New Britain herald., 1917-07-12
President Wilson Issues Sen- sational Warning to Busi- ness Men of Country Slackers to be Punished.

SSA manufacturers and shipping interests that the government intended to fix prices of their products during the war period, and that the public must be served on the same basis as gov- ernmental agencies. Those who sought to avoid the ruling of the gov- ernment, he said, would be held guilty of an act favorable to the cause of the enemy. The price fixed. he said, must, of course, be a just one.
 We must make the prices to the public the same as the prices to the government" the president declared. Prices mean the same thing every where now. They mean the efficiency or the inefficiency of the nation, whether it is the government that pays them or not. They mean victory or defeat. They mean that America will win her place once for all am mong the foremost free nations of the world, or that she will sink to defeat and be- come a second-rate power alike In thought or action. This is day of her reckoning, and every man among us must personally face that reckon ing along with her."
 Patriotism and profits ought never in the present circumstances to be mentioned together, the president said, for patriotism leaves profits out of the question. No true man, he added, who stayed behind while others went to the front to risk their lives, would ask himself what he is going to make out of business.
 NO true patriot" he said, speaking of the overseas expeditions, Twill per- init himself to take hold of their hero So fo Vip the shedding of their blood When they are giving their lives, will he not at least give his money?"
 The president said~he could not be- lieve that men living in easy and peaceful fashion would attempt to "exact a price, drive a bargain" while others were enduring the agony of this war on the battlefelds and ''bereaved women" and "pitiful chill dren" were about them.
 Special attention was directed to the ship owners, who had raised freight rates because of the tremendous de- mand on shipping facilities.
 "They," the president said, "are doing everything that high freight charges can do to make the war a failure, to make it impossible He added that those who had raised freight rates had taken the most effective means in their power to defeat the armies engaged against Germany. He took it for granted that they would reconsider the whole matter. In con- cluding his address he said:
 1T shall expect every man who is not a stacker to be at my side through out this great enterprise. In it no man can win honor who thinks of himself.'
 The Message.
 The text of President Wilson's ap- peal is as follows:
 My Fellow Countrymen:
 '"The Government is about to at teulpt to determine the pr'ceS at which it will ask you hencefcrth to furnish various supplies which arc necessary for the prosecution of the war and various materials which will be needed in the industries by which the war must be sustained. VIC shall, of course, try to determine them justly and to the best adve ntage of the nation as a whole, but justice is easier to speak of than to arrive at and there are some considerations which I hope we shall keep steadily l mind while this particular problem If justice is being worked out. l, therefore, take the liberty of stating very canGid!y my own view of the sit uotion and of the principles which should guide both the Government and the mine owners and manufacture CTS of the country in this difficult matter.
 "A just price must, of course. be paid for everything the Government D ,>r,io nyio
 which will sustain the industries 1 concerned in a high state of efficien- 1 cy, provide a living for those who 1 conduct them, enable them to pay l good wages, and make possible the expansions of their enterprises which
 will from time to time become nee essary as the stupendous underta1- 1 ings of this great war develop. We could not wisely or reasonably do less | than pay such prices. They are nee
 essary for the maintenance and de- | velopment of industry, and the main tenance and development of indus 1 try are necessary for the great task
 we have in hand.
 | "But I trust that we shall not sur 1 round the matter with a mist of senti- ment. Facts are our masters now We ought not to put the acceptance 1 of such prices on the ground of pa. ] triotism. Patriotism has nothing l to do with the profits in 8 | case like this. Patriotism anC 1 profits ought never in the present circumstances be mentioned together l It Is perfectly proper to discuss profits | as a matter of business, with 8 view i to maintaining the integrity of capi-
 tai and the efficiency of labor in these l tragical months when the liberty o1 free man everywhere and of industry I itself trembles in the balance, but ii l would be absurd to discuss them as g
 motive for helping to serve and save l our country.
 "Patriotism leaves profits out o1 1 the question. In these days of ou1 supreme trial, when we are sending