New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-11
thc Editor ii Ii IrLbune.


Sir: For the past twenty years have
known America and studied 1t and done what
I could TO interpret it TO my own country
men in Great Britain: and since the war be
gan have watched at the closest range some
Of the object lessons in industrial prepared
ness that British experience has amply
furnished.
These must be my excuses for Offering an
opinion on what is. ! quite agree, matter
Of American domestic policy I mean the
armor plant bill. now pending iu Congress.
But when an Englishmau who is as attached
to the United States as I am sees Congress
flying in the face of all that the present war
has taught Us IN regard TO one OF the first
essentials of national defence IT ia difficult
for him TO keep silent
The armor plant bill embodies "a principle
which every belligercnt nation ln the Euro
pcan conflict would instantly dc1ounce "a,
fatal TO military success. Ask any sane man
i'm any of the warning countries what lesson
has been most deeply driven into his mind
by the experience Of the past eighteen month,
and be would answer unhesitatingly, the
value. the vital necessity. Of encouraging dur
ing the years of peace as many private man
ufacturers as possible to engage in the pro
duction OF war material
That, indeed, is the beginning and end of
preparedness. You can always get the
men. II is a much lengthier and an infinitely
more difficult business to arm and equip
them Modern war is d war of factories.
1t leves an unceasing toll on every ounce OF
industrial knowledge and skill that "a
country possesses. II is struggle of
mechanics and artisans just as truly as it is
a struggle Of soldiers; and victory goes 20
the nation that knows how to turn the
resources Of its manufacturers and the
efficiency Of its workmen to the best
account and that has at its disposal the larg-
est number of plants engaged in, or capable
Of being adapted to, the production OF the
vast and varied paraphernalia required by
the armies in the field.
No policy therefore. could be more suicidal
than one which drove out Of any branch OF
the munitions business firms that had special
led in it, do not care what it is rifles.
cartridges. guns. shells or armor plate
you simply cannot have too many factories
capable of turning out the material with
out which both your army and your navy
are impotent. As for de deliberately wning
out OF existence firms already engaged In
the armament industry. you might just as
well begin 20 prepare for war by disband-
ing half dozen regiments and scuttlng half
dozen battieshps.
Yet this precisely must be the effect. even
If II is not the intent Of the armor plant
bill now before Congress. If 1t passes i'm its
present form the armor-making firms In the
United States will be forced out OF the busi-
ness. That take TO be mathematical Ger
tainty. The private companies have among
them a capacity of $1,000 tons year. The
naval estimates call for an output Of $4,000
tons year for the next five years. That is
an unusually large programme, but, even so.
i leaves one-fourth OF the existing machin-
cry idle. If now you start "a government fac
tory with a capacity of 10000 tons there
will be only 1000 tons Of work 10 be dis
tributed among the private firms about
enough TO employ one-eighth Of their plants.
Any one can tell what will happen. The
private firms. with the capital they have sunk
in this branch of their business. with the
skill and experience they have accumulated.
and with their reserve power Of expansion.
must Ii timately be wiped out: and the gov
eminent will find itself dependent upon "a
single and rigidly restricted source of supply
for one Of the most essential implements OF
war.
Nha, is the genesis of this extraordinary
measure? SO far As ! can make out, IL owes
It's origin simply TO a suspicion that the
armor factories in this country have been
squeezing the government. There is appar-
entity no suggestion that the companies ar,
unable 10 turn out all the armor plate needed
I by the government Neither gather. j.
there any complaint. ut least not nowadays ;.
As 10 the quality OF their output. There Is,
however the belief that they have been
eNacting inordnnte profits.
AZ instinetiSey British and insular COM