The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-05-18
Talk of COnscripting
Capital Is Just Now
Untimely and Unjust

war does not only demand its toll of human
hfe N requires a limitless expenditure OF
money Never I'm The history OF wars has money
been 80 necessary 30 military SUCCESS iGreat
Britain alone s spending THIRTY FIVE NIL
LION DOLLARS day as Der share Oh ine
wars expense)
those who have a comfortable surplus. ana
especially all who viii remain az home protect
ed by the sacrifice OF me nations young man
hood, The least that can De done by me men
and women with bank accounts the men To-"
old 10 fight and an other people or means VINO
do not go 20 the front. is 90 bear their snare OF
The nations burden hy hc free and prompt
offering OF their wealth TO The nations cause.
America needs more than spoken loyalty from
It's citizens who stay al home lt needs rear
support
In war. tho burden of fighting must he car.
ried BY those who are physically strong and it
10 fight The burden o. finance must oe oern'
bv those who are financially strong and able 70
give. Above all. The war must DO pala ioF rs "
proceeds In dollars as well as M uyes mere
must be no crushing legacy Of bonded deol 70
be paid in taxes by Pc men VINO nave Zone 'Nt
lighting and their children Let us make This q
rash war. pay.as YOU go. Let an loyal citizens
who have incomes above their immediate neces
stiles volunteer their wealth.
The people Of the United States have never
tailed TO respond 10 their country need. Ihey
never will In our Civil War million men 'e
quarter OF the whole population OF military age
volunteered az Lincoin's call during me hrsl
year But the nations private fortunes ara nov
volunteer They declared for patriotism WINE
they profited on the Countrys necessity on
Rressional committees disclosed gigantic graft
and thefts from the government In war con
tracts The public need not be reminded Of the
experiences during the Spanish-American war
Let us not forget these bitter lessons OF history
We have quoted from a declaration
that reaches US from the Committee on
War Finance" composed Of a number OF
prominent Americans who make their
appeal, of course, from patriotic motives.
What they urge is selective conscrip-
ton of dollars, from those who are best
able TO give, just as selective conscrip-
ton of men calls for the sacrifice Of their
lives by those who are best able TO die
The theory of selective CONSUMPTION
of men is that men who can be spared
for the battlefield shall not remain al
home.
The theory of the committee is that
dollars which can best be spared for
meeting the expense of war should not
remain at home.
The criticism The Times would make
OF the appeal by the committee is tnat
it is untimey and too broadly questions
the patriotism of capital, just as the con-
scription of men, taken hastily, too
broadly questions their patriotism.
The government has indicated to in
vested capital that it may expect to carry
no light burden during the war and after
the war.
No complaint has been heard, how
ever, except in cases of rank diScrimina-
ton, AS in the instance of the automobile
manufacturers, whose protest is justified.
Everywhere there is an evident will
ingness, amounting almost to an eager
ness, on the part of the country's capital,
to do its bit.
Our faith in American red blood and
American fidelity leads US to believe that
horded and idle capital will come TO the
fore too.
1t should at least be given chance
to do so, and until it has failed to do so
CONSUMPTION would hardly be just.