The Co-operative news. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1917-1918, 1917-10-25
BIG BUSINESS
COMING PROFITS
OUT OF BLOOD

NEW YORK.-In the third of a
series of open letters to the New
York Times made public here, Scott
Nearing, chairman of the executive
committee of the Peoples Council
of America renews his attacks upon
war profitters. Mr.. Nearing makes
the flat charge that American bust
ness interests have taken advantage
of the war to make huge profits for
themselves out of the United States
government. The letter reads!
"To the New York Times.
81 tried, in my last letter, to show
that the American business interests
had used the war in Europe as an
occasion for making money. They
talked about Supporting the Allies
for principle and humanity" but
when it came to selling! them steel
and shoe leather, the American bust
ness interests made about billion
a year in excess, of war" profits.
"Now, to carry the argument one
step farther, accuse the American
business interests of making profits
out of the United States government
since this country entered the war.
"The same profiteers who took
every occasion to enrich themselves
while the Allies were struggling
through the most critical plans Of the
war, have used Americas entrance
into the war as an occasion for max
ing of more blood dollars. In short,
the American business interests have
treated their own country as they
treated England and France, and
as they would have treated Germany
and Austria if opportunity offered
they have made what money they
could out of her.
GLOW shall I say it, so that no
one will ever misunderstood it
again? The profiteers are prof.
teers. A dollar is a dollar, and one
mans dollar is as good as the next.
That is why the American business
interests are making billions of
blood-dollars out of their own coun-
try's participation in the war.
"Let me cite a few illustrations.
Steel is one of the chief items in
war. If the United States Steel
Corporation wished to do so, it
could furnish steel to the United
States government at $25 to $50 a
ton, and pay every charge on it's
business, including interest and div
idend. The United States Steel
Corporation is actually getting $58
ton. The big copper mining COM
panies could sell copper to the Unit
ed States Government at Sc to 1Oc
per pound and make profit. The
price to Uncle Sam is 23kc. The
soft coal operator could sell coal
profitably to the government at 81.
They are getting So. So might
go on citing the prices which the
government is paying for shoes, for
blankets, for tenting, for sugar, for
flour. In every case the business
men who are supplying their things
to the government are doing it at an
immense profit to themselves. 81
accuse the American business inter-
ests of making profits out of the
United States Government since the
country entered the war-huge scan
dalous profits-profits that would
be impossible in peace; prifits
that can be made only during
periods of crisis. Profits for prof
iteers whose country is dollar
mark and whose god is gold.
ooh, yes, l have heard you bust
ness men during the past three
years, shouting patriotism from the
house-tops. You stood up when
the Star Spangled Banner was sung,
and saluted the flag when it was
unfurled. During the CHASTITY month
of May, 1917, you helped to pass
the "Selective Service Act" under
which other mems sons have been
chosen to go into the trenches. You
asked these boys for mere pittance
less than a subsistence wage -
to break their family ties; leave their
jobs; and risk their lives, in the
name of Patriotism. Then you
went to Washington-tho of
you and jockeyed for army contracts.