Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-02-22
Private Industry and Preparedness
Board MAnuAcu
the New YrkT nmne)

The following passages are drawn
from the report OF the board of off,
GERS appointed last year by the Sec
rotary or War ito investigate and re-
port upon the feasibility, desirability
and practicability OF the Government
manufacturing arms. ammunitions
and equipment. and certain other al
lied questions
Having produced sufficient evidence
TO show how far we are from that
degree Of preparation which would
protect us from at least temporary
defeat and disaster at the hands OF
any enemy which might overcome our
navy" the board goes on TO point out
the wastefulness Of attempting 70
meet the needs OF the occasion exclu-
siyely through specially provided
Government plants and proceeds as
follows;
III no other plan offered, reason
able man might be driven TO advocate
II as the only available way to insure
against great national calamity. But
other ways are open, ways by which
productive capital viii not be locked
up in complete idleness, but which
Will still hold the country in readi-
ness against the critical day. Those
who have studied attentively the his
tory OF this country in its past wars
have been moved to say that in our
day OF need a benevolent Providence
has stood between us and our peril.
To-day, without conscious effOrt'tO that
end, situation has developed through
which, n we regard the immediate
future as charged with danger we
may also see the workings of that
same Providence. For two things
have happened, or are In progress Of
development which go far to insure
the safety of the United States, pro-
vided only advantage be taken OF
them First, the people have been
aroused from their dreams Of I'M
broken peace by the appalling Euro
pean war so suddenly begun andwaged
with such uneXampled energy. So
that national alertness upon this
question OF national defence now ex-
lists which thirty months ago had no
being. Second, the demands OF the
foreign combatants for arms and am
munition have developed in this coun-
try capacity TO make them a thou
sand-fold greater than was dreamed
Of in July. 1914. The coincidence Of
these two developments, /. e., the Wis
ion TO see our possible danger and
tho capacity TO prepare against IT, is
remarkable and constitutes an asset
OF tremendous value 10 tho country
But IL needs to be taken advantage Of
IL is an opportunity Of greatest mag
nitnde; but still only an opportunity
II is potential, not actual. military
strength. and with the passing OF
these European conditions which gave
il birth II will begin to dissipate I'M
less conserved by the being put to
use now or in the near future There
fore, IL seems 10 this board that
prompt advantage should be taken Of
the peculiar conditions that now OK
| ist-that is to say, Of tho aroused
I public consciousness OF danger and
OF the suddenly developed capacity Of
( the American industrial world for the
production of arms, ammunitions and
equipment-before that capacity be
destroyed by the scrapping or ex-
porting OF the machinery, which, with
the organized personnel, constitutes
the essence OF n.
These considerations make impos-
sible exclusive Government manufac-
ture, not only because OF the enorm-
GUS capital locked up and wasted
through the non-use and deteriora-
ton OF a large portion OF the plants
in which it is invested in peace years.
but more strongly still because such a
plan spells delay-and long delay
which in turn may spell disaster
If we are preparing for offensive
war, we can, OF course, take our time,
but II our preparation be solely for
defence, for insurance against the ag-
gression or attack OF other nations,
we cannot know when such insurance
may be needed. Indeed, we cannot
fail to recognize the period succeed
ing the present European war as one
! fraught with much dif1culty and dan
ger. And we cannot insure against
contingencies which may then arise