American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-01-11

of a century old. And II You VIII look INTO tne queSL1OH1
you will find that the last twenty-five years about marks
the development Of the long distance telephone. 1t was
that development that made 1T possible for a man TO SIT
in his office in New York or Chicago or San Francisco,
and give his orders on the moment to his heutenants. And
| firmly believe that if the age of electricity should cease
tomOrrow-at the crack Of a finger as it were-within
twenty-four hours every one of our big trusts would be-
gin 70 disintegrate. Big business does not merely thrive
on communication. 1t is vital to its very existence.
Now come back to these same two countries, Germany
and the United States. Consider their separate indus
trial courses during the past twenty-five years. In each
the big trusts sprang up, logically you might say, be-
cause Of the great development Of long distance telepho-
nv. In Germany these trusts-the cartes, as they call
them over there-were recognized as a logical economical
development and so they were encouraged. And because
of them, Germany began to feel her oats. Instead of a
collection of individual states she found herself a world
power, not merely in a military sense, but in a commercial
sense. Her n%eighb0rs across the North sea began to
evince a nervous regard for her growing commercial
power. 1t is worth noting too, that for fully three years
before the beginning OF the great war, there was practi-
cally no immigration out of Germany. Her people, gen
orally speaking, were better housed, better fed, better
clothed than the people of any other nation in Europe.
And yet a quarter of a century before the reverse was
true. The trusts brought Germany her great prosperity.
81 think that it was Bismarck who at one time noting
the difference between his country and ours, said: Wait
till you have finished with the cream and begin with the
milk BY that he meant that, when through the develop
ment of the West, our density of population had moved
as far as the Pacific coast and had begun to double east
once again; when life and industry became too conges-
ted for comfort and success or mere existence, perhaps,
and was a matter of sharp efficiency, the American Re
public would have its first real test of business worth.
Bismarck was right. The whole German industrial
idea, of which he was i'm no small measure a founder, is
fundamentally sound. Our American industrial idea as
it exists today is not sound. How different In these Uni
ted States from the shrewd, broad, far-seeing industrial
policy Of Germany. Germany may and does plan still
further concentration of her industry; in our own be-
loved country we plan to divide our disorganized and
distracted industrial units into still smaller, less effec-
tive units. Germany has learned to regulate and respect
her trusts. We look upon ours as industrial menaces.
We always have done that. Politicians with their own
1 a m grind foctprpd the DQttV 9OItQG and IQalOuSlpE that
arose at the beginning of these organizations, and be-
hold, we had a new national business doctrine. The bus
mess fabric that was good enough for our fathers was
to be good enough for us. Competition was to be forev-
err the life of trade-the Sherman Act our eleventh COM
mandment This was our doctrine-a foolish doctrine
born while a mighty evolution and revolution were pre-
ceeding in the industrial world. Our politicians and our
petty statesmen blinded themselves to this evolution and
revolution. Yet in the long run they can not blind them
selves to its effects.
"The military and naval experts talk of the unprepar-
edness of our country for national defense against the
possibility of a military invasion. But how about an in
dustrial invasion"
Perkins asks you the question himeslf-with his blunt
directness-then without waiting for you to answer pre-
pares to follow ii up with another. 1t comes-within a
space measured by seconds rather than by minutes:
"Are we ready to protect ourselves against such an in
vasion?"
He answers his question.
With the Sherman act-that eleventh commandment
of which | was Just now speaking! And what a defense!
For as sure as God made little apples we are coming in for
such an invasion, and it is going to begin within twenty
four hours after the European war closes. just consider
the history Of the present abnormal business situation
tariff wall was built, automatically built, around this
Europe had to turn her attention instantly from manufac-
turing goods that she could sell in times of peace to man
ufacturing war materials for use in her own great strug-
gle. Hundreds of thousands of men were taken out of
her factories and placed in her armies. In addition to
this she found herself compelled to come to us for war
supplies. Her orders for these set our idle factories to
work. Prosperity came came upon us for a season. If
we do not both beware and prepare, 1t will be an exceed