The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-07-17

IL Ia the greatest signifi-
canoe that the president
timed his appeal to corre-
spond exactly with the day
that the steel kings, headed
by Gary of the steel trust,
began their personal negotia-
tons with the government
authorities as to the price to
be fixed for steel.
For weeks the heads of the gov
eminent, who are buying enor-
nous quantities of steel, have
been trying to agree upon a fair
price with the steel makers.
That they have been unsuccess-
full Is due entirely to the fact that
the steel kings seem to see no
difference between the situation
now, when their own government
and their fellow-Americans are to
be considered, and the situation a
year ago or two years ago, when
their chief customers were foreign
nations and foreign peoples.
Outrageous.
The only prices they have been
willing to discuss are based up
on the fictitious prices built up
during the three years that the
European nations have been at
war, and have been willing to pay
any price (however excessively for
the last ton of steel that could be
produced in this country.
1t has been pointed out to these
steel kings that such prices, con-
sidering the huge amounts OF
steel required by the government
now, were outrageous and impos.
sible; that the taxpayers of the
nation simply would not stand for
them. They have answered that
the only way to get maximum pro-
uction was by paying these Excess
sive prices.
In other words, the steel kings
virtually say: IF our govern.
ment and our fellow countrymen
want us to produce the necessities
OF war In the quantities necessary
to win the war, they must pay our
price,"
And what is true of the
steel kings is equally true of
the coal kings and the iron
ore kings and the transporta-
ton kings.
The Interstate commerce COM
mission has just refused a Is per
cent freight rate increase to the
railways, demanded as the price
of railroad efficiency in time OF
great national peril
The steel companies are rolling
In wealth, SO are the owners of
the coal mines, so are the own
ers of iron ore mines, so are the
railroads.
And as for the owners of ships,
the profits they are exacting from
the government and from private
business are so enormous they
stagger the imagination.
The Italian government recent
ly paid a hundred dollars ton
for shipping cargo of coal from
this country to Italy.
Italy's Experience.
They paid about three times
what the coal was worth landed
on the dock; about 25 times as
much as it was worth to transport
1t. Incidentally, Italy assumed all
the war-risk, and paid with money
loaned her by the American peo-
lple.
This is a typical instance of the
gouging that is going on all along
the line.
The president and the members
of his cabinet have been trying for
weeks to work out a reasonable
solution of this vital problem by
cooperation and negotiation, but
they have almost reached the con-
clusion that their persuasive pow
ers are not equal to the task OF
coping with the Big Business lust
for profits.
The presidents public appeal
was the velvet glove on the Steel
hand.
1t may be compared with his
famous last peace note to Ger
many.
Between the lines of that note
every man who knew the stuff of
which the president is made read
his fixed determination to protect
the honor and rights of this nation
at whatever cost.
The rulers of Germany mis-
judged their man; they thought
he was bluffing. They saw their
mistake when 1t was too late.
The appeal of the president to
the Big Business interests of the
country, in which he begs them
to forego their excessive profits
and be no less patriotic than the
boys who are to bleed and die
for their country, is analogous to
his last peace note to Germany.
II this appeal does not bring an
Immediate response the unlimited
war power Of the government will
be exercised.
The nation needs hundreds of
millions of tons of coal and mil
lions Of tons of steel and efficient
transportation on both land and
ocean IL IL il to defeat Germany.
1T IS GOING TO HAVE THESE
THINGS At A FAIR PRICE If 1T
HAS 10 COMMANDEER THEM.
This II the meaning Of the
presidents appeal. The issue is
as clear as crystal.
The American people need