of such as himself, that con- sideration need be had.
 Accordingly it is quite natural that these preparedness views are concerned only in so far as they at- feet the welfare of the great econo- mic interests in society: pre-emin- ently the Vanderlips, the Morgans, the Rockefellers and the rest, and experience has taught them that the nation makes their interests the na- tional interests, for the very simple reason that they have economic con trol of the nation.
 Whatever one may think of such a system, at least it will do no good denying its existence. It will do no good denying that diplomacy, and WHcIC ulplOlhdNs Adiio tiS hotioho arms, are used almost exclusively to advance those interests. If the in terests of the wage workers alone were concerned, the United States and every other country would have enduring peace. But because it i' not the interests of the workers, but the interests of the industrial, com mercial and financial magnates tha' are concerned, preparedness be comes a matter of vital urge and 3 pHme necessity.