New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-09
Redirection Of
Industrial Effort
Urgent War Need
Men Behind the Lines Must Also
Economic and Stop
Criticising
BY Theodore II. Price

By Theodore II. Price
I'm Commerce and Fmorcc)
With the recovering Of Congress
all America, If not all the world. .urns
It's eyes toward Washington in the hope
that those who are assembled there
may find means to expedite our
preparation for the war that must be
won before the blessings Of an endur-
ing and endurable peace can again be
ours.
This is natural. War is essentially
matter of organization, and those who
ere engaged in it must have leader
ship.
The individual initiative Of American
soldiers is nevertheless the pride Of
American army officers and it would be
well if those Of US who are behind the
lires could exhibit this same spirit Of
initiative by finding out what we can
do personally and doing it without
waiting for Congress TO pass laws that
will restrain or compel action.
To this it may be answered that in
dividual effort without coordination is
likely to result in confusion, disagree
ment and waste OF energy, and there
is force in the rejoinder.
There are, however, some duties that
are so clear and some obligations that
are so self-evident that they need no
statutory definition or emphasis. One
of these is the non-critical support OF
the government. No doubt it has made
some mistakes and will make others,
but the business of putting a democ-
racy at war is difficult one, and
prompt obedience to orders, whether
we approve of them or not, is con-
dition of success. If we feel that
things are going seriously wrong we
can complain personally and privately
to the branch or representative Of the
government that is. responsible for
them. This will do more good than
censorious talk or letters to newspa-
pers that get nowhere and only ian the
ever present spirit of discomfort.
Another self-evident duty is work.
We should realize and make it clear
that the men and women who fail TO
work up TO their highest efficiency
while the war lasts are slackers, con-
sciously or unconsciously evadlng their
share of the burden that the struggle
imposes.
Economy Is Imperative
And the third duty, concerning which
no debate or legislation should be
necessary, is economy. Economy not
that we may save money and buy LIB
erty bonds, though that is desirable,
but economy in the use and purchase
of non-essental things, so that the
labor of those who have hitherto been
employed in the production or these
non-essentials may be released and re-
empIoyed in the production or the
things that are and will be imperative
" needed If we are 10 win this war.
Simply stated, the facts are that our
war expenditure during the twelve
months ending June 80, 1918, will be
about $50, 100000
OF this sum about sl5,OOO,O 100000
will be spent for manufactured arti-
cles, ships, shells, guns, aeroplsnes,
ammunition and the like. Whatever
they are. they will be the product OF
human labor. Prior to our declaration
of var the value of our manufactured
output was about $25,0OO,OOO,OOO an
nually. This was a maximum. 1t IS
obvious that the labor which produced
$4,000 900 eco worth OF goods cannot
suddenly increase its output by Sl5,-
600 900 900. or GO per cent, even II II
were available. which it is not, because
1000. 900 or 100000 of our most ener-
petic young lren are being sent TO the
front as soldiers and sailors. That
these soldiers and sailors may be pro-
vided with the $4,000 100000 worth OF
equipment that they require, 1t is
necessary that we should release the
labor hitherto employed in providing
90 per cent of the $4,000 100000 worth
of manufactured goods normally con-
sumed by our civilian population. The
release of this labor cannot be effected
unless we stop buying the non-essehtlal
things in the production of which 1t
has been engaged, and it is this fact
that makes economy compulsory
Energy Must BE. Redirected
The men who have made watches
and clocks must be put at making
time fuses. Those who machincd the
cylinders for automobile engines must
turn out shells and guns. The iron
workers who have been employed n
the construction Of skyscrapers must
become shipbuilders. The spinners
and weayers who made expensive
dress fabrics must manufacture
Khaki and cotton duck. The thous-
Gnds and hundreds of thousands IF
men who have hitherto been engaged
in making and distributing such nom
essentials as jewelry, talking ma
chimes, pianos, candy, expensive china,
pottery, silks, laces, pictures (bo;h
stationary and moving, and The
scores OF other things that are paid
FOR but do not contribute TO ~.
health or efficiency must be freed To
work ard fight for the nation.
Those who travel only for pleasure
must stay at home so that the rail
ways may better handle the govern
ment business. Those who employ
chaufeurs should dismiss them that
they may do work that is more neces-
sary.
As far as possible we should d.
without new clothes. and defer the
purchase of house linen, carpets or
curtains until the war Is over, for
every time We postpone the satisfec-
ton Of a want that is not q need We
increase the fighting power OF the
ration and Lasten the coming Of peace
through victory.
We need have 70 fear that our
economy will result in the unemploy-
ment Of labor or the distress Of those