Arizona republican., 1917-07-12
BUSINESS. IF NATION
 MUS l l AID
(RepubIican A. p. Leased wirel


 WASHINGTON, July 11.-President Wilson appealed to the country's busi ness interests tonight to put aside ev- cry selfish consideration and to give their aid to the nation as freely as those who go out to offer their lives on the battle field.
 In statement addressed to the coal operators and manufacturers he gave assurances that just prices would be paid by the government and the pub lie during the war, but warned that no attempt to extort unusual profits will be tolerated.
 Your patriotism" said the presi- dents appeal lis of the same self denying stuff as the patriotism of the men dead and maimed on the fields of France, or it is no patriotism at all Let us never speak, then, of profits and patriotism in the same sentence.
 T shall expect every man who is not q stacker to be at my side throughout this great enterprise. In it no man can win honor who thinks of himself"
 The president declared there must be but one price for the government and for the public. He expressed confi- dence that business generally would be found loyal to the last degree and that the problem of war time prices which he declared will mean victory or defeat" will be solved rightly through patriotic cooperation.
 In unmeasured terms however, MT. Wilson condemned the ship owners. of the country for maintaining a schedule of ocean freight rates which has placed almost insuperable obstacles in the path of the government
 The fact is,' he asserted. that those who have fixed war freight rates N-I- in their power to defeat the armies en- gagged against Germany.
 Coal production and other industries for whose products the government has negotiated price agreements are not taken up in detail by the presi- dent his appeal dealing only with the general princinles involved in the de- termination of war prices. It follows ir full:
 My fellow cOuntrYmen:
 'The government is about to attempt to determine the prices al which it will ask you henceforth to furnish var ious supplies which are necessary for the prosecution of war, and various materials which will be needed in the industries by which the war must be sustained. We shall, of course. try to determine them justly and to the best advantage of the nation as whole; but justice is easier to speak of than to arrive at and there are some con- alterations which I hope we shall keep steadily in mind while this particular problem of justice is being worked out Therefore, 1 take the liberty of stating very candidly my own view of the situation, and of the principles which should guide both the govern ment and the mine owners and manu- nf ba trN- in cult matter
 "A just pri:e must of course be pair for everything the government buys By a just price I mean a price which will sustain the industries con Cerned in a high state of efficiency provide a living for those who conduct them. enable them to pay good wages. and make possible the expansions of their enterprises which will from time to time become necessary as the stu pendous undertakings of this great war development. We could not wise ly or reasonably do less than pay such prices. They are necessary for the maintenance and development of in dustry; and t!ie maintenance and de- Vclopment of industry are necessary for the great task we have in hand.
 But I trust that we shall not sur round the mater with a mist of senti- ment. Facts aye our masters now. We ought not to put the acceptance o1 such prices on the ground of patriot ism. Patriotism has nothing to dc with profits ih a case like this. Pat riotism and profits ought never in the present circumstances to be mentioned together It is perfectly proper to dis cuss profits as matter of business with a view to maintaining the integ rity of capital and the efficiency of la bor in these tragical months, when tht liberty of free men everywhere and O industry itself trembles in the balance but it would be absurd to discuss then as a motive for helping to serve anC save our country.
 Patriotism leages profits out of thu question. In these days of our su preme trial when we are sending hun dreds of thousands of our young mel across the seas to serve great cause no true man vho stays behind to worl for them and sustain them by his la bor will ask himself what he is per sonally going to make out of that la bor. No true patriot will permit him self to take toll of their heroism il
 money or seek to grow rich by tn shedding of their blood He will giv as freely and with as unstinted sel sacrifice as they. When they are giv ing their lives will he not at least giv his money?
 T hear it insisted that more than just price, more than a price that wi sustain our industries, must be paid that it is necessary to pay very libers and unusual profits in order to 'stimu late production; that nothing bt pecuniary rewards will do-reward paid in money, not in the mere libera tion of the world. I take it for grante that those who argue thus do not sto 10 think what that means. Do the Continued on Page Two)