Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-29
Economic Cooperation .-.-...-. .
Among the Allies

The United States assumes a thoroughly fitting
and highly important duty in taking charge Of
the central purchasing agency established by the
nations at war with Germany. Conferred in one
competent organization, the business OF buying
supplies for the Allied armies can be more eco
nomically conducted than heretofore. The saw
ings will be not only in money but also in time
and energy. and the result will be heightened
efficiency in the prosecution of the war.
One of the pronounced advantages of Ger
many. in the first two years of the war-and a
pronounced disadvantage of the Allies-was her
compact and wonderfully effective economic or
ganization. She had marshaed her industries
fully into the service of the vast machine
which for forty years she had been developing.
In this in all other particulars she was pre-
pared for her monstrous crime against civiliza-
ton The Entente alliance, on the contrary,
lacked the rudiments of economic organiza-
ton for war purposes. year more was neces-
sary for England to get the manufacture of mu-
nitions adequately under way; and it not
until late in 1916 that a cotcert of business &C
tion among all the members of the Entente group
was we'll worked out.
The establishment of the central purchasing
agency indicates the swift, far strides which the
Allies more recently have taken. Inasmueh
the greater part of the staples which the En-
tente requires, come from this side of the water,
il is fitting that the United States should have
charge of the buying; and there is the additional
reason that great deal of the money to be spent
in the common cause will be from American bond
issues. Our Government bring to bear upon
the purchasing problem the same degree of expert
ness that it will bring to bear on the problem of
food control. 1t can hold in check the specula-
tors and extortioners. II reduce wastes. 1t
the broadcast interests of each country
in the Allied cause by administering for their
common good the purchasing fund and the sup
plies on which they all dependent.
The international cooperation thus practiced
will be valuable, within certain limits, after the
now; and the chances that 1t will be
highly needful For nearly three years the de-
struction OF the basic commodities and the
sential machinery which industry depends has
swept ceaslessly forward with the devouring haste
of confagration. The world that emerges from
this will be in urgent need Of outstanding it's
depleted resources and making its energies count
for the utmost in the giant tasks, of reconstruc-
ton. The nations that fighting for
democracy and civilization will have need of
standing together when peace returns, not in any
spirit Of narrow hate for any purpose of re-
venge. but for the security of the vast interests
they hold in trust. Broad international agreements
win be necessary to make the reduced food sup
plies go around and TO make the woefully reduced
merchant tonnage do. the required work. In this
particular alone years will be needed to restore
the worlds ocean shipping facilities to a normal
basis. In the meantime there must be generous
and efficient cooperation among Governments
and among peoples to keep the processes Of the
worlds commerce and industry serviceable
The probability is'indeed that we shall never
return to the spirit and practice of the narrow
nationalism which throve before the war any more
than we shall return to the Grass individualism
which fostered the doctrine of laissez faire. The
economic we'll military cooperation of the
Allies gives promise of internationaIism that
will bring into the common life of mankind new
freedom, new security~and larger hope of en-
during peace. - Be-.