Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-09-26
THE DANGERS OF.
A PROSPERITY
FOUNDED ON WAR
New York Letter Deals in Com.
mon Sense Way with a Prob
lem of the Nation-Latest by
the Railway Brotherhoods,
and to the Foxy Railroads.

and to the Foxy Railroads.
New York. Sept. &.-(Special).-T
total exports from the United States for
the year ending June 30. 1916. amounted 20
81, 1888 65s, 900. According to the New
York Times, which Is enthusiastically
supporting President Wilson and which
has made careful study Of the subject,
three-fourths Of these exports constituted
war trade. That is, Of the export trade
Of the United States during the war end
ing June 80, $3,249 100000 was due solely to
the European war. What does that
mean? 1t means that the amount re-
than sufficient to pay 100000 workmen
$3.50 a day for an entire year, Of 312 days.
What Is to become, then, Of at least 5000,
600 American workmen when the end of
the war cuts Off this trade? Actually, a
far greater number Of workmen will be
affected because, Of course, the sum re-
ceived for war supplies was divided be-
tween material and labor, with a percen-
tage of profit to the employer.
1t Is a reasonable assumption in view Of
the character Of the war exports, that
labor did not receive more than half of
the sum paid to the United States for war
supplies. OF course. some workmen re-
ceived much more than $3.50 per day.
Others received less, but allowing for
these variations and for the share which
went for material, rent Of buildings. in
terest on plant, wear and tear Of ma
chinery and employers profit, 1t Is a per-
fectly reasonable assumption that not
less than 100000 workmen were paid
their entire wages out Of the receipts for
war materials.
Does it take college professor. or even
a politician to figure out that the great
est need Of this country today is indus
trial preparedness; that II this nation
fails to take steps now to protect itself
against the terrific slump in its export
trade when war ends, 1t will experience a
period Of unemployment, soup-kitchens,
bread-lines and all the suffering and pr!
walton which come when literally MIL
lions Of men are suddenly thrown out of
employment and must walk the streets
seeking opportunities to exchange their
labor for bread? The question which the
intelligent voters Of this country will ask
themselves before they vote Is "Are we
for continued watchful waiting, or for In
dustrial preparedness2''
CHARACTER OF EXPORTS - The
scope Of this letter will permit Of only
summary Of the war exports. Among
them we find s173.0o0,00O for gunpowder:
50. 100000 for dynamite and $252.0oo. 900 for
all other explosives; $1s,O00.000 for fire.
arms; s37,0O00o0 for cartridges; $1,000 900
for aeroplanes; $24, ,0Oo, 900 for barbed wire,
used in making defenses; nearly s1oo,c'o,
600 for horses and mules, $13s 900 for
automobiles and parts thereof. OF course
the instant that peace Is In sight the
demand for all these. things must cease.
In fact, many Of the contracts already
awarded to American manufacturers con-
tain a clause permitting cancellation at
any time the war shall end. In his west
ern speeches, Gov. Hughes Is urging that
a definite policy Of industrial prepared
ness be adopted and his insistenc" upon
the necessity therefor meets with enthu-
siastic response from every workman.
every farmer and every manufacturer In
his audience.
CARRANZA CLEVER-General Car
rama has proved that he Is at least
clever-if ungrateful-by threatening to
order a strike of his New London dele
gates if President Wilson does not
Immediately withdraw Pershing's force
from Mexican territory. Profiting by the
example Of the Brotherhood presidents.
Ill ntot tfvync
at New London that the time to gain con-
cessions and surrenders from the Wilson
is now-on the eve OF the
election-and not after the election Is
over. He has instructed them to heed the
example of the Brotherhood chiefs and
that If they do so they are certain 10
gain success, whereas. II they permit
themselves to be flattered and entertained
and cajoled until after the Presidential
election, they may be able to gain nothing
worth while His first demand. and it is
a preemptory one, is that President VIII
son order Pershing's force and all Ameri-
can troops off Mexican soil. and he has
told his delegates to make that demand
so plain that there can be no misunder-
standing about it. The willy old Mexican
has accurately plumbed the purpose OF
the Wilson administration to tide things
over until after the election. and he will
have none Of it.
FOR VALUE RECEIVED-The Broth
erhood of Railway Trainmen has sent an
appeal to all its members to vote for
President Wilson and defeat "our ene-
miles," while it is intimated that each OF
the other abrotherhoods which profited by
the Wilson-Adamson wage increase law
will do the same. The course Of the
brotherhoods is. Of course, merely the
payment Of q just debt. q service rem
dered for value received in advance. II
not specifically agreed to In advance. 1t
doubtless was we'll understood by those
leaders Of the administration who first
the railway-wage crisis and
then forced Congress to enact law
which gave a Is per cent increase Of
wages to the 25 per cent. Of railway en-
ployes represented by the brotherhoods.
Opinion even among the brotherhoods is,
however, by no means unanimous that
they are obligated by President Wilson's
great gift to vote for him. A N. Y. Sun